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Waterbury (WTNH) – U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy says he’ll introduce two bills next month that would update the country’s “Buy American” laws, in an effort to help grow Connecticut’s manufacturing sector.

With more CT manufacturing jobs being cut or outsourced, the push is on to buy American-made products. Connecticut Representative Chris Murphy is ready to introduce two bills to help make that happen.

Ansonia Copper and Brass in Waterbury is the only company in the country making copper nickel tubing used on board U.S. Navy ships and Submarines.

Yet the company’s General Manager John Barto revealed foreign competition is putting the company’s future in jeopardy.

“Our company is on the verge,” he said.

To protect this company, and preserve manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, Congressman Chris Murphy announced his effort to tighten the country’s so called “Buy American Laws".

These laws are supposed to guide federal agencies to buy goods and services from American Companies. But Rep. Murphy told reporters these laws are full of “loopholes” that ultimately cause American companies to lose out on contracts going overseas.

“Our legislation would increase the amount of U.S. defense dollars that need to be spent on U.S. manufacturers,” Rep. Murphy said.

The legislation would require federal agencies to take into account the number of American jobs created, or saved, in awarding a contract to a U.S. company and increase the amount of U.S. components required to label “Made In America.”

“One of the loopholes mentioned by Congressman Murphy was the fact that if the item is defense-related, used elsewhere, it doesn’t apply to ‘Buy-American.’ So that’s saying in the Iraq theater or Afghanistan all of those items are used there don’t have to be made in America and that’s amazing to me that taxpayer dollars are funding that,” said Barto.

The legislation would also provide grant money to American Manufacturers like Ansonia Copper and Brass to become more competitive for government contracts.

“It’s the most important thing to our continued existence and the employment of the 70 people who work here. With that money, we could modernize our facilities, improve our performance and our complete survival,” said Raymond McGee owner of Ansonia, Copper and Brass.

Congressman Murphy said he has support from other lawmakers and will introduce the legislation when Congress reconvenes in January.