[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 10012-10013]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

  Mr. REID. Madam President, over the past several years there has been 
a disturbing practice that has become commonplace in the Congress, and 
sadly it is with no regard for the average American. The Republicans 
have resolved to govern by staggering from one ludicrous crisis to 
another crisis--one today, one next week. Unless the Republican leader 
acts, in just 5 days, for example, we will see the consequences of 
another manufactured crisis. On June 30, the charter for the Export-
Import Bank is set to expire. This is serious business. This 
institution creates jobs by providing loans and loan guarantees to 
foreign customers who purchase American exports. This year alone, the 
Ex-Im Bank supports 165,000 American jobs--165,000 jobs that allow 
American workers to earn a living. These jobs cost taxpayers zero--
nothing. In fact, this Bank saves the American taxpayers money. In the 
last 10 years, the Bank has returned more than $7 billion to the U.S. 
Treasury.
  With the threat of this Bank closing--other countries have similar 
institutions, such as China. People are going to China and other 
countries to

[[Page 10013]]

get their loan guarantees and buy products--not from America but from 
countries where those banks will take care of their loans. This is so 
sad.
  Despite the positive benefits the Bank provides for our economy and 
thousands of Americans, Republicans have decided that reauthorization 
is not a priority. The Republican leader has openly opposed 
reauthorization of this important Bank. I repeat, there are 165,000 
jobs as we speak, and they are American jobs.
  Quoting the senior Senator from Kentucky: ``I personally think the 
Ex-Im Bank has outlived its usefulness and ought to go away.'' Really? 
The Bank should be put out of business? I don't think so. This resource 
supports thousands of jobs for Americans and could not possibly have 
outgrown its usefulness. But in the 6 months since the Republicans have 
taken control of Congress, this mindset has governed their decisions. 
Sensible programs that benefit average Americans and strengthen our 
economy have taken a backseat to special interests. We can see that by 
what is going on in this body this week.
  Just as he has on countless issues so far this Congress, the 
Republican leader is intentionally ignoring deadlines that are 
obvious--these deadlines are obvious weeks and even months ahead of 
time--and offering no plan or solution to these pertinent issues facing 
our Nation. Today, we are talking about two of those--surface 
transportation, and I have talked about the Export-Import Bank. No 
plan. No solution. No urgency. That is how Republicans have chosen to 
govern.
  This misguided policy is not governing at all. It is all about crisis 
management and doing a very poor job. This crisis management could be 
avoided by not playing dodgeball with issues important to our country.
  There are less than 5 days until thousands of jobs are threatened for 
no apparent reason. The senior Senator from Kentucky should put his 
partisan agenda aside, choose American jobs over political benefits, 
and allow a vote to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. This measure 
would pass. It would pass overwhelmingly because Republican Senators 
want this to pass also. So if a vote were allowed on this, it would get 
a sizeable majority.

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