Representative Mark Schauer is a member of the newly formed Buy America Caucus in the House, and he's taking the issue to heart.  When he learned that swag materials such as baseball caps and key chains for the 2010 Census were made anywhere other than in the United States, he was enraged and took action accordingly. Schauer sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as well as U.S. Census Bureau director Robert Groves and stated:

"The founding fathers included the census in our Constitution to count every resident in the United States, not waste our tax dollars on hats and key chains that create jobs in China."

Buying American-made products runs deeper than simply checking labels.  Schauer was also appalled to learn that, upon dispatching an aide to do some investigative work at the local hardware store,  "238 of the 240 air conditioners that were for sale were made in China and many would qualify for energy tax credits under a "Cash for Caulkers" bill." As Schauer and other members of the Buy America Caucus put pressure on the President to ensure that Buy American provisions are followed and enforced, we can hope that the Administration will recognize the importance of such actions for the American economy as a whole. Read more here.