On April 26, 2017, Becker & Poliakoff shareholder Mark Stempler appeared on Money Radio’s “The Financial Review” with host Sinclair Noe, and discussed President Trump’s recent Executive Order “Buy American/Hire American.” The Act, which has been in place since 1933—though not always enforced, applies to services contracts, goods and supplies that the federal government acquires for public use, and states that the government must give competitive preference to domestic materials.
The new Executive Order makes government agencies refocus on the Act—requiring agencies to assess their enforcement and implementation. As Mark points out, the main concern is that “Buy American” provisions are not always enforced on federal public contracts that are procured through a competitive process.