[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 23, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H2243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my concern with a 
Department of Defense policy that has taken jobs away from hardworking 
Americans in the textile, apparel, and footwear industry at a time when 
they need these jobs most.
  DOD is allowed to purchase textile, apparel, and footwear products 
from an organization called Federal Prison Industries, an entity that 
uses prisoners in U.S. jails as labor.
  In the 2008 Defense authorization bill, Congress required the 
Department of Defense to implement strict rules to govern its use of 
Federal Prison Industries. Congress took that action so DOD would not 
unfairly exploit its access to virtually free prison labor and put law-
abiding U.S. textile, apparel, and footwear workers out of work in the 
process.
  Unfortunately, DOD has not followed congressional intent and has 
written those rules to include loopholes that give Federal Prison 
Industries an unfair advantage.
  I am going to repeat that, Madam Speaker, because I think it's 
important.
  Unfortunately, Department of Defense has not followed congressional 
intent and has written those rules to include loopholes that give 
Federal Prison Industries an unfair advantage.
  It is very troubling that a Federal agency would not follow the will 
of the Congress and, instead, establish policy that destroys American 
jobs and the industrial base on which it depends.
  Madam Speaker, over the past 17 years, the United States has lost 
over 29 percent of its manufacturing base. That's over 5 million jobs. 
When do we say enough is enough?
  Madam Speaker, it is unacceptable for a Federal agency to adopt 
policies that cause even more manufacturing job losses. For the good of 
American workers in the textile, apparel, and footwear industries, I 
encourage the Department of Defense to reconsider its approach to this 
issue.
  Madam Speaker, at a time that this country owes China over $800 
billion, we borrow money from the UAE, we borrow money from Japan, and 
here we are trying to put our textile workers out of work by having a 
Federal industry known as the Prison Industries to be competitors to 
the American worker is just wrong.
  Madam Speaker, before I close, I will ask God to continue to bless 
our men and women in uniform. I will ask God to please bless the 
families of our men and women in uniform. I would ask God in his loving 
arms to hold the families who have given a child dying for freedom in 
Afghanistan and Iraq. I will ask God to please bless the House and 
Senate that we will do what is right for this country. And I will ask 
God to give wisdom, strength, and courage to President Obama that he 
will do what is right for the American people.
  I will then say, three times, God please, God please, God please 
continue to bless America.

                          ____________________