President Donald Trump signed the the ‘Buy American, Hire American’ executive order on April 18. It is a move in line with his campaign rhetoric of “putting America first.”
“This historic action declares that the policy of our government is to aggressively promote and use American made goods, and to ensure that American labor is hired to do the job,” said Trump.
The order will boost the purchase of American-made goods in federal contracts, and calls for a review of the H-1B visa for skilled workers.
Trump said the visa is abused by some companies that offer jobs to foreigners for lower wages. Trump hopes to reform it so that Americans are prioritized in the job market.
“Right now, H-1B visas are awarded in a totally random lottery—and that’s wrong. Instead, they should be given to the most skilled and highest paid applicants, and they should never, ever be used to replace Americans,” said the president.
The president spoke at the headquarters of Snap-On Inc., a tool manufacturer in Wisconsin.
“For decades this company has served the needs of American workers. It’s time we had a federal government that does the same,” he said.
Another effort on Trump’s part in boosting American manufacturing is bringing back vocational schools. He praised the schools for “ensuring workers are trained for skilled technical jobs that will in the future power our country.”
“Vocational schools are going to be a big factor in the Trump administration,” said Trump. “Together, we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that more products with those wonderful words: Made in the USA.”
Trump also gave updates on his other initiatives such as a tax reform plan, health care overhaul, as well as military and infrastructure spending.
