US Chamber of Commerce opposes "Buy American" clause in Stimulus
It seems like a simple and reasonable idea: if the stimulus is going to use tax payer money to rebuild infrastructure why not use American steal?
Senator Sherrod Brown who knows good ideas (and books – he blurbed mine) when he sees one had this to say (from a story in the Columbus Dispatch):
Saying he couldn’t understand why anyone would oppose it, Sen. Sherrod Brown defended a section of the stimulus bill that would require using American steel in all new projects financed by the measure.
With the Senate expected next week to approve its $887 billion version of a bill aimed at sparking the economy, the “Buy American” section is prompting fears of protectionism among U.S. companies and America’s trading partners, such as Canada and Europe.
“It’s pretty clear that American taxpayers want their tax dollars spent on projects where materials are made by Americans,” the Ohio Democrat said in an interview yesterday. “I’ve seen across-the-board support — with the exception of a few economists and a few newspaper publishers — for ‘made in America.’ “
But the United States Chamber of Commerce – the organization that is supposed to support American business thinks it’s a bad idea.
Weird, huh?
The Canadian media/government is in a HUGE tizzy about this. Lots of denial (“they can’t be serious… there’s an exception for Canadian products, right? Right?!”) and anger (“WE’LL SUE THE PANTS OFF THEM UNDER NAFTA!”) etc. Should be interesting to watch the fall-out. The newfound love for America could last about 5 seconds…