Proposed Rule Seeks Major Changes To Buy American Requirements

The Biden-Harris Administration recently made another step forward in bolstering American manufacturing, and by extension American national and economic security. Billed as the "most robust changes to the implementation of the Buy American Act in almost 70 years," the Department of Defense ("DOD"), National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA"), and General Services Administration ("GSA") issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (86 FR 40980) on July 30, 2021, proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation ("FAR") to revise provisions relating to domestic preferences in government procurement. Specifically, the Proposed Rule seeks to increase US content in the products the federal government purchases, furthering the Administration's initiative of utilizing the federal procurement process to maximize the use of goods, products, and materials that are US origin.