Biden Admin Waives Some ‘Buy America’ Requirements for $42 Billion Broadband Internet Project

The Biden administration has announced that it’s waiving the made-in-America requirements for components used in its $42 billion broadband internet buildout project because not enough of the materials, such as fiber optic cable components, are produced in the United States. Under the Build America Buy America Act (BABA), which was enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, any federally-funded infrastructure projects are subject to domestic procurement requirements. Specifically, all of the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in infrastructure products must be made in the United States, per BABA rules. However, the made-in-America legislation allows for heads of federal agencies to apply for BABA waivers under certain conditions, such as when using domestically made products would increase the project cost by 25 percent or if doing so would be “inconsistent with the public interest.”...