[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 146 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12561-S12562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. JOHNSON:
  S. 2631. A bill to establish a toll free number in the Department of 
Commerce to assist consumers in determining if products are American-
made; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


              made in america consumer hotline legislation

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, today I introduce common-sense 
legislation which will greatly benefit America's manufacturers and 
consumers. My colleague, Senator DeWine of Ohio, is joining me as an 
original cosponsor of this bill. The ``Made In America'' Consumer 
Hotline bill will establish a toll free number in the Department of 
Commerce to assist consumers in determining whether the products they 
buy are American-made. The House has passed this legislation and I urge 
my colleagues to move this bill swiftly in our remaining days of the 
Congress.

[[Page S12562]]

  As the world economy becomes more inter-related, determining to what 
extent a product is ``Made in America'' is increasingly difficult for 
American consumers. We have come to expect access to information about 
so many of the products and services we rely on every day, information 
to help us make decisions about what's best for our families, our 
communities and our economy. With auto parts, computers, clothing, or 
appliances, American consumers know that the ``Made in America'' 
designation on products represents quality, reliability, and value.
  This legislation would establish a pilot program for the operation of 
a three-year, toll-free number to assist consumers in determining what 
products are ``Made in America.'' This legislation will have no cost to 
American taxpayers. Instead, fees collected from manufacturers who 
voluntarily choose to register their product will fully fund the toll-
free line. In the past, I cosponsored this hotline legislation in the 
House and I applaud my House colleagues for passing this bill.
  Providing consumers access to accurate and reliable information on 
the content of the products they buy is common-sense legislation that 
is long overdue. Some may object to the creation of such an information 
hotline as a protectionist endeavor. On the contrary, I believe there 
is nothing more conducive to fair trade than providing consumers the 
freedom to decide what product is best for them. This legislation is 
not about telling consumers what to buy, it's about providing consumers 
the resources they need to make their own decisions.
  I have worked hard to advance the issue of freedom of information on 
country of origin labeling, but we need to do more to facilitate 
consumer access to information. As you and I know, we can easily 
determine which country manufactured the automobiles we drive. We trust 
the tags on our shirts or trousers and we can see where our computers, 
stereos, and telephones were made by simply looking at the products' 
label. But many areas remain void of information on product origin. For 
example, when we go to the grocery store to purchase meat products for 
our families to eat, we have no idea where that meat originated.
  Throughout my service in the United States Congress, I have been a 
strong believer in country of origin labeling for all types of consumer 
products. I have been an especially strong supporter of country of 
origin labeling for meat products because of its common-sense nature, 
its benefits to ranchers, farmers, and consumers, its strong bipartisan 
and agricultural group support, its cost-free benefit to taxpayers as 
scored by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and its trade friendly 
provisions. I don't intend to stop at agricultural products. The 
legislation I am introducing today targets general consumer products 
greater than $250 in value.
  Freedom of information about country of origin labeling is fair trade 
because it provides global consumers with freedom of choice. In today's 
global economy, consumers deserve access to information on where the 
products their families use are from. By passing this ``Made in 
America'' toll-free hotline legislation, Congress will help consumers 
assert their right to know.
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