Representatives Pat Harrigan (R-NC) and Don Davis (D-NC) co-chair the caucus, which aims to reinforce domestic defence manufacturing and sustain American jobs.
The caucus intends to serve as a forum for promoting national security by emphasising the importance of maintaining domestic industrial capacity for defence-related goods such as uniforms, textiles, body armour, and related equipment. It will also work to educate members of Congress on products covered under the Berry Amendment and advocate for consistent enforcement and modernisation of its requirements.
First enacted in 1941, the Berry Amendment mandates that the Department of Defense source certain mission-critical items including clothing, footwear, body armour, tents, and food from domestic suppliers.
The legislation has supported tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs across the US and is seen as a key measure for ensuring secure supply chains for essential military equipment.
In late 2001, under the leadership of AAFA, the Berry Amendment was formally codified into law after the US military purchased black berets manufactured in China. Since that time, industry advocates alongside members of Congress have maintained efforts to uphold its provisions.
Industry leaders said the new caucus comes at a time when efforts to “undermine” the Berry Amendment have surfaced and challenges remain regarding sustainable government procurement of domestically made apparel and textiles.
AAFA president and CEO Steve Lamar stated: “We are grateful to Reps. Pat Harrigan and Don Davis for their tireless support of the Berry Amendment, and for their vision in creating this important community. Recent efforts to undermine the Berry Amendment and ongoing challenges to sustainable government procurement of domestically made textiles, apparel, and footwear make the formation of this caucus extremely timely.
“AAFA appreciates the bipartisan group of Representatives who have been dedicated to this initiative and encourage further support from all Members of Congress whose constituents include American manufacturers, our dedicated and well-outfitted service members, and the communities they protect.”
NCTO president and CEO Kim Glas said: “On behalf of the US textile industry, NCTO sincerely thanks Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) and Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) for their leadership in co-chairing the new bipartisan House Berry Amendment Caucus, aimed at strengthening national security and the US defence industrial supply chain through the federal procurement of American-made mission critical clothing, textiles and gear.
“We look forward to working with the new caucus’s leadership and our industry partners to focus congressional efforts on preserving the Berry Amendment and expanding opportunities for U.S. textile manufacturers, safeguarding domestic supply chains, and ensuring our troops continue to receive innovative, high-quality American-made products.”
In September last year, the NCTO shared its support for the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which it says "could expand military procurement of US-made textiles".
