House lawmakers fail to pass BOOTS Act for American-made military boots

In a 38-18 vote, House lawmakers struck down legislation that would have mandated the U.S. military exclusively purchase American-made combat boots, leaving a loophole open for over a million pairs of foreign-made footwear. This decision occurred during markups for the 2024 and 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, directly impacting domestic manufacturing capacity. Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski's bipartisan legislation aimed to mandate American-made combat boots for the military. The House voted against it, preserving a loophole that has led to the purchase of approximately 1 million non-compliant foreign boots.

Based on this legislative failure, the U.S. military will likely continue its reliance on foreign suppliers for combat boots, further hindering domestic manufacturing growth and potentially increasing supply chain vulnerabilities.

• Lawmakers voted against the Better Outfitting Our Troops Act (BOOTS), which would have mandated the U.S. military exclusively purchase American-made combat boots, according to WWD.
• The House of Representatives struck down the BOOTS Act in a 38-18 vote during markups for the 2024 and 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, WWD reported.
• Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski's bipartisan, bicameral legislation was originally included in national defense legislation, according to Budzinski House.
• The proposed bill required the Secretary of Defense to issue regulations concerning the manufacturing origin of optional combat boots worn by service members, as detailed by Congress.

Why Did American-Made Boots Fail to Pass?

A loophole in the Berry Amendment has enabled the purchase of approximately 1 million pairs of foreign-made boots that do not comply with domestic sourcing requirements, according to WWD. This existing provision allows for non-compliant foreign boots, despite legislative efforts to close it.

Rep. Jared Golden stated that this loophole squeezes out domestic manufacturers. He also noted it freezes investment in U.S. capacity and risks national security, WWD reported. The 38-18 House vote against the BOOTS Act reveals a startling willingness among lawmakers to actively undermine domestic manufacturing capacity for military essentials, trading short-term procurement flexibility for long-term national security vulnerabilities.