Sen. Murphy Demands Better DOD 'Buy American' Compliance After IG Report Finds Flaws
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., on July 14 pushed (here) the Defense Department to take immediate action to better comply with the “Buy American” procurement statute and the Berry Amendment, after a DOD inspector general report earlier this month revealed that…
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Defense Logistics Agency contractors didn’t comply with the Berry Amendment in 19 of 32 reviewed contracts. Those 19 contracts were worth $453.2 million total, according to the report’s findings (here). The Berry Amendment requires the Defense Department to give procurement preference to U.S. companies. “Every single time the Inspector General conducts one of these audits, DoD fails miserably. There’s a complete breakdown of compliance with the law and of respect for American businesses and workers,” Murphy said in a statement. “Every single time they break the rules, knowingly or not, and send a contract overseas, it means fewer jobs here at home. DoD’s contracting personnel need to be re-trained to ensure they follow the law. I’ll keep pushing DoD until they’ve made it clear that they’re changing their ways.”