You Can’t “Buy America” These Basic Materials Under Joe Biden

Days after his inauguration Joe Biden issued an executive order tightening Buy America regulations for federal contractors. “Buy America” is a general phrase for a policy which basically says everything the federal government buys must be made in America. Overtime the regulation has gotten tighter and tighter relating to the sourcing of materials from America and other supply chain related requirements. 

The policy sounds great and is one of the left’s biggest lies in terms of putting America first. The new executive order would apply Buy America rules to federal contractors instead of to only direct federal procurement. 

This is a great policy absolutely….in theory. However, the policy only works in a framework where American raw materials are able to be sourced and utilized by federal contractors and the federal workforce. 

As Joe Biden announced “Buy America” out of one face,  he turned and announced the halting of permitting on American land for domestic energy. American energy consumption will not decrease because of this order but instead we will have to import from foreign nations the supplies necessary to generate our necessary energy in America. 

This policy isn’t going to be limited to energy supply. President Trump spent his time in office pulling back aggressive Obama era regulations which made sourcing basic supplies like lumber, cement and gravel necessary for important infrastructure projects like roads, bridges and even rapid transit, nearly impossible at the domestic level for the scale in which we’d need those supplies. President Biden’s nominees are nearly all former Obama era appointees and are already signaling their intention to bring back these regulations which will all but halt domestic sourcing on these materials.

Meaning if his administration truly sticks with their “Buy American” plan – there is no possible way that our country, despite being one of the richest in resources in the entire world, could actually supply American materials.

Here are the top 7 things that under Obama era and planned Biden era policies that there is no way could be from America for large scale nationwide projects: 

1. Lumber

I’ve heard you need wood to build a lot of stuff.

2. Batteries

If its not grown, its mined. Batteries have lithium, gold, silver and copper. Also which are produced through mining operations. At minimum -every government agent is issued a cell phone which will almost certainly not be even plausibly American made or materially sourced. 

3. Energy 

To power any of the equipment including the lights in the office buildings to facilitate federal projects, there will be a need for energy which due to the permitting halt will have to be sourced from foreign nations including sponsors of terrorism.

4. Cement

I repeat: If it is not grown its mined. If we want roads, buildings, and bridges we will need some cement. With minerals like those necessary for concrete (like cement), they are where they are. So if they’re in America just outside of LA for example, they cant be moved to a more regulatoraly friendly area. And if the Federal government doesn’t stand up for mining, we will have to truck these materials from Canada. I’m sure that’s VERY good for the environment. 

5. Gravel

Yes gravel is considered a “surface mineral” for regulatory purposes and triggers a major permitting nightmare even under President Trump every time you touch it so its only going more downhill under President Biden. You need gravel for basically every kind of infrastructure project. 

6. Plastics 

Say it with me: If its not grown, its mined. Most military equipment (amongst thousands of other crucial items on the federal procurement list) including aircraft include major amounts of plastics. Joe Biden’s commitment to onerous and unproven Climate Change proposals will make sourcing plastic materials and manufacturing plastic incredibly difficult.

7. Bricks

President Obama all but eliminated the brick industry from existence in America with his absurd EPA policies which directly targeted brick makers in an attempt to put them out of business. Joe Biden will be bringing those back as soon as is practicable.