[Excerpt] On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I am writing to urge you to support an amendment offered by Senators Brown and Merkley to the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21 st Century Act, or "Map 21" (S. 1813). The Brown/Merkley amendment would close loopholes in current law that allow federally assisted projects to avoid Buy America requirements to procure foreign iron, steel, and manufactured goods.