Lipinski Introduces Bi-Partisan House Bill Requiring U.S. Olympic Committee To 'Buy American'
With many Southland residents still unemployed, should the U.S. Olympic Committee have off-shored American jobs to make team uniforms for American athletes in China? Read the story, then take the poll.
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Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) introduced a bipartisan bill, H.R. 6123, in Congress on Tuesday requiring the United States Olympic Committee to “Buy American.”
The bill comes on the heels of last week’s revelation that the 2012 team outfits provided by Ralph Lauren for the opening and closing ceremonies were made in China. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) demanded that the Chinese-made uniforms be burned.
H.R. 6123 would ensure that American workers make the uniforms and equipment that the USOC provides to American athletes wherever possible.
The U.S. Olympic Committee is required every four years to report to Congress on its operations, receipts and expenditures as a federally chartered nonprofit corporation. The legislation will also require the committee to report on where the goods it provides for athletes are manufactured and the steps it has taken to ensure the goods are made in the United States.
Lipinski said in a news statement that the last thing the USOC should be doing is contributing to the off-shoring of American jobs.
“When I heard that our Olympic athletes would be wearing uniforms that were made in China for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, I was outraged,” Lipinski said. “The Olympics is a showcase for the best that a country has to offer to the world. But during the most watched events of the games our athletes will be showcasing Chinese-made uniforms instead of uniforms made by American workers. What was the U.S. Olympic Committee thinking? They certainly didn’t have American workers in mind.”
Lipinski and Jones also joined together to introduce House Resolution 731, urging the USOC to “strive to ensure that all of the clothing and equipment purchased for the United States Olympic athletes is made in America."
American Apparel, the made-in-the-USA clothing manufacturer, says it can have new U.S. uniforms in London in seven days.
RobertS
8:29 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
About time!!! With all the unemployment in this great country, I think it was horrid that they produced the uniforms in another country, and China in particular!! Don't they get enough of our dollars?! We need to bring jobs back to the U.S.!!! We can't sustain ourselves on offshoring jobs, we need to build our manufacturing base up as well as other industries!
OakLawnBill
8:39 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Sounds like Socialism for the Federal government to dictate how private money is spent. Of course the uniforms should have been produced in the USA, but we shouldn't make it a federal law.
Richard
11:49 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I agree. It's ironic and a bit amusing that the uniforms were made in China; and I think in the future the USOC should strongly urge (or even require) that the uniforms be made in the US. But the sad fact is, there is very little clothing manufacturing still going on the US, and I don't think Congress needs to enact any mandate. (And conservatives--of which I am NOT one--should reject government interference with free enterprise, if they're going to be consistent with the principles they espouse.)
fred wiese
9:05 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
OLB = Agree with your statement send your thoughts to DL and maybe he will get back on track
*********
My mail to Dan.
Dan,
You lowered yourself to a politicians' level. Not good.
Bill is BS and a waste of your time. Stop the wars with your future bills
Have the voters mail or call Ralph. NO SALES for RL no money for china
Ralph Lauren Corp.
650 Madison Avenue
NEW YORK, NY 10022
United States
+1-212-3187000 (Phone)
+1-212-3187690 (Fax)
Richard
11:51 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Mr. Lipinski, as so often, is trying to be a Republican in Democrats' clothing. I'd urge him to switch parties.
fred wiese
2:08 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Stock update 2:04 CST==RL Ralph Lauren Corp 144.61 +2.59 1.82%
Chronicles of Bob
12:21 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
So no one has a problem with the way the uniforms look? Really? They are athletes, not high society d-bags... The one female athlete at the bottom, with a skirt... What is this 1955? That should be the bigger issue... "Here, go make me a sandwich while I hold this flag up."
I also agree that this law is a waste of time and another dumb distraction...
Richard L. Grabowski
12:39 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
This is a hopey changy isolationist mentality. He wants it both ways, a growing economy selling our exports to other private companies in other countries, but only buy from here. I work in the manufacturing private sector. Probably a third of our sales are exported to other countries. What if their government told them NOT to buy from US companies? Disregarding cost and quality and forcing private citizens to buy something from someone they didn't want to diminishes their rights, freedoms and liberties - we have those in America Mr. Lipinski. Reminds me of the whole ObamaCare scam all over again! I guess paying more is what our trillion dollar deficit government has been about all along.
Allen De Normandie
12:40 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Why don't we just make it illegal to own/purchase anything not made by American companies? Clothes/ cars/ clothing/ electronics etc!!! Import nothing/ export nothing, that should fix us up in no time!
RobertS
1:00 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Perhaps a little extreme?! I do make it a point to try to buy American made products and if possible, locally made. I want to help my neighbors, myself, etc., as much as possible... sorry, but it makes me feel like I am doing the right thing. It's sad when the affluent Chinese buy pet-food made in America because they don't believe in the quailty of theirs, sorta paints a bit of a picture don't you think?!
Pat F
1:21 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I agree Made in USA is the argument here...However, do you really need some designer to make an athletes outfit?? They certainly don't look like athletes to me?? Buy American and look American!! God Bless the USA!!!
Steve
2:16 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
We don't need more laws, and all of you that are on line with your imported computers and watch your imported tv's and then get into your imported car...well you get the idea!
Chronicles of Bob
2:23 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I dont get it... my tv is imported from best in buy, and i use a rotary android touch.
RobertS
2:28 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Seriously...if I could find a computer, TV, or any real electronics that were/are made in the U.S., I would buy them! My electronics are designed in Cupertino...As for my car, hands-down, my next car will be a Ford! Ford has come a long way... to each their own, we're all entitled to spend our money the way we want, believe in the things we choose to believe in, etc., I CHOOSE to try to help my neighbor, my community, and the people of my country.
Chronicles of Bob
3:16 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
God I wish it was 1984 and I can pop my Born in the USA mix tape into my car dash...
Dude, I was kidding... "Rotary Android Touch." I guess I was the only one that found myself funny.. ?
John
2:23 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I wish they were american made, I wish they looked like athletes, I wish a lot of things. I am excited for the Olympics and will not let this distract me from that.
Bob
2:28 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I'm more offended by the fact that they make our Olympians wear beret's that make them look French or like members of the Black Panther Party!
tom
5:56 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
black panther party? How do you get race into this discussion?
Bob
2:38 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Seriously, if "Deficit Dan" Lipinski wanted to do some REAL good for American workers, he'd institute a "buy american" bill for all military supplies, except for materials to sustain overseas bases.
Obama has "outsourced" our manned space program to the Russians. That's cost FAR more jobs than these stupid uniforms. Why doesn't Lipinski have a problem with that? How about prohibiting spending Obama's stimulus dollars overseas, like Obama did for Al Gore's $100K "green" cars manufactured in Finland? So far, that politically corrupt act alone has cost Americans more than $1.4 billion in jobs.
Talk about embarassment. Currently we have NO manned space launch program. The Chinese, about four decades behind us in space technology, have more manned space capability than the US. JKF must be rolling over in his grave!
This is just one more case of Lipinski's hypocrisy. Time to elect another Pole in the third district! (Grabowski)
RobertS
2:50 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Bob, I totally agree with you! Americans used to take such pride in the space program, and when you see it in its' current state, it is sickening! We need to keep as many dollars in this country as possible!
Chronicles of Bob
3:22 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Hsss Old bob... Hsss...
I think we should make American super double king sized matresses so we all have plenty of room to stuff our money in.
#(Amendment for above statement: Please remove the word King and add Presidential. I don't want anyone to think I am pro European)
Dave W.
8:24 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Since the money IS not government money, it SHOULD NOT be dictated by the government as to how it is spent, so long as it is not something criminal. HOWEVER...these are not just some regular clothes that any sucker can get from China by way of Wal-Mart (remember all those "Made in the USA" ads they used to have?). These ARE the Olympic uniforms representing our country...in front of the world. It is one thing to acknowledge with a bit of sadness or embarrassment that we no longer make a lot of clothing here, it is another to not be able to have THESE uniforms made here. Who cares who designs them or makes them if they cannot be made in the country they are to represent? If we have so much as one loom and one tailor, they should be made here. They have FOUR years to figure out between each event, two between Summer and WInter Games...it cannot be THAT hard to line up a few places who will be happy to have that contract.
All the rest about other items made or not in America might be relevant in a bigger scheme of things, but these are not just socks for one of us to go jogging something. This was mishandled and poorly planned by the USOC, which should have a standing rule ALREADY that all garments are to be made in the United States of America. Really, how was that not always a rule?
As for Ralph Lauren; what do you expect from a guy that once sued the U.S. Polo Association for using the term "polo" in regards to...POLO?