In
a small nod in the direction of workers at American steel mills and fabricators,
and at other businesses manufacturing products for road building and mass
transit use, Congress tightened up “buy American” requirements on projects
partly paid for with federal tax dollars. The new bill eliminates one loophole
in the buy American laws, which allowed use of foreign produced steel and
manufactured products on portions of construction if a major project was split
into multiple contracts or awarded in phases. Under the MAP-21 bill extending
the Highway Trust Fund for 27 months, if any one of the split up contracts has
federal money in it, all of the related products must also abide by the buy
American rules.
And
the new legislation also requires mass transit projects to publish a detailed
explanation, with a public comment period, before waiving buy American rules
for mass transit construction contracts. In past years, this waiver publication
and comment requirement only applied to highway construction. Now, citizens
will be able to know ahead of contract bidding why local transit officials find
it necessary to use foreign made materials and products in their construction
jobs. Seems like Congress is at long last wising up to the need to keep
taxpayer funded job creation on American shores.
