GOP Lawmakers Warn of Buy American’s Unintended Consequences

(EasyBourse – Henry J. Pulizzi, Dow Jones Newswires)

A group of House Republicans turned up their criticism of the Buy American provisions in the $787 billion economic stimulus package, warning that critical infrastructure projects are being delayed and the U.S. is increasingly at risk of retaliation by its trading partners.

The lawmakers, holding a roundtable with like-minded industry groups Thursday, called on the Obama administration to take action to ensure the provisions, designed to spark job creation at home-grown companies, don’t have unintended consequences.

“There’s a reasonable solution here, which is for the Office of Management and Budget to issue final guidance that exempts states and localities from these onerous provisions,” said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee. Read more here.