The Chamber submitted comments on the implementation of the “Build America, Buy America Act” (BABA) statute in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This BABA statute contains novel domestic sourcing and manufacturing rules for infrastructure projects and other programs that use IIJA funding. The Chamber offered the following topline recommendations:
- Ensure that BABA requirements are implemented in a manner taking into account supply chain realities and congressional intent;
- Guarantee the consistency of these BABA requirements with U.S. international obligations;
- Provide greater transparency to industry and other stakeholders on the implementation of BABA requirements;
- Consider labor costs associated with the manufacture of end products;
- Drive cross-agency improvements in permitting processes to facilitate domestic building; and
- Avoid imposition of domestic sourcing requirements on construction materials beyond the scope of the law’s requirements.
