“Buy America” Under Attack From Corporate Offshorers
Big corporate America is attacking “Buy America” proposals in the economic stimulus bill that direct some of the over $800 billion in funds towards purchasing U.S.-made products for highway and other transit projects. These multinational corporations – among the nation’s worst chronic offshorers – have launched a misleading scare campaign, claiming that Congress’ decision to invest our tax dollars in our country violates World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
Nations – not just the United States, but all nations – should have a right to invest in themselves, spend their tax dollars according to the priorities set by their democratically elected officials, and pursue other public-interest policies.
For more, check out the following:
- Memo: Obama on Buy America policies (PDF)
- February 5 memo: Buy America Brouhaha: What Are the EU and Canada Hollering About? Their WTO Procurement Exceptions Are (Wisely) Much Broader Than U.S. Stimulus Proposal (PDF)
- February 2 Huffington Post blog post: Roquefort Trade War, Stimulus Buy America Brouhaha Shows WTO Model Broken
- January 29 backgrounder: Companies that Offshored Jobs Attacking “Buy America”/Stimulus on False Grounds
- Public Citizen fact sheet on “Buy America,” procurement and trade policy
- TV spot: GTW Director Lori Wallach on CNN
- More coverage at Eyes On Trade