'Buy American' legislation draws fire

Found on CNet News on Saturday, 21 May 2005
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Adding fuel to the debate over U.S.-international trade, a tech industry group is blasting "Buy American" legislation passed by the House of Representatives this week.

On Friday, the Information Technology Association of America called the measure bad security policy and bad economic policy. The legislation, an amendment to the Homeland Security Authorization Act, would force the Department of Homeland Security to buy products mostly made in America.

The legislation was authored by Rep. Don Manzullo, an Illinois Republican, and passed by the House on Wednesday. It would require more than 50 percent of the components in any end product procured by the department to be mined, produced or manufactured inside the United States.

"With this purchasing prohibition, I guess (the department) will have to learn to do without computers and cell phones," ITAA President Harris Miller said in a statement. "I cannot think of a single U.S. manufacturer that could meet this 50 percent threshold for these devices, and I doubt that those charged with protecting our safety here at home can either."

Does that also mean that 50% of the oil has to come from the US? If, that would greatly decrease the value of the conquered oil fields in Iraq. Besides, the mere idea of such a law is ridiculous. And what counts as "home-made"? Is eg. a cellphone home-made if its main parts are clipped together in the US (although the electronis parts, like chips and resistors, are produced in Asia)?