Job seekers may wish to consider applying to manufacturers serving the transportation industry. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has announced its decision to discontinue a measure aimed at supporting jobs in the American transportation industry through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated, "For decades, America’s highway projects were allowed to use taxpayer dollars to purchase products manufactured in other countries, but the Biden-Harris administration is setting out to change that." He further added, "As we rebuild America’s infrastructure, this new rule would require federal highway projects to use products manufactured here - in keeping with President Biden’s Investing in America agenda that has helped create 800,000 manufacturing jobs across the country."
According to a Department of Transportation (DOT) news release, the requirements under the Buy America Act have come to an end. This act mandated that at least 50% of the cost of manufactured components be sourced from within the U.S. Government officials are of the opinion that adhering to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act will provide a more effective route towards enhancing American manufacturing and supporting well-paying union jobs.
Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said, "We’re proposing to do away with a policy that did not incentivize restricted American-based manufacturing. This policy supports the Administration’s commitment to create good-paying jobs within the U.S., allowing domestic manufacturing to grow." Bhatt further stated, "American businesses now have a long-term incentive to tap into the broader federal government market."
The news release also mentioned that established in 1983, the Buy America Act requirement for manufactured products will be eliminated through the Buy America Requirements for Manufactured Products NPRM. When this act was first established, highway construction projects rarely utilized manufactured products. The new measure aims at enhancing America's manufacturing industry by strengthening the country's supply chain through investments from the private sector.
