Buy American Mention of the Week May 13,2012

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/bamw/bamw-120513-buy-american.shtml

Buy American advocacy
Our Buy American Mention of the Week!

by Roger Simmermaker
May 13, 2012

When President Obama visited Maine on Friday, March 30, 2012, U.S. Representative Mike Michaud used the opportunity to try to convince him to help save what is left of America’s athletic footwear industry by presenting him with a custom-made pair of Maine-made New Balance sneakers.

The Berry Amendment was passed in 1941 to protect the United States industrial base during times of war and to ensure that supplies for our armed forces were always available. Even today, the Berry Amendment requires that service men and women are clothed from head to toe in American made clothing.

Despite this clear language, the Department of Defense does not follow the Berry Amendment as it relates to athletic footwear, but I am on a mission to change this. Today, I am writing to ask for your help to do just that. We have set a goal of a minimum of 1,000 signatures to demand that the Berry Amendment be applied to sneakers as well.

New Balance employs 900 American workers in the state of Maine, and enlisting Obama’s help would be consistent with the president’s goal of boosting employment in American manufacturing.

FULL story at link.

[matt819]

1. Are all New Balance shoes made in Maine? (nt)

[canoeist52]

2. Some of them are - you have to check the lables.