Corker Objects To Shutting Out U.S. Textile Firms In Defense Bill

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2013/12/2/264662/Corker-Objects-To-Shutting-Out-U.S..aspx

Monday, December 02, 2013

In a letter to Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, (D-Mi.), and the ranking member Jim Inhofe, (R-Ok.), Senator Bob Corker, (R-Tn.), the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee, objected to attempts to include language in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014 that would shut out U.S. textile firms from selling products to Department of Defense commissaries and exchange stores.

Officials said, "If enacted, the language Senator Corker is objecting to would only permit the department to source garments from suppliers participating in the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a consortium of mostly European textile manufacturers and retailers formed to improve safety and working conditions in the Bangladeshi garment industry after several deadly garment factory incidents. American and Canadian companies established a similar pact, known as the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, to enforce better worker safety practices in Bangladesh, but these firms would not be able to compete for Department of Defense business alongside their European counterparts as a result of this amendment. This preferential treatment for European companies over U.S. companies could undermine ongoing efforts to establish common labor safety rules at textile facilities in Bangladesh, which was the subject of a Foreign Relations Committee hearing in June."

“I would be concerned if any provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2014 contained language that would require preference for European companies over U.S. companies, especially since it is our understanding that U.S. companies have done as much or more on the ground to fix the safety and health problems in Bangladeshi garment factories,” wrote Senator Corker in his letter.

FULL story at link.

[stevenleser]

1. Someone talk me down. I'm dangerously close to agreeing with Corker here. nt

[Mass]

2. Is there a reason for this decision? Is it that some new norms are required that the US firms do not

follow?

Because otherwise, shutting the US firms out makes no sense.

[KamaAina]

3. Well, cut my legs off and call me Shorty. Porker is correct.

There's no reason the DoD couldn't require that the textiles come from countries participating in either of the two worker safety alliances. The idea is to shut out countries that aren't in either.

[Wounded Bear]

4. So American sweatshops in Bangladesh should receive preferred treatment...

over European ones?

Sure, Corkie. Great idea.