On the recordJune 15, 2016
I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chair, first of all, I would just like to set the record straight. Cash allowances are a circumvention of the Berry amendment. They are not Berry-compliant. Then just to address a couple of the issues that have been raised, first of all, as we have heard, requiring the Defense Department to abide by the Berry amendment would not advantage only one company, and it would not limit the varieties of shoes that are offered to new recruits. As we have heard, multiple companies that employ thousands of Americans have expressed their interest in manufacturing athletic shoes and would provide new recruits with the highest quality of brands to choose from. Beyond the fact that there are multiple companies, they also would provide multiple models, as we have heard--the stability, the cushioning, the motion control. All of these would have to pass rigorous testing. As we have heard, one of those shoes has already scored higher than any other shoe that has been tested over the course of 20 years. As Stars and Stripes reported again--just to reiterate from last year--when the Navy switched to Made in America shoes in 2004, stress fractures had been reduced by 69.7 percent. I believe we should close this loophole to make sure that all recruits have the best quality shoes to choose from, and the best is American-made. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.
