(The Center Square) — House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., and U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, are calling on the U.S. Government Accountability Office to scrutinize whether the U.S. Treasury Department is fulfilling its legal obligation to protect American industries, including the shrimping sector, from international competition.
The representatives voiced concerns in a letter sent to the GAO, suggesting that the Treasury may be neglecting statutory requirements that compel the department to oppose foreign economic assistance projects that could harm U.S. industries.
“This role is crucial to ensure American tax dollars are not used to undermine American industries in international economic decisions while representing the United States on global financial boards like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
The relevant law mandates that the Treasury Department oppose international funding projects that would support the production or export of commodities in surplus on global markets when such exports could damage U.S. industries.
Despite this, data reveals that since 2004, U.S. representatives in international financial institutions have supported foreign projects 88.7% of the time and opposed only 3.1% of votes.
This pattern, the lawmakers argue, could signal a lack of compliance with the statute.
The shrimp industry is one example of a sector suffering from foreign competition, according to the lawmakers.
Since 2006, U.S. directors at international institutions have backed or abstained from voting on at least 17 projects supporting industries that compete directly with the U.S. shrimp market, which has faced significant challenges from imported shrimp.
Comer, Higgins and Nehls are requesting the GAO investigate whether the Treasury is properly adhering to its legal responsibilities.
The lawmakers’ request comes as the U.S. shrimp industry struggles with mounting competition from imported shrimp, particularly from India, which supplies 40% of shrimp consumed in the U.S.
As previously reported by The Center Square, genetic tests revealed that two major Southern seafood festivals served imported, farm-raised shrimp instead of the Gulf-caught varieties they advertised, sparking concerns among local commercial fishermen and seafood advocates.
The investigation also revealed that many Indian shrimp farms, including those certified by the Best Aquaculture Practices label, are implicated in forced labor, environmental degradation, and other ethical violations. Despite BAP’s claim of high standards, reports found conditions at certified facilities to be almost indistinguishable from uncertified farms, with allegations of antibiotic contamination, severe environmental harm, and underpayment.
