James Traficant: “I would like to take off on something that was mentioned by the gentleman from California [Mr. Brown]. This is the last…”

“I would like to take off on something that was mentioned by the gentleman from California [Mr. Brown]. This is the last year here in Congress for the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Walker], and I would like to say to the gentleman, if I can get his attention, I want to commend him for distinguished service to his district, to the Congress and to the country. He has been a Member that said ``no'' around here at the times he had to. Mr. Chairman, this amendment, I think everybody understands it. I would like to see more American products purchased with more of our procurement dollars, because American workers get a paycheck and pay the taxes for all of these ``Buck Rogers'' experiments that are not reality. I think it is very important. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Walker, who could have raised points of order on a couple of appropriation bills on more significant buy American language, and he did not. I believe this is reasonable. This language affords an opportunity for recipients of grants to be encouraged, wherever feasible, to buy American-made products. They are to get a notice to that effect, and hopefully that will happen. In the year to come, I will be asking for a report, an investigation that would monitor the types of procurement and the dollars that are spent on products that may not be made in America, and if those products were available here, at a cost-competitive price.…”