[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 183 (Friday, November 15, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1455-E1456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            UNITED STATES EXPORT FINANCE AGENCY ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 14, 2019

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4863) to 
     promote

[[Page E1456]]

     the competitiveness of the United States, to reform and 
     reauthorize the United States Export Finance Agency, and for 
     other purposes:

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of 
H.R. 4863, the United States Export Finance Agency Act. This 
legislation will reauthorize the United States Export-Import Bank for a 
decade, increase the agency's capabilities to keep exporters here in 
the United States competitive worldwide, and ensures that the Export-
Import Bank is prepared for the future by establishing offices within 
the agency focused on clean energy.
  Four years ago, Republicans and Democrats in this chamber came 
together to sign a discharge petition overruling the desire of a vocal 
minority that was ill informed about the important role the Export 
Import Bank plays in ensuring that products produced here in the United 
States can find buyers around the world. They wanted to shut this 
agency down. Thankfully, cooler minds prevailed, and the agency was 
reauthorized.
  This agency is vital to the many farmers, small businesses, and 
manufacturers who export their products around the world from Texas. 
Approximately 12 billion dollars in exports from Texas are reliant on 
the Export-Import Bank. Businesses like Continental Electronics 
Corporation in my district, which produce radio frequency broadcast 
transmission equipment, rely on the Export-Import Bank to ensure their 
high-quality products can be sold to potential buyers across the world. 
Without the Export-Import Bank, buyers would have to settle for 
mediocre knockoff products produced in places like China.
  Mr. Chair, being from a state where our economy thrives thanks to 
trade, I understand the importance of this legislation. But it's not 
just me, labor groups like the AFL-CIO, alongside business groups like 
the Chamber of Commerce support this import legislation. It's not often 
that you can get those two groups to agree on something. I urge my 
colleagues to pass this legislation and for the Senate to take this up 
immediately so that we can provide certainty to our exporters and 
continue to grow our economy in the right direction.