Bill Text: MI HR0296 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to pass and the President of the United States to sign legislation to limit the total value of Chinese goods that may be procured by the United States government during a calendar year to not more than the total value of United States goods procured by the Chinese government, if any, during the preceding calendar year.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-2)
Status: (Passed) 2010-09-28 - Adopted [HR0296 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2009-HR0296-Introduced.html
Reps. Lisa Brown, Segal, Ball, Constan, Neumann, Polidori, Roberts, Rogers and Valentine offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 296.
A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to pass and the President of the United States to sign legislation to limit the total value of Chinese goods that may be procured by the United States government during a calendar year to not more than the total value of United States goods procured by the Chinese government, if any, during the preceding calendar year.
Whereas, The purchase of government goods and services is an important means through which the government fulfills its constitutional duties to provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare of the United States. Therefore, Michigan taxpayers and taxpayers across the nation, expect that government procurement serves the interests of all Americans; and
Whereas, The United States and several of our key trading partners are signatories to the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement. This important agreement holds that signatories agree to certain restraints against unfair trade practices with regard to government procurement; and
Whereas, The People's Republic of China, however, is not a signatory to the World Trade Agreement on Government Procurement. Therefore, it is not a violation of that agreement for the United States Congress to establish procurement policies that best suit the American public interest with regard to Chinese goods; and
Whereas, Indeed, China has structured its procurement law to favor its domestic goods. It recently announced a plan to favor so-called "indigenous innovation," under which the Chinese government would expressly favor locally developed products and technologies. Therefore, American companies have had little or no success in accessing Chinese government procurement contracts, while Chinese companies have had great success in selling goods for United States government projects; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we hereby memorialize the Congress of the United States to pass and the President of the United States to sign H.R. 5312, to limit the total value of Chinese goods that may be procured by the United States government during a calendar year to not more than the total value of United States goods procured by the Chinese government, if any, in the preceding calendar year; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.
