This from the Natl Council of Textile Organizations.  Act now!  A call to your Senator takes 5 minutes.

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ALERT – CALLS NEEDED TO SENATE ASAP – BUY AMERICAN MANUFACTURING CLAUSE THREATENED 
We have been advised that an attempt could be made to strip the buy American portions in the Senate stimulus bill.  These portions were put into the bill by Senator Dorgan earlier this week.   THEY MANDATE THAT ANY PROJECTS FUNDED UNDER THE STIMULUS PACKAGE MUST USE AMERICAN MADE IRON, STEEL AND OTHER MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS (copy of text attached).  (Dorgan essentially expanded an iron and steel provision in the House bill to include all manufactured goods.)
 
Senate members are being pressured by the opponents of this language (Roundtable, Chamber, ECAT, etc – Inside U.S. TRAde article from today attached) to remove the provision from the recovery bill.  The benefits to our domestic industry from the language are wide ranging.   Infrastructure spending under the bill is estimated at $62 billion for highways, roads, public schools and mass transit and tens of billions of dollars for other projects.  We should not allow the funds of this stimulus package to be used to purchase foreign imports and components when tens of thousands of American jobs could be created.
 
Please have your association and your individual member companies contact their respective Senate offices ASAP and tell them to oppose any attempt to change the Buy American Provisions (Sect. 1604).
 
The Senate could take this measure us as early as Monday so calls are need NOW.
 
Thanks.
 
Please let me know if you need additional information.
 
Sincerely,
Cass Johnson
 
 
Cass Johnson
President, NCTO
910 17th Street NW, Ste 1020
Washington, DC 20006
202-822-8025 / f: 202-822-8029
www.ncto.org / This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it