[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 88 (Wednesday, June 3, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H3764-H3765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for allowing me 
to precede them.
  I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida. Of course, I am always 
glad to hear her speak on the floor. I wanted her to know that.
  Mr. Speaker, we are now less than a month from the deadline for 
Congress to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank.
  In 2012, this House came together under the leadership of the 
gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Cantor, who worked with my office, and we 
put a bill on the floor that reauthorized the Bank and increased its 
lending authority with a bipartisan vote of 330-93. This should not be 
and is not a partisan issue.
  Helping small- and medium-sized American businesses access new 
overseas markets and compete on a level playing field is something that 
Democrats and Republicans have long agreed that Congress ought to do.
  That is why it is deeply concerning to read comments from Majority 
Leader McCarthy that Congress should ``wind down'' the Bank and allow 
its charter to expire. That, in my view, is a minority opinion on the 
floor of this House, and that would be a profound mistake.

                              {time}  1015

  The Export-Import Bank is a critical tool that helps our businesses 
compete successfully in global markets. We are going to talk about 
trade, apparently, next week, but what we need to make sure is that we 
can export goods that are made in America, that we will make in 
America, and that we will sell abroad. The Export-Import Bank 
facilitates that effort. It is a critical tool that helps businesses 
compete successfully in global markets.
  Last year alone, it supported $27.5 billion in export activity. About 
90 percent of its transactions support thousands of small businesses 
that otherwise would have difficulty accessing markets.
  The Ex-Im Bank has supported 1.3 million private sector jobs since 
our economic recovery began, including 164,000 jobs just last year, and 
it does all this without costing the taxpayers

[[Page H3765]]

a single cent. In fact, it brought $675 million in profits to the 
Treasury last year and more than $2 billion over the past two decades. 
We cannot afford, Mr. Speaker, to let the bank expire.
  Even more than just preventing a lapse, we ought to be providing 
exporters and potential exporters with certainty by enacting a 
multiyear reauthorization.
  With the Export-Import Bank's future uncertain, businesses that could 
be reaching new customers abroad have been holding back making 
investments in growth that would create more jobs here at home. We are 
going to hear a lot about jobs here at home next week as we debate the 
fast-track authority. This deals with jobs here in America. With the 
Export-Import Bank's future uncertain, we are seeing uncertainty in the 
marketplace.
  A multiyear extension and an increase in the bank's lending authority 
would give a green light to these businesses that it is time to invest 
and expand.
  We all talk about investing. We all talk about expanding jobs. I want 
to quote: ``There are thousands of jobs on the line that would 
disappear pretty quickly if the Ex-Im Bank were to disappear.'' Let me 
repeat that for my colleagues. ``There are thousands of jobs on the 
line that would disappear pretty quickly if the Ex-Im Bank were to 
disappear.'' Those are not my words. That is a quote. They are the 
words of Speaker John Boehner on April 30 of this year, just a few 
weeks ago.
  He is not the only Republican who wants to save the bank. 
Representative Stephen Fincher, Republican of Tennessee, has said that 
``a majority of RSC members support the bank's reauthorization.'' RSC 
members are amongst the most conservative members of their party in 
this House. In fact, there are 59 cosponsors on Mr. Fincher's bill. 
They are Republicans.
  All of my party, the last time we reauthorized it and this time, will 
vote to create jobs in America by voting for the Export-Import Bank. 
Now, we have 188 members. You don't have to be much of a mathematician 
to know if you have 188 and 60, that is 248. All you need is 218 to 
pass the bill.
  The Speaker has said he wants to let the House work its will. He said 
that in 2011 when he became Speaker. And he said the House works best 
when the House can work its will. If we bring the Export-Import Bank 
bill to the floor, it will pass. Together with 180 Democrats, or 188--
180 who have sponsored the 7-year reauthorization bill introduced by 
Ms. Waters, Ms. Moore, Mr. Heck, and myself--it is clear that a 
majority of the House supports a long-term reauthorization of the 
Export-Import Bank.
  Mr. Speaker, we should act. We should act now before we find 
ourselves at the eleventh hour, before the June 30 deadline. Now, we 
have just seen shutting down the security apparatus to protect America 
for a couple of days. Let's not put at risk the economic security of 
our country.
  Governors of both parties from across the country have written in 
support of taking action. Business leaders, the Chamber of Commerce, 
and organizations like the National Association of Manufacturers have 
all asked Congress to reauthorize the bank. There are now just 13 
legislative days until the deadline by which we must do so.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask our Speaker, I ask our majority leader, let the 
House work its will and vote on a multiyear reauthorization that will 
restore certainty for thousands of small businesses. Help them compete 
in new markets. Support the growth of good jobs here in our country, 
and contribute to deficit reduction. There will be a lot of debate next 
week about jobs. The Speaker believes that we will lose jobs if we 
don't pass the Export-Import Bank reauthorization.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Leader, bring the Export-Import Bank reauthorization 
bill to the floor. It will pass. It will be good for America. It will 
be good for Americans. It will be good for our economy. Pass this bill.

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