As the federal government prepares to invest $1.2 trillion into a national infrastructure overhaul, the Made in America Office’s mission to ensure clear, consistent and transparent implementation of Buy American policies is ever-more critical.
Just five days after his inauguration, President Joe Biden set out to fulfill his campaign promise to support America’s workers and manufacturers, establishing the Made in America Office (MIAO) within the Office for Management and Budget.
Serving as the federal government’s central hub when it comes to Made in America law, and thereby helping to maximize the reinvestment of taxpayer dollars into American workers (the federal government’s annual procurement spending amounts to more than $600 billion), the MIAO is now concluding its first year of operation having launched several initiatives.
In June 2021, the office required federal agencies to report on their use of Made in America laws and provide analysis of how the agencies can proactively strengthen and diversify domestic suppliers. These reports were ultimately used to inform the creation of the MIAO’s website, MadeinAmerica.gov, which went online on in October 2021.
The website offers an easily navigable central location for past and pending waivers to Buy American requirements for federal purchasing, helping American manufacturers identify opportunities to supply goods and services to the federal government.
Additionally, the MIAO established a Made in America Council this January. This council will serve as an interagency forum to strengthen the use of domestic suppliers and reduce the need for Buy American waivers.
Reflecting on the MIAO’s anniversary, Celeste Drake, the office’s director, said, “In just one year, our office has already made significant progress advancing the President’s vision of a future that’s Made in America by all of America’s workers.”
To learn more about the MIAO’s function and Buy American regulation, be sure to listen to Drake’s interview on The Manufacturing Report podcast when it airs on Jan. 31.