Murphy Unveils Effort To Protect And Grow Connecticut's Manufacturing Sector

Press Release

Today, Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) held a press conference in Hartford to announce an effort to protect and grow Connecticut's manufacturing sector. When Murphy returns to Washington in January, he will introduce two pieces of legislation to update federal domestic sourcing statutes, commonly referred to as "Buy American" laws, which aim to guide federal agencies to buy goods and services from American companies. However, those "Buy American" laws are full of loopholes that allow agencies like the Department of Defense (DoD) to waive those requirements for a variety of reasons. In 2007, the DoD granted 14,159 waivers worth more than $5.7 billion in taxpayer dollars. In the same year, Connecticut lost over 3,000 manufacturing jobs.

"We should have a simple rule - American taxpayer dollars should go to create American jobs. Unfortunately, our existing Buy American laws are suffering a slow death by a thousand loopholes. Part of the strategy for getting our economy back on track needs to be tightening up our Buy American laws so that our tax dollars are being used to create jobs here and not overseas," said Murphy.

Murphy's legislation will:

* Require, for the first time, that federal agencies to take into account the jobs created or sustained by awarding a federal procurement contract to a domestic company.

* Increase the percentage of a completed good that must have been made in America in order to qualify as "Made in America";

* Target assistance to American manufacturers that could begin making goods that have been previously deemed "non-available" from domestic suppliers, or manufacturers that are the sole domestic supplier of an existing good. Items that are deemed "non-available" are waived from the Buy American laws;

* Mandate that each agency report in one easily accessible website all the waivers to domestic sourcing that they allow so that American companies can contest waivers or choose to begin making a "non-available" good in order to trigger the Buy American law.

Murphy was joined by John Barto, President of Ansonia Copper & Brass in Waterbury, a company that will benefit from Murphy's proposed legislation and John Harrity, Director of GrowJobsCT, a coalition encompassing labor, business, the community and elected representatives who strive to halt the exodus of manufacturing jobs from our state.

Ansonia Copper & Brass is a Connecticut-based manufacturer that employs 70 people. They produce copper-nickel tubing for use on board U.S. Navy ships and submarines, and they are the last remaining domestic manufacturer of these products. Ansonia Copper & Brass' main customers are the Prime Contractors of the U.S. Navy that include the various shipbuilding sectors within Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics. The company is seeking assistance from Murphy and other Connecticut officials to stay in business. If they don't survive, the capability and technology for the manufacture of large diameter copper nickel tubing will be lost forever in the United States.

"This proposed legislation will be a milestone and a measuring stick in securing the future of American manufacturing and job preservation both of which should be among this Administration's key objectives to ensure a healthy economic future. I would like to extend my thanks to Congressman Murphy and his staff for their tireless efforts on behalf of Ansonia Copper & Brass and its' dedicated employees," said Barto.

"It makes no sense for the federal government to look overseas for Ansonia Copper & Brass' product. It's made right here in Connecticut, and they can deliver it two to three times faster than their competitors. I'm doing all I can to make their case to their customers and keep these jobs right where they belong - in Connecticut," said Murphy.

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