Unfortunately, in neither case did lawmakers admit that Buy American policies are a form of economic protectionism that harms consumers by making their desired products more expensive. The Biden administration implicitly acknowledged this fact when it waived Buy American rules on E.V. chargers so that domestic manufacturers could catch up. “Global demand for EV chargers is putting strain on the supply chain that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to meet the made-in-America standards and expedite construction of new chargers, states and companies warned in comments to the Department of Transportation,” a Reuters report noted in February after the release of the FHWA rule.