A bipartisan group of 52 Members of Congress have signed a letter to the Pentagon, requesting that the U.S. military issue uniforms made in America, not China.

The letter to Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, urges compliance with the Berry Amendment, which requires the Pentagon to give preference to U.S.-made goods in its procurement practices.

According to the letter, the Department of Defense has recently "started circumventing this policy by issuing cash allowances for soldiers to purchase their own training shoes."

“We should not rely on other countries, particularly those who may have competing global interests, to supply our forces with basic items. This is especially true when there are millions of Americans looking for work. More importantly, our soldiers deserve to fight in uniforms, including footwear, that are made in the U.S.A.,” the letter states.

As ManufactureThis reported in June, Air Force Master Sgt. Steve Adachi twice was issued boots made in China after repeated attempts to receive boots made in the U.S.

The letter to the Pentagon was initiated by Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Mike Michaud (D-ME), a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

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Image by Flickr user D'oh Boy, used following Creative Commons guidelines.