New Haven Register: Rep. Chris Murphy introducing bill that targets loopholes in Buy American law

February 13 2012

For the original article, please visit the New Haven Register.

U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy said Monday he is introducing new legislation designed to call attention to loopholes in the Buy American law.

Murphy announced his plans to introduce the Full Disclosure in Federal Contracting Act during a press conference Monday morning at Dewey Manufacturing. The Oxford-based manufacturer was beaten out for a Transportation Safety Administration contract last summer by a Virginia company that George Dewey, owner of the local company, claims is an American company in name only.

Murphy’s bill would require all federal contract solicitations to list all of the countries whose products could satisfy the contract. That way, he said, American business owners will have an idea of who they are competing against.

“We need to make manufacturers more aware of the loopholes because if every manufacturer knew how many there were, they’d storm the Capitol,” Murphy said. “It’s bad business for the federal government to be misleading manufacturers about who their competition is.”

Murphy, D-5, who lives in Cheshire, founded the Congressional Buy American Caucus, and has been working for years to eliminate loopholes that have been created over time in the 78-year-old Buy American Act, which is supposed to require governmental agencies to give U.S. businesses preferential treatment in purchasing goods and services.

Dewey contacted Murphy’s office last summer when I-Tek of Hampton, Va., beat out his company for a contract to provide the TSA with pistol cleaning kits for federal air marshals. Even though internet records indicate I-Tek’s primary business is exporting and that pistol cleaning kits that I-Tek provided to the TSA came from South Korea, Murphy’s office was unable to get the deal overturned.

Dewey said Monday he is “ecstatic” that Murphy is pushing the Full Disclosure in Federal Contracting Act.

“I never thought that the concerns I raised with him would get to this stage,” Dewey said. “I think the future of America depends on actions of this nature.”