A bipartisan group of United States House of Representatives members has formed a new Berry Amendment Caucus with the goal of strengthening domestic defense manufacturing across a number of categories, including uniforms and other textiles used by the military.
Co-chaired by two representatives from North Carolina—Rep. Pat Harrigan and Rep. Don Davis—the caucus will focus on protecting and modernizing the Berry Amendment, which was established in 1941 and requires the U.S. Department of Defense to procure certain textiles, clothing and other mission-critical materials from domestic sources.
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“You cannot be the strongest military in the world while depending on foreign supply chains for mission-critical gear,” Harrigan said. “The Berry Amendment protects our warfighters, protects American manufacturing, and protects our national security. As co-chair of this caucus, I am doubling down on a simple principle: The equipment that defends the United States should be made in the United States.”
Harrigan and Davis—who hail from a state with a long history of textile production—have been ongoing proponents of the effort to limit military equipment spending to domestic sources. Last year, they spearheaded efforts to amend the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026—which was signed into law in December—to favor American companies. And they also led the charge to close the small-purchase exemption loophole in the Berry Amendment that has allowed the military to buy textiles overseas.
“As North Carolina invests in a stronger future for our textile industry, we must strengthen the Berry Amendment, guaranteeing that every thread of the defense supply chain is American-made,” Davis said. “Protecting local jobs, backing our manufacturers, and providing our military with the dependable, high-quality materials it deserves is vital.”
American companies produce more than $1.8 billion in uniforms and equipment each year for the U.S. military.
Industry advocacy groups such as the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), which represents the nation’s textile and apparel supply chain, have lauded the establishment of the caucus and its mission.
“The U.S. textile industry provides $1.8 billion of high-tech and functional components for vital uniforms and equipment for our armed forces each year. The Department of War estimates that over 8,000 different textile items are purchased for use by the U.S. military—and over 30,000 line items when individual sizes are considered,” said Kim Glas, president and CEO of NCTO.
“It is vital to America’s national security that the U.S. military maintain the ability to source high-quality, innovative textile materials, apparel, and personal equipment from a vibrant U.S. textile industrial base and key to this goal is defending and strengthening the Berry Amendment.”
In addition to Harrigan and Davis, the Berry Amendment Caucus includes Representatives Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Rich McCormick (GA-07), Greg Murphy (NC-03), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Chuck Edwards (NC-11), David Rouzer (NC-07), Tim Moore (NC-14), John Carter (TX-31), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Joseph Morelle (NY-25) and Brian Mast (FL-21).
“We look forward to working with the new caucus ’leadership and our industry partners to focus congressional efforts on preserving the Berry Amendment and expanding opportunities for U.S. textile manufacturers, safeguarding domestic supply chains, and ensuring our troops continue to receive innovative, high-quality American-made products,” Glas said.
“We are grateful to Caucus Co-Chairs Congressmen Harrigan and Davis for their leadership and commitment that our troops have the highest quality footwear, both in training and in battle,” said U.S. Footwear Manufacturers Association executive director Bill McCann. “That means what they wear is made in the USA.”
“For too long the Berry Amendment has been undermined and American manufacturers and jobs have suffered as a result,” added USFMA Policy Director Karlee Popken. “The Berry Amendment Caucus will inject new energy into our efforts to make sure that both the spirit and the letter of the law is followed, and our troops are no longer turning to foreign suppliers for some of their most elemental personnel protective equipment.”
American Apparel and Footwear Association president and CEO Steve Lamar echoed the sentiment of gratitude to the lawmakers for their “tireless support” of the Berry Amendment.
“Recent efforts to undermine the Berry Amendment and ongoing challenges to sustainable government procurement of domestically made textiles, apparel, and footwear make the formation of this caucus extremely timely,” he said. “AAFA appreciates the bipartisan group of Representatives who have been dedicated to this initiative and encourage further support from all Members of Congress whose constituents include American manufacturers, our dedicated and well-outfitted service members, and the communities they protect.”
This article has been updated to include reflections from the U.S. Footwear Manufacturers Association and the American Apparel and Footwear Association.
