The caucus aims to reinforce support for the Berry Amendment, a long-standing requirement mandating the procurement of domestically produced textiles, apparel and footwear for defence purposes.
AAFA has welcomed the launch of the bipartisan Berry Amendment Caucus in the US House of Representatives, led by Pat Harrigan and Don Davis.
The caucus seeks to defend domestic procurement rules for defence textiles and apparel.
Industry leaders say the move is timely amid efforts to weaken the amendment and concerns over sustaining a strong US defence industrial base.
“We are grateful to Reps. Pat Harrigan and Don Davis for their tireless support of the Berry Amendment, and for their vision in creating this important community. Recent efforts to undermine the Berry Amendment and ongoing challenges to sustainable government procurement of domestically made textiles, apparel, and footwear make the formation of this caucus extremely timely. AAFA appreciates the bipartisan group of Representatives who have been dedicated to this initiative and encourage further support from all Members of Congress whose constituents include American manufacturers, our dedicated and well-outfitted service members, and the communities they protect,” AAFA president and CEO, Steve Lamar said in a press release.
The Berry Amendment has been a cornerstone of defence contracting policy for over 85 years, supporting tens of thousands of jobs across domestic manufacturing facilities. In late 2001, the provision was formally codified into law after controversy over the purchase of Chinese-made black berets by the US military.
Since then, industry advocates and members of Congress have worked to preserve the measure, arguing that it helps maintain a reliable supply of high-quality uniforms and strengthens the defence industrial base supporting US warfighters.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)
