Watchdog Slams President Biden’s ‘Buy American’ Executive Order

For Immediate Release

Washington, D.C. – The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) lambasted President Biden’s prospective “Buy American” executive order, which would require government agencies to purchase American made products. This will have profoundly negative effects on the economy, especially in the midst of a global pandemic.

In response, TPA Vice President of Policy Patrick Hedger offered the following statement:

“This was a bad idea when President Trump offered it and this provision is still a bad idea. It should go without saying that, when it comes to stewarding taxpayer dollars, the federal government should seek to be as efficient as possible. This upcoming “Buy American” executive order announced by the Biden administration is costly and unnecessary. Government agencies should have the discretion to determine which goods and services are most effective and affordable. Unfortunately, in many cases, American made products are significantly more expensive. Given the record levels of debt the country is accruing, we cannot afford to write off any saving opportunities for the American taxpayer.

“The proposed executive order promises to be even more strict than those implemented by the Trump administration. Economic nationalism of this sort damages American companies that rely on foreign goods and is the same philosophy that landed the United States in a number of trade disputes over the last four years. While we hope the administration will reconsider and avoid the pitfalls of its predecessor, TPA will monitor closely to see how many taxpayer dollars go to waste on this ill-fated effort.”

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Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.