H.R. 613: Airports, Highways, High-Speed Rail, Trains, and Transit: Make it in America Act

112th Congress · introduced 2011-02-10 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-02-10 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-10] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Airports, Highways, High-Speed Rail, Trains, and Transit: Make it in America Act

Plain summary

Airports, Highways, High-Speed Rail, Trains, and Transit: Make it in America Act - Eliminates certain grounds for waiving Buy American requirements that the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) obligate federal funding for certain air navigation, highway, and rail activities and projects only if U.S. steel, iron, and manufactured goods are used in such projects. (Retains the current waiver of such Buy American requirements for any case where use of U.S. material will increase overall costs of a highway and roadway or highspeed rail project by more than 25%.) Revises waiver of Buy American requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such requirements if the cost of U.S. components and subcomponents is: (1) more than 60% of the cost of all components of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facilities or equipment or rolling stock (buses and light and heavy rail trains), as under current law, in the case of obligations made on or before December 31, 2011; (2) more than 80% of the cost of all components of such items in the case of obligations made during calendar 2012; or (3) 100% of the cost of all components of such items in the case of obligations made after December 31, 2013. Repeals the Secretary's authority to exempt Amtrak from Buy American requirements in certain circumstances.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Airports, Highways, High-Speed Rail, Trains, and Transit: Make it in America Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-10] · 13 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-10] reported raising $582,746 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr613.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr613 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112