Norcross, Courtney Release Statement on President-Elect Trump’s Comments on Reversing ‘Buy American’ Policies

WASHINGTON, DC-Today, Representatives Donald Norcross (NJ-D) and Joe Courtney (D-CT) released a statement on President-Elect Trump's recent comments on reversing "Buy American" policies.

"During a recent talk show appearance, President-elect Trump stated that the United States may soon turn to its allies to purchase ships instead of building them here in America, a significant reversal from the Buy American policies he once supported during his first term. While President-elect Trump makes a valid point that the United States has a limited shipbuilding capacity, abandoning Buy American policies is not the solution.

"Buy American policies invest in American manufacturing and the American worker to bolster the defense of our nation. It makes our nation safer and workforce stronger and that is why we championed the Buy American provision into the FY24 NDAA. Shipbuilding here at home will create good-paying jobs and high-quality training programs in our communities. It also creates an effective risk management of our defense industrial base.

"We can invest in Americans while still working with our allies, and I'm pleased that we have formed the ICE Pact with Canada and Finland. This Pact will significantly increase the production of polar icebreakers and combat capacity problems with American shipbuilding. Going forward, we must put the American worker, as well as the safety of our nation and our brave men and women in uniform, first, by prioritizing an American-made agenda. We hope President Trump can support that vision."

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