Lawmakers Want 'Made in China' U.S. Olympic Uniforms Burned

[Farooq]

Lawmakers were outraged Thursday after an ABC World News report revealed that the U.S. Olympic team's opening ceremony outfits are made in China. Some suggested making a bonfire with the outfits, which include berets and blazers.

"I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said when asked by ABC News today, "If they have to wear nothing but a symbol that says USA on it, painted by hand, that is what they should wear."

Team USA will be marching into the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony wearing Ralph Lauren blazers and berets, much as they did four years ago when Lauren dressed them. ABC's Sharyn Alfonsi reported Wednesday evening that every clothing item that the U.S. athletes will be wearing at the opening ceremony in London will carry an overseas label.

Reid said today that the U.S. Olympic committee should be "ashamed of themselves," and "embarrassed," that the items were made in China, especially with people in the textile industry in America who are looking for jobs.

The Congressional reaction on Capitol Hill today extended to both houses and both parties.

"You'd think they know better," Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-OH., said in response to a question from ABC News today.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that since the Olympic athletes represent the very best in America they should be wearing uniforms made in America.

"They work so hard. They represent the very best, and they're so excellent. It's all so beautiful. And they should be wearing uniforms that are made in America."

Already there is a movement on Capitol Hill to make changes so this does not happen again at future Olympic Games. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., wrote a letter Thursday morning to the chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Lawrence Probst, calling this revelation "shocking and deeply disappointing" and asking all U.S. team's uniforms be made in America in the future.

Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

"We are asking that the Committee and its Board of Directors take immediate steps to guarantee that this embarrassment does not happen again by voting that any future contracts for Olympic uniforms are made in America," Gillibrand and Israel write in their letter, "This would ensure that U.S. Olympians are supporting American jobs. As American fans cheer for our Olympians, we should also be cheering for the American manufacturers and laborers reflected in the red, white and blue on their uniforms."

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH., who has legislation pending in Congress to strengthen "Buy America" provisions for federal tax dollars also sent a letter to U.S. Olympic Committee today calling for the group to scrap this year's uniforms and find a domestic manufacturer to remake them.

"The USOC holds its athletes to a high moral and ethical standard, and has a no tolerance policy for cheating or violating rules," Sen. Brown writes in his letter to Chairman Probst, "But China continues to cheat when it comes to international trade. As we work to achieve a level playing field for American manufacturers and workers, the USOC should act immediately to find a domestic manufacturer for this year's uniforms."

Brown calls for the USOC to enact policies to ensure that America's athletes wear only clothing that is Made-in-America in the next 2014 games.

ABC News reached out to Ralph Lauren and the U.S. Olympic Committee Wednesday and asked why American-made clothing had not been selected for the athletes. The committee responded with a statement: "The U.S. Olympic team is privately funded and we're grateful for the support of our sponsors. We're proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company."

http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-want-made-china-u-olympic-uniforms-burned-174456466--abc-news-politics.html

 

[Fanling Monk]

pile and burn them and start all over again," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said when asked by ABC News today, "If they have to wear nothing but a symbol that says USA on it, painted by hand, that is what they should wear."


Talk is cheap, why doesn't he start a campaign and ask his constituents begin sewing right now rather than trying to score political cheap points. I wonder any American knows how to Knit a shirt these day, LOL.

 

[Farooq]

pile and burn them and start all over again," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said when asked by ABC News today, "If they have to wear nothing but a symbol that says USA on it, painted by hand, that is what they should wear."


Talk is cheap, why doesn't he start a campaign and ask his constituents begin sewing right now rather than trying to score political cheap points. I wonder any American knows how to Knit a shirt these day, LOL.

Because talk is cheap and it is an election year

 

[shuttler]

"

The U.S. Olympic team is privately funded and we're grateful for the support of our sponsors. We're proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company."

these clowns, Reid, Pelosi and clan have to know where the money is from and if they were able they could have dictated the process or otherwise STFU! Dont forget they are part of the WTO and their most profitable car operation is in China!

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Those Made in China rants are just getting old and boring, let's bring some more interesting arguments here.

 

[WS-10 Engine]

keep crying americans, keep on crying.

i love it when the americans are pissed off

 

[faithfulguy]

Americans are not pissed off. Reid just say those thing to gain votes. But people know that he is an idiot anyway.

 

[Sasquatch]

Those Made in China rants are just getting old and boring, let's bring some more interesting arguments here.

However they do offer a few laughs.

 

[dearone4u_22]

LOllllllllll Ppl here are laughing not knowing what this news is meant for ..............its true Ignorance is bliss

 

[Sasquatch]

 

[kawaraj]

Americans are jokes today. All gone those democracy spirits, open-mindness, free options, or hypocrites flanks at all

 

[OrionHunter]

So what's new? Almost everything the Yanks have is made in China. So why are they bellyaching?

 

[gpit]

Too bad that too many our politicians are intensely engaged in struggle for ideology purity. They are lost, and confused, debating on which end you should knock open an egg instead of doing real thing: winding down military spending, creating job, educating the mass.

There is a reason that US Olympic Committee chooses made-in-China, because the committee is poor, because the money should go to the committee is all bagged in the bank account of the 1%. Our government is sliding into a government "Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%"

So what's new? Almost everything the Yanks have is made in China. So why are they bellyaching?

Dude, I love this picture.

It is a warning to US citizens: US politicians have lost the sense of ground reality.

 

[pakindia]

if they have to burn something with a tag "MADE IN CHINA" on it, then they have to burn the entire world....

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

Its an election year nothing to see.

Nothing says your an American like wearing a French Beret.

Btw, I wonder how many articles of Made in USA, clothing these "Patriotic" lawmakers are wearing.

The US Olympic Committee is a private organization, the athletes are private citizens, if these lawmakers want them to wear Made in USA clothing they should sponsor the clothing section of the USOC.