The U.S. Senate has approved a provision to require the Department of Defense to provide military service members with American athletic shoes upon arrival at basic training.
The measure passed the Senate on Tuesday as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent, authored the provision.
The provision applies the Berry Amendment to athletic shoes. That amendment requires the defense department to give preference to home-grown products.
The National Defense Authorization Act will now head to a conference committee with members of the House and Senate so they can compromise on their spending plans.
King’s provision is the same as an amendment in the House version of the defense authorization act. That amendment was introduced by Rep. Bruce Poliquin, a Maine Republican.
The measure could benefit New Balance in Maine, where nearly 900 workers build sneakers in Norridgewock, Norway and Skowhegan.
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