WASHINGTON — May 15, 2015 — NCTO applauds the action taken by the House of Representatives earlier today in passing the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735). The Defense Authorization bill contained important language supporting the Berry Amendment authored by Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) (Amendment #74, part of En Bloc Amendment #5). NCTO commends Congressman McGovern for offering this amendment that ensures that a provision in Section 854 of H.R. 1735 would not seriously harm the U.S. textile, apparel, and footwear industry. Section 854 proposes to increase the Simplified Acquisition Threshold procedure (SAT) from $150,000 to $500,000 meaning that contracts falling below the SAT level would not be subject to the Berry Amendment. The McGovern amendment, however, exempted Berry contracts from this increased SAT threshold and instead mandates that the current $150,000 threshold level remain in place for all textile and apparel purchases under Berry.
Among other things, the Berry Amendment ensures that our warfighters stay protected in domestically produced personal protective equipment. The Berry Amendment has spurred substantial research, development and innovation that ensures that America’s warfighters have the most advanced and effective textile materials available. In addition, Berry helps to spur U.S. manufacturing, investment, employment, and exports. It is imperative that Congress preserve the integrity of the Berry Amendment through policies like Congressman McGovern’s amendment. Doing so will ensure the highest level of performance and safety for our U.S. military.
Posted May 19, 2015
Source: NCTO
