Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of three Buy American amendments that I've offered, I along with Ms. Donna Edwards and Mr. Chris Murphy. These amendments would bolster national security, and they would create American jobs--two critical goals for America.

In this recession, the loss of our manufacturing base to countries such as China has only sped up. This is bad enough when it involves consumer goods, but depending on foreign companies to supply America's military weakens our national security.

When the Buy American Act was first passed in 1933, it exempted goods used abroad because of shipping time and expense, but that has changed, and it is time American manufacturers competed for these contracts. In 2008, the DOD spent over $8 billion on products used abroad. My amendment would give U.S. companies a chance to compete by requiring the DOD to solicit bids from American suppliers.

This and the other Buy American amendments will strengthen our national security and will create American jobs. I urge my colleagues to support these amendments, the en bloc amendments.

Go, Hawks.

(May 27, 2010)