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Trades like Trump's buy American order

Date Posted: May 12 2017

WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump issued an executive order on April 18, calling for "buy American" provisions when it comes to federal contracting and hiring. 

The order looks to bolster protections for certain American-made goods and calls for a review of the H-1B visa program for skilled workers, with the goal of reforming the program.

“We will have two simple rules when it comes to this massive rebuilding effort, buy American and hire American” Trump said. 

North America's Building Trades Unions President Sean McGarvey was quick to laud the president's order. 

“North America’s Building Trades Unions commend President Trump for exercising his executive authority on behalf of American workers and American businesses," McGarvey said. "We are pleased that the president is living up to his campaign pledge to re-affirm the commitment of the federal government to ‘buy American’ when purchasing goods and services, while also limiting the ability of unscrupulous employers to bypass American skilled workers in favor of foreign workers via the H1B visa program.

“Our unions look forward to working with the Trump Administration and the U.S. Congress to further the effort to ‘hire American’ by cracking down on the unrestrained abuse of other federal visa programs, specifically the H2B visa program.”