Reid: U.S. Olympians shouldn’t wear Chinese-made uniforms

With U.S. textile workers desperate for jobs, Reid said the U.S. Olympic Committee “should be ashamed of themselves” for the arrangement with the nation’s economic rival that many believe already tilts the field with unfair trade practices.

“I am so upset,” the Nevada Democrat told reporters at a news conference. “I think they should take all the uniforms and put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again.”

“If they have to wear nothing but a singlet with ‘USA’ on it painted by hand, that’s what they should do,” he said of American athletes.

In a later call with Nevada reporters, Reid suggested the uniforms be given to charity. “Our athletes should not wear clothes manufactured in China,” he said.

Reid led a chorus of furious U.S. political leaders after learning the U.S. uniforms for the opening ceremonies – red, white and blue slacks/skirts, blazers and berets designed by American Ralph Lauren – were outsourced to China.

It was a replay of 2008, when Lauren-designed uniforms for the Beijing Olympics also were put together by Chinese tailors.

It also was one of the few things that Democrats and Republicans have been able to agree on lately.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said she plans to stay up late to watch as much of the Olympics as possible, “and they should be wearing uniforms made in America.”

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said simply of the U.S. Olympic Committee: “You’d think they’d know better.”

In a statement, the committee defended the choice of Ralph Lauren to supply the uniforms for the London Games, which begin later this month.

“Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we’re grateful for the support of our sponsors,” committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement.

“We’re proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company, and excited to watch America’s finest athletes compete at the upcoming Games in London,” Sandusky said.

The Lauren company declined to comment.

Ralph Lauren also is 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 United States and outfits for the medal stand.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, sent a letter to U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman Lawrence Probst suggesting the committee dump the Lauren ensembles and find an American manufacturer – such as the Hugo Boss plant in Cleveland.

“Not only does the United States have any number of manufacturers capable of outfitting our athletes, they are in a competition with the Chinese that is anything but fair,” Brown wrote. “If gold medals were awarded for dodging international trade laws – China would sweep.”

Failing that, Brown said he wanted to meet with Probst to ensure that U.S. athletes would be wearing “Made in USA” clothing by the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC.