[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3409]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



        MILITARY BERETS SHOULD BE MANUFACTURED IN UNITED STATES

  (Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, the Army is preparing to outfit every 
soldier with a new black beret. Some people oppose this policy, but 
whether or not it is a good idea, one thing we can all agree on is that 
these berets should be made in the United States.
  So why is the Pentagon acquiring 2.5 million berets from companies 
who make these berets in countries like China, Romania and Sri Lanka? 
This is very troubling.
  The Pentagon has waived the law which requires domestic production of 
military uniforms. This decision is costing American companies millions 
of dollars; and even worse, the overseas berets may actually be more 
expensive so U.S. taxpayers will get stuck with a bigger bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I am circulating a letter to President Bush urging him 
to review this shortsighted decision. I hope my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle will join with me.

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