WASHINGTON, DC— Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) President Edward Wytkind issued this statement in support of Rep. Nick Rahall’s (D-WV) Motion to Instruct Conferees on the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012 (H.R.4348):
“Transportation labor wholeheartedly endorses a Motion to Instruct Conferees by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) that will boost the U.S. manufacturing sector and provide a much-needed shot in the arm to our economy.
“As the House prepares to vote on Rahall’s motion to make Buy America laws more transparent – and waiver rules more stringent – I hope lawmakers will consider the impact of this motion on the future of a critical segment of our economy. Buy America laws with more muscle will put more Americans back to work, and will ensure a pipeline of middle-class jobs for years into the future.
“It is time to close the loopholes that have been used by state and local governments to bypass Buy America requirements by segmenting projects eligible for federal funds.
“This motion would instruct the conferees to adopt language that is in the Senate-passed version of the reauthorization bill (MAP-21), a bill that has gained notoriety in Washington for its robust bipartisan support.
“Transportation and manufacturing workers are watching. We owe it to them to finally get this one right and put a stop to using federal transportation dollars to create jobs offshore.”
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The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, represents 32 member unions in the aviation, rail, transit, motor carrier, highway, longshore, maritime and related industries. For more information, visit us at www.ttd.org or on Facebook and Twitter.
