James Traficant: “I have been offering buy-American amendments in this Congress for a number of years. I believe this is a good bill; and…”

“I have been offering buy-American amendments in this Congress for a number of years. I believe this is a good bill; and I want to commend my colleague and friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), and one of the fine leaders on our side of the aisle, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), for a good bill. Certainly there can be some improvements. However, there are some concerns that I have and some recommendations that I want to make. I want to make this to the Republican leadership, even though I know there are other complicating issues that would surround the issue of construction. I believe the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens) are exactly right. We in Congress have built a number of prisons, and I do not demean the Congress for such action. But, Mr. Chairman, we have put but little money into construction of school facilities. I do not believe we have to put a ton of money into it, Mr. Chairman. It could be a 20 percent participatory matching thing if local money and State money is available. But I think in conference or in some mechanism, the Republican leadership should look at that issue. What the Traficant amendment says is that, number one, on any funds expended under this bill, it is the sense of Congress that when making purchases, they shall buy and we should buy American-made products. But it also says that a notice shall be given of same by the Secretary when awards are made.”