[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 218 (Monday, December 21, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7898-S7900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ENCOURAGING THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES TO ``BUY 
                               AMERICAN''

  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today to encourage all 
Americans to join the fight to support our Nation and our jobs and 
stand up against the growing threat of Communist China.
  I have been saying it for months: Buying American products is the No. 
1 thing we can do to support American jobs and stand up to our foreign 
adversaries.
  There is a new Cold War occurring between the United States and 
Communist China, and we must be crystal clear about the negative 
impacts of continuing to buy Chinese-made products.
  General Secretary Xi is a dictator and human rights violator. He is 
yet another Communist leader trying to be the dominant world power.
  The Communist Party of China is stripping the people of Hong Kong of 
their freedoms--as the Presiding Officer experienced when he was over 
there--cracking down on dissidents, militarizing the South China Sea, 
supporting Maduro's genocide in Venezuela, surveilling its citizens, 
and imprisoning more than 1 million Uighurs in internment camps simply 
because of their religion.
  Communist China is stealing American jobs and technology and spying 
on our citizens.
  Is this the kind of nation we want to be sending our money to?
  Absolutely not.
  Washington politicians have been too concerned with short-term 
political success and have long ignored the long-term threats of 
Communist China to our way of life but not anymore. It is time to take 
action.
  Now, more than ever, Americans must remember that every time we buy a 
product made in China, we are putting another dollar into the pocket of 
the people stealing our jobs and our technology, denying their people 
basic human rights and propping up dangerous dictators like Maduro in 
Venezuela.
  We cannot continue to rely on countries like Communist China, which 
lied about the coronavirus and refused to be a partner in solving this 
crisis, for critical supplies.
  This outbreak has shown why we need to end our reliance on foreign 
supply chains. As a nation, we need to finally take a stand and demand 
that Communist China is removed from our supply chain.
  I am proud to lead my colleagues in a bipartisan resolution calling 
on Americans to buy products made in the United States whenever 
possible.
  Buying American is not partisan, and I am glad my colleagues from 
both sides of the aisle are continuing to

[[Page S7899]]

come together to encourage Americans to take a stand.
  I know it is not always easy, but it is an important step we can all 
take at home to support American jobs, American producers, and American 
manufacturers, while helping build up the U.S. supply chain.
  In my State, we take immense pride in products made in Florida. It is 
a driving force that led to our incredible economic turnaround.
  A return to this pride in homegrown businesses and products ensures 
that America remains strong as the undisputed leader of the global 
economy.
  We all must do our part to support our Nation and make it clear to 
Communist China that the United States won't stand for their behavior.
  I am committed to supporting American businesses over Chinese 
products. I am urging my colleagues to join me in this effort and pass 
this resolution today.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further 
consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 625.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 625) encouraging the Government and 
     the people of the United States to ``Buy American''.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged and the Senate 
proceeded to consider the resolution.
  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Scott amendment at the desk to the resolution be agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2726) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to, 
as follows

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
     following: ``That--
       (1) it is the policy of the United States Government to 
     ``Buy American'' products for public use when fiscally and 
     reasonably possible, in accordance with the Buy American Act 
     of 1933 (41 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.); and
       (2) the Senate supports American manufacturing and 
     strengthening our American manufacturing base.

  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on 
the resolution, as amended.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
  Hearing none, the question is, Shall the resolution, as amended, be 
agreed to?
  The resolution (S. Res. 625), as amended, was agreed to.
  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Scott amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, 
be agreed to, that the Scott amendment to the title be agreed to, and 
that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the 
table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2727) was agreed to as follows

                    (Purpose: To amend the preamble)

       Strike the preamble and insert the following:
       Whereas, on July 15, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed 
     Executive Order 13881 titled ``Maximizing Use of American-
     Made Goods, Products, and Materials'' (84 Fed. Reg. 34257), 
     which would enforce the Buy American Act of 1933 (41 U.S.C. 
     8301 et seq.) to the greatest extent permitted by law;
       Whereas, the Buy American Act of 1933 requires Federal 
     agencies to procure materials and products domestically--
       (1) when the materials are intended for public use within 
     the United States; and
       (2) when the materials to be procured (or the materials 
     from which they are manufactured) are present in the United 
     States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial 
     quantities of a satisfactory quality;
       Whereas American-made products are developed under United 
     States' regulations and undergo testing to ensure their 
     compliance with United States' safety standards, which are 
     among the highest standards in the world;
       Whereas American-made products are produced by workers 
     earning competitive wages and working in safe working 
     conditions;
       Whereas purchasing American-made products supports the 
     producers of those products and their communities;
       Whereas, according to the Manufacturing Institute, each 
     dollar spent in sales of manufactured products supports $1.33 
     in output from other sectors of the economy;
       Whereas, according to the Manufacturers Alliance for 
     Productivity and Innovation Foundation, for every full-time 
     job in manufacturing, there are 3.4 full-time equivalent jobs 
     created in non-manufacturing industries;
       Whereas, according to a 2017 poll conducted by Reuters and 
     Ipsos, when buying products, nearly 70 percent of Americans 
     find it important that the products they buy were made in the 
     United States;
       Whereas strengthening American manufacturing supports 
     employment in the United States, produces innovation and the 
     seeds for future industries, and supports the global 
     competitiveness of the United States;
       Whereas a strong American manufacturing base is an 
     important component in helping to revitalize the United 
     States economy as it recovers from the global COVID-19 
     pandemic;
       Whereas a strong domestic supply chain for certain goods 
     and close cooperation with trusted allies can support 
     national security and public safety;
       Whereas the global COVID-19 pandemic presented significant 
     challenges for the globally interconnected supply chain of 
     medical products and has heightened the need for supply chain 
     security of a variety of critical materials and products; and
       Whereas, regarding the manufacturing of critical medical 
     supplies and products essential to national security, 
     national stockpiles and a healthy domestic industrial base 
     would help handle any future surge in need for these 
     supplies: Now, therefore, be it

  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 2728) was agreed to as follows

                     (Purpose: To amend the title)

       Amend the title so as to read: ``A resolution affirming the 
     benefits of `Buying American'.''.

  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as 
follows:

                              S. Res. 625

       Whereas, on July 15, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed 
     Executive Order 13881 titled ``Maximizing Use of American-
     Made Goods, Products, and Materials'' (84 Fed. Reg. 34257), 
     which would enforce the Buy American Act of 1933 (41 U.S.C. 
     8301 et seq.) to the greatest extent permitted by law;
       Whereas, the Buy American Act of 1933 requires Federal 
     agencies to procure materials and products domestically--
       (1) when the materials are intended for public use within 
     the United States; and
       (2) when the materials to be procured (or the materials 
     from which they are manufactured) are present in the United 
     States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial 
     quantities of a satisfactory quality;
       Whereas American-made products are developed under United 
     States' regulations and undergo testing to ensure their 
     compliance with United States' safety standards, which are 
     among the highest standards in the world;
       Whereas American-made products are produced by workers 
     earning competitive wages and working in safe working 
     conditions;
       Whereas purchasing American-made products supports the 
     producers of those products and their communities;
       Whereas, according to the Manufacturing Institute, each 
     dollar spent in sales of manufactured products supports $1.33 
     in output from other sectors of the economy;
       Whereas, according to the Manufacturers Alliance for 
     Productivity and Innovation Foundation, for every full-time 
     job in manufacturing, there are 3.4 full-time equivalent jobs 
     created in non-manufacturing industries;
       Whereas, according to a 2017 poll conducted by Reuters and 
     Ipsos, when buying products, nearly 70 percent of Americans 
     find it important that the products they buy were made in the 
     United States;
       Whereas strengthening American manufacturing supports 
     employment in the United States, produces innovation and the 
     seeds for future industries, and supports the global 
     competitiveness of the United States;
       Whereas a strong American manufacturing base is an 
     important component in helping to revitalize the United 
     States economy as it recovers from the global COVID-19 
     pandemic;
       Whereas a strong domestic supply chain for certain goods 
     and close cooperation with trusted allies can support 
     national security and public safety;
       Whereas the global COVID-19 pandemic presented significant 
     challenges for the globally interconnected supply chain of 
     medical products and has heightened the need for supply chain 
     security of a variety of critical materials and products; and
       Whereas, regarding the manufacturing of critical medical 
     supplies and products essential to national security, 
     national stockpiles and a healthy domestic industrial base 
     would help handle any future surge in need for these 
     supplies: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) it is the policy of the United States Government to 
     ``Buy American'' products for public use when fiscally and 
     reasonably possible, in accordance with the Buy American Act 
     of 1933 (41 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.); and
       (2) the Senate supports American manufacturing and 
     strengthening our American manufacturing base.

  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

[[Page S7900]]

  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________