GOP Turnaround on Buy American: Genuine Concern or Opportunism?

Mike Elk over at Campaign for America’s Future points out that the leadership of the Republican Party has flip flopped over the limited “Buy American” provisions in the stimulus bill.  This debate is particularly salient now, since the U.S. just watered down the Buy American requirements when it comes to Canada. Mike Elk explains how Michael Steele has made a U-turn on Buy American:

GOP Chairman Michael Steele blasted the Obama administration in a fund-raising email earlier this week for allowing stimulus money designated for clean energy solutions to be spent on overseas companies. Which is interesting, because stimulus money going to overseas firms was the direct result of conservative opposition to attempts to keep that money in America.

Notwithstanding Republican leaders’ huffing and puffing about “protectionism” one day and offshoring the next, Buy American isn’t a partisan issue.  As Mike points out, 86 percent of Americans support the Buy American provisions of the stimulus legislation, including 79 percent of Republicans.  If the Republican Party’s position on Buy American has actually changed, then they should say it loud and clear.  As of now, though, it just seems that Steele is attacking the Obama administration simply for partisan gain.

Comments

[Don Juan of Austria]

It's really outrageous that anyone would call Buy America "protectionism" (not that there is really anything wrong with protectionism, though). This is U.S. GOVERNMENT money being spent. If any other country wants a piece of it, they should get their own governments to pony up.

This is such a slam-dunk issue in the polls- 86 percent for. We must have a hopelessly corrupt political system when neither party will make serious noise about an issue with 86 percent popularity.