Bustos, Esty Introduce The American Jobs Matter Act To Create Jobs At Home

Press Release

Today, Congresswomen Cheri Bustos (IL-17) and Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) introduced the American Jobs Matter Act, which would boost job creation by leveraging taxpayer money spent on federal contracts to support American manufacturers. The bill requires the U.S. Department of Defense to take into account the creation and retention of American jobs when issuing a federal contract. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) has introduced the companion bill in the U.S. Senate.

From 2007 to 2013, the U.S. Department of Defense spent over $700 billion dollars on manufactured goods, with over $150 billion spent on goods produced overseas. During the same period, the United States lost an estimated 1.7 million manufacturing jobs.

"I'm proud to stand up for American workers and taxpayers by re-introducing the American Jobs Matter Act, a common sense bill to boost manufacturing and create jobs here at home," said Congresswoman Bustos (IL-17), who introduced the American Jobs Matter Act last Congress. "It's very simple. Our bill would require the federal government to take American jobs into consideration when accepting bids for taxpayer-funded contracts. Job creation is my number one priority, and this bill ensures that taxpayer dollars are invested right where they should be, here in America, not overseas."

"I'm proud to join Rep. Bustos in introducing the American Jobs Matter Act. It makes no sense to spend our taxpayer money funding jobs overseas when we could support jobs right here at home. Our failure to take job creation into account has led to misguided decisions by the U.S. Department of Defense, including their decision to buy Mi-17 helicopters for Afghanistan from Rosoboronexport, a Russian arms dealer. Connecticut is home to over 5,000 manufacturers, including hundreds of small suppliers--many family-owned--that employ thousands of workers across our state. Spending our tax dollars on superior military equipment made right here in Connecticut will support manufacturing jobs at home and protect our national security. I look forward to working with Rep. Bustos and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this commonsense bill into law," said Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5).

"Too many manufacturing jobs in Connecticut have been lost to foreign firms because the Department of Defense doesn't give preference to American manufacturers when awarding defense contracts. That needs to change. The American Jobs Matter Act will give Connecticut's defense manufacturers a leg up against foreign competition, and I look forward to building support for it with Congresswomen Elizabeth Esty and Cheri Bustos," said Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn).

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