January 30, 2009 9:27AM 

# Capitol Visitor Center Forced to Return Politically Tainted Goods 

By [Sallie James](https://www.cato.org/people/sallie-james) 

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![]()In addition to the terrible ‘Buy America’ provisions in the stimulus package (blogged about by Dan [here](https://www.cato.org/2009/01/29/trade-lessons-unheeded/) and [here](https://www.cato.org/2009/01/29/buy-american-is-politics-as-usual/)) comes [news](http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/29/capitol.souvenirs/index.html?eref=rss_topstories) that vendors in the Capitol Visitor Center are being forced to remove items made in China from their shelves. In the words of Rep. Bob Brady (D, PA), the chairman of the House Administrative Committee that oversees the Capitol Visitor Center, it is wrong (you get that? *wrong*) for people to take home souvenirs made abroad. If operators have to pay shipping costs to return the iniquitous goods to China, then, he says, “if we have to lose a little bit, we’ll lose a little bit.” Indeed.

HT: Jason Vines.

##### Related Tags 

[Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy), [Trade Policy](https://www.cato.org/trade-policy), [Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies](https://www.cato.org/herbert-stiefel-center-trade-policy-studies) 

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