China-made US Olympics uniforms raise ire
Congress furious over US Olympic Committee’s decision to dress its team in Chinese-manufactured clothing.
US legislators have expressed outrage at the US Olympic Committee’s decision to dress its team in Chinese-manufactured uniforms for the Olympics.
Congress railed on Thursday about the fact that berets, blazers and pants for US athletes would be imported, while the American textile industry struggles economically with many US workers desperate for jobs.
“I am so upset. I think the Olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed,” Senator Harry Reid said.
“I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said at her weekly news conference that she’s proud of the nation’s Olympic athletes, but “they should be wearing uniforms that are made in America”.
House Speaker John Boehner said simply of the US Olympic Committee (USOC): “You’d think they’d know better”.
Iconic company
In a statement, the USOC defended the choice of American designer Ralph Lauren for the clothing.
“Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the US Olympic team is privately funded and we’re grateful for the support of our sponsors,” USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement.
“We’re proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company.”
Ralph Lauren is also dressing the Olympic and Paralympic teams for the closing ceremony and providing casual clothes to be worn around the Olympic Village. Nike has made many of the competition uniforms for the US and outfits for the medal stand.
On Twitter, Sandusky called the outrage over the made-in-China uniforms nonsense.
The designer, Sandusky wrote, “financially supports our team. An American company that supports American athletes”.
Ralph Lauren’s company declined to comment on the criticism.
‘Not just a label’
This is not the first time that Ralph Lauren has designed the Olympic uniforms. Yet that did little to quell the anger on Capitol Hill.
“It is not just a label, it’s an economic solution,” said congressman Steve Israel.
“Today there are 600,000 vacant manufacturing jobs in this country and the Olympic committee is outsourcing the manufacturing of uniforms to China? That is not just outrageous, it’s just plain dumb. It is self-defeating.”
Senators Sherrod Brown and Kirsten Gillibrand sent letters to Lawrence Probst III, chairman of the USOC, complaining about the made-in-China uniforms. Brown suggested the USOC find a manufacturer with a facility in the United States, suggesting the Hugo Boss plant in Cleveland.
“There is no compelling reason why all of the uniforms cannot be made here on U.S. soil at the same price, at better quality,” Gillibrand and Israel wrote.
In a tweet, US Olympian Nick Symmonds, who will compete in the 800 meters, wrote: “Our Ralph Lauren outfits for the Olympic opening ceremonies were made in China. So, um, thanks China.”
This is not the first time patriotism has been discussed when it comes to Olympic clothing. The must-have US souvenir of the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games was a fleece beret made by Roots, a Canadian company that was the official U.S. team outfitter for that opening ceremony.