[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 17395-17396]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Enzi, and 
        Mr. Schumer):
  S. 1439. A bill to provide for duty-free treatment of certain 
recreational performance outerwear, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Finance
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the U.S. Outdoor 
Act. There is no denying that this economy has got Americans worried. 
People are stressed, and with good reason. One thing that we see time 
and again during recessions is that people look to get their minds off 
the tough times for just a little while with low-cost, simple 
activities that the whole family can enjoy. Outdoor recreation fits 
that bill; it makes people healthier and happier too.
  But recreational performance outerwear--jackets and pants used for 
skiing and snowboarding, mountaineering, hunting, fishing, and dozens 
of other outdoor activities--are assessed some of the highest duty 
rates applied to any products imported into the U.S. These 
disproportionately high tariffs, let us call them what they are, taxes, 
were originally implemented to protect U.S. outerwear manufacturers 
from foreign competition. Instead, now these import taxes stifle 
innovation, add substantial costs for outdoor businesses, and 
ultimately raise the prices we all pay at the cash register. We can fix 
this, help these companies to better compete globally while investing 
in eco-friendly technology and jobs here in the U.S., and help 
consumers in these tough times so more people can get out and enjoy the 
great outdoors.
  So today, I am proud to introduce the U.S. Optimal Use of Trade to 
Develop Outerwear and Outdoor Recreation Act, or the U.S. Outdoor Act. 
This bill is the result of partnership between performance outerwear 
manufacturers and the domestic textile and apparel industry. In 2007, 
the U.S. International Trade Commission found that there was no 
commercially viable production of performance outerwear in the U.S.. 
This legislation reflects those findings, and makes a solid investment 
in U.S. jobs. It spurs outdoor recreation and its industry, which 
accounts for $730 billion dollars and 65 million jobs across the U.S., 
with 73,000 jobs in Oregon, and this bill can potentially create many 
more. This would also help lower costs for consumers, who pay $289 
billion in outdoor retail sales and services across the country, with 
$4.6 billion in Oregon.
  The U.S. Outdoor Act eliminates the import duty for qualifying 
recreational performance outerwear, bringing duties that can be as high 
as 28 percent down to zero. It also establishes the Sustainable Textile 
and Apparel Research, STAR, fund, which invests in U.S. technologies 
and jobs that focus on

[[Page 17396]]

sustainable, environmentally conscious manufacturing, helping textile 
and apparel companies work towards minimizing their energy and water 
use, reducing waste and their carbon footprint, and incorporating 
efficiencies that help them better compete globally.
  The U.S. Outdoor Act reduces the costs for U.S. companies and 
consumers, encourages Americans to take part in healthy and active 
lifestyles through outdoor recreation, spurs economic activity, invests 
in the U.S. textile industry, supports American jobs and 
competitiveness, and encourages sustainable business practices to 
benefit the environment so we all can continue to enjoy the beauty that 
is the great outdoors.
  I want to thank the Outdoor Industry Association, for their tireless 
work with my office, and with the U.S. ITC and other agencies in 
perfecting this bill. I also want to acknowledge and thank those in the 
U.S. textile and apparel industry who have partnered with the outdoor 
industry to develop a thoughtful and well balanced bill that supports 
American jobs and U.S. technologies. I thank my house colleague, 
Congressman Blumenauer, who had introduced an earlier version of this 
bill in the last Congress and is introducing companion legislation. 
Finally, thank you to my Senate colleagues, Senator Crapo, who is an 
original cosponsor of this bill, Senator Cantwell, Senator Enzi, and 
Senator Schumer.

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