April 25, 2016

Dear Senator:

We write to urge you to oppose an amendment Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) intends to offer to the fiscal year 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill on Monday, April 25th that would expand a decades-old, anti-competitive provision and increase costs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Every year since at least the 1990s, the appropriations bill that funds the Pentagon has included a provision to require that all anchor and mooring chain up to four inches in diameter must be manufactured in the United States – from components that are “substantially” American sourced. The Defense appropriations bill language goes on, each and every year, to helpfully define what the Congress means by “manufactured.” The list is long: “cutting, heat treating, quality control, testing of chain and welding (including the forging and shot blasting process.)”

This provision appears to have been added for the first time to the Energy and Water division of last year’s omnibus appropriations and Sen. Murray now wants to continue this requirement for the scores of vessels and barges operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This is an expansion of a nonsensical and unnecessary provision. As long as the chain meets minimum government standards, Corps of Engineers or any agency should be able to purchase the lowest cost option and make the tax dollars they are given go further.

Our organizations urge any Senators who care about fiscal discipline to vote against this Murray amendment.

For more information, please contact Wendy Jordan at 202-546-8500 or wendy[at]taxpayer.net.

Sincerely,