Legislation introduced in the Senate on the day of President Trump’s inauguration would apply Buy America rules to all federally funded infrastructure and public works projects.
Sponsored by Democratic Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, S. 181 would require the use of American-made iron and steel products in infrastructure projects funded in whole or in part by federal taxpayer dollars. The bill aligns with a top priority of President Trump, who pledged in his inaugural address to “follow two simple rules” when funding infrastructure: “Buy American and hire American.”
S. 181 would likely have minimal impacts on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) pilot program, each of which are already permanently subject to Buy American requirements. But Congress has never permanently applied Buy American rules to the Drinking Water SRF; instead since the 2014 fiscal year lawmakers have annually imposed the iron and steel restrictions on the DWSRF. Most recently, the WIIN Act approved by Congress in December applied Buy American rules to the DWSRF for all projects funded in FY17.