Obama Will Review Buy American Provision in Stimulus Package

By Roger Runningen and Hans Nichols

Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama’s administration will examine a “buy American” requirement in economic stimulus legislation that has raised concern among U.S. trading partners, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said.

The administration “will review that particular provision,” Gibbs said today at his regular briefing. The president’s advisers understand “all of the concerns that have been heard, not only in this room, but in newspapers and up north and down south.”

The issue may cloud Obama’s trip to Canada on Feb. 19, his first journey outside U.S. borders as president. Canadian officials are criticizing a provision of legislation that passed the U.S. House of Representatives that requires the use of U.S.- made iron and steel in infrastructure projects.

“U.S. protectionism is about to make Canada’s recession a lot worse,” Ralph Goodale, house leader for the opposition Liberal Party, said today in Parliament.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said yesterday that he will complain to U.S. officials over the “buy American” measure. “This is obviously a serious matter,” he said.

The provision also is opposed by U.S. companies with significant sales overseas such as General Electric Co. and Caterpillar Inc., which warn it may spark other countries to retaliate by restricting U.S. products.

The Senate is working on its own version of the stimulus legislation.

To contact the reporters on this story: Roger Runningen in Washington at rrunningen@bloomberg.netHans Nichols in Washington at Hnichols2@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: January 30, 2009 14:55 EST

Now, it's, "Buy American Last". "You're a Commie if you Buy American". Does "No Win Situation" come to mind?

I'm glad the president is getting involved in it's removal.


Cowboy Diplomacy was bad, Cowboy Trade Policy is bad.

Sorry about that.

:rofl:

the whole point is to put americans back to work. without the buy america first provision i`m afraid it will be just a dream

Are we supposed to care more about the Candadian recession than our own? How can Mr. Harper even make that argument? OH, they are going to retaliate and not buy our products? God forbid we ever put America first.

...whose ideas have improved our economy soooo much already. :sarcasm:

could it not? How about he fixes his own recession? Dumbass.

As far as GE and Caterpillar, I hope they do have to concern themselves with selling here more - maybe then they'd care about employing here more.