ICYMI: 2016 Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum And House Republicans Rally For Ex-Im Reauthorization

Former U.S. Senator and 2016 presidential candidate Rick Santorum and House Republicans are rallying for the Ex-Im Bank’s reauthorization.

In an op-ed published in The Hill today, Sen. Santorum explained how Ex-Im helps U.S. companies compete against foreign export competition. “American products may be the best in the world – but in today’s economy, that’s not enough. You have to compete on financing, too.”

And in speeches on the floor of the House of Representatives last night, 11 Republicans expressed their support for Ex-Im’s reauthorization. Among them, Representative and former Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee John Mica said, “We are not financing any foreign operations. We are financing American products and supporting American jobs. We absolutely must reauthorize this important program.”

See below for quotes from Sen. Santorum’s op-ed and other conservative Ex-Im supporters.

~Kate

Former Sen. Rick Santorum: Without Ex-Im, America Loses Opportunity To Influence Developing Economies. “It seems Chinese leaders understand what some of our lawmakers have forgotten: influence overseas is often measured in dollars. And it’s not just influence anywhere, it’s influence in developing economies where infrastructure is still young, and rules and regulations are still taking shape.” (Rick Santorum, “Santorum: Reauthorize Ex-Im Bank,” The Hill, 7/16/15)

Former Sen. Rick Santorum Says Exporting Without Ex-Im Means “We’ve Unilaterally Withdrawn Ourselves From The Competition.” “Earlier this year, a dozen former national security and foreign policy experts wrote Congress urging them to support the Ex-Im Bank because they understand the importance of economic influence in global relationships. By letting Ex-Im expire, we’ve unilaterally withdrawn ourselves from the competition, threatening our national security and our influence. It will come as no surprise that our foreign competitors are jumping for joy – the best team in the league just voluntarily forfeited.” (Rick Santorum, “Santorum: Reauthorize Ex-Im Bank,” The Hill, 7/16/15)

Rep. John Mica: Failing To Reauthorize Ex-Im Is “One Of The Worst Mistakes That Congress Could Make.” “I will tell you one of the worst mistakes that Congress could make is not acting to reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank…We are not financing any foreign operations. We are financing American products and supporting American jobs. We absolutely must reauthorize this important program.” (Representative John Mica, House Floor Special Order, C-Span, 6/15/15)

Rep. Buddy Carter: “Ex-Im Bank Encourages Economic Growth.” “The Ex-Im Bank encourages economic growth by supporting the purchase of American-made goods around the world. These purchases sustain thousands of American companies who rely on exports and put food on the table of hard-working men and women employed by them.” (Representative Buddy Carter, House Floor Special Order, C-Span, 6/15/15)

Rep. Rodney Davis Says Ex-Im’s Economic Impact Is “Significant.” “The economic impacts here at home are significant. Last year, the Ex-Im Bank provided financing for $27.5 billion in U.S. exports. That supports more than 160,000 American jobs; most importantly, 90 percent of all of these public-private partnerships’ transactions were with America’s small businesses.” (Representative Rodney Davis, House Floor Special Order, C-Span, 6/15/15)

Rep. Tom Cole Calls On Colleagues To Understand “How Essential” Ex-Im Is To Exporters Of All Sizes. “I want to encourage my colleagues to support this bill to understand how essential it is to some of—not just the biggest, but some of the smallest exporters in the American economy and how many thousands of jobs it creates. Remember, it has never cost the taxpayers of the United States of America a single dime. It has always put billions of dollars, over time, into our Treasury. Most importantly, there are thousands of Americans working today thanks to what the Export-Import https://exportersforexim.org/files/files/bank has done to facilitate the export of american products into the international marketplace. i want to urge my colleagues to support the reauthorization of this important institution.” (Representative Tom Cole, House Floor Special Order, C-Span, 6/15/15)