Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, first, let me say, as we talked about this morning, the Republicans supported unanimously the Waters- McHenry bipartisan deal to reauthorize the Bank with a long, constructive reauthorization. Let me also thank the gentlewoman from Oklahoma for offering the amendment to think about the idea of what would be the downside to her constituents and to American business were the Bank to close. I would argue that is not a prospect here but will be useful information to future policymakers. Why do I have that point of view? Well, there is a plan to extend this Bank. It will not lapse. If we had done the Waters-McHenry bill, we wouldn't even be on the House floor today. We would already have this signed into law, through the Senate, and on its way to the President's desk. But we are here today because this bill is not going to be taken up in the Senate, and this Bank is, most likely, in the interim, going to be reauthorized through the appropriations process. But I think informing policymakers of the risks of it being closed is good. Let me also say that President Trump considers the export agency an important tool in his economic outfit, his economic choice of opportunities to support American business, to increase trade in exports, to counter the One Belt, One Road initiative of China. Again, the Waters-McHenry bill would have done a better job on that. The President has appointed Directors of the Ex-Im Bank that are fully functioning.…”