ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Nikki Budzinski goes to bat again for US boot producers

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

May 13, 2024 by Joe Holleman

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski has already helped capture a couple of federal contracts for a Belleville footwear manufacturer.

But the Democrat from Springfield, Illinois, keeps marching on.

Enlisting the support of two GOP House colleagues — Mike Bost of Murphysboro and Rick Crawford of Arkansas — Budzinski introduced a bill that would require military boots to be made in the United States, using materials grown or produced domestically.

Budzinski said that while legislation exists that requires the military to give preference to U.S. products, the market for Army footwear has been taken over by foreign manufacturers who often skirt crucial safety guidelines and quality standards.

Last year, Budzinski helped land a $7.8 million contract for the Belleville Shoe Manufacturing Co. to make Army boots. Then earlier this year, she and Bost secured a $10.3 million contract for the company to make footwear for the U.S. Navy.