Political Quotes

“I rise today to introduce a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Senator King that would ensure the Department of Defense provides military recruits with athletic footwear made in the U.S.A. The Berry Amendment, established by Congress in 1941, requires the Department to give preference to clothing and other items made in the United States for any contract valued at $150,000 or more. For decades, the military issued American-made uniforms, including athletic footwear, for our troops. However since fiscal year 2002, the purpose and intent of the Berry Amendment have been undermined by a change in DOD policy. The Army, Air Force, and the Navy now provide a cash voucher that incoming servicemembers use to purchase athletic footwear, without providing any preference for domestically manufactured footwear. DOD claims that a soldier's individual purchase of athletic footwear with a DOD-provided cash allowance is not subject to the Berry Amendment because such individual purchases fall below the simplified acquisition threshold of $150,000. Yet, the cash allowances provided with Federal funds for athletic shoes are valued at about $15 million annually, an amount that is 100 times the minimum contract value at which the Berry Amendment applies. Like all other clothing items issued directly by the military services, athletic footwear should be made in the U.S.A. by American companies.…”