John Tierney: “Mr. Chairman, I have introduced the Build America Act Amendment, which is a step towards ensuring that the United States…”

“Mr. Chairman, I have introduced the Build America Act Amendment, which is a step towards ensuring that the United States defense jobs are performed by United States defense workers. American defense workers are 100 percent committed to our Armed Forces and to ensuring that America has the best-trained, best-equipped, and best-led forces in the world. Unfortunately, over the past 15 years, defense-related employment has fallen by 67 percent. That translates into over 1 million jobs lost. We need to do more to reverse this disturbing trend, and we must do more on their behalf. Just as we in Congress continue to fulfill our patriotic promise to our men and women in uniform, we must also demonstrate our equal commitment to those men and women who wear a different kind of uniform, those who build, repair, and operate the machines that sustain and strengthen our security here at home. The Build America Amendment, which expands the scope of the United States defense Industrial Base Assessment Program, seeks information on why contracts are transferred outside this country and mandates an action plan on how this critical sector can be revitalized and restored. The amendment stands in solidarity with our workers, finding out where jobs have gone and fighting to keep them in this country.”