Debbie Gann: Reauthorize Ex-Im Bank

There was a time in recent memory when Congress and the American people would rally around efforts to promote U.S. manufacturing jobs. This was especially true for “Made in the USA” products that could be sold overseas. The belief was that American workers should be given every opportunity to compete with foreign businesses on a level playing field.

But this idea of a level playing field for U.S. exporters has come under attack from special-interest groups that have convinced some members of Congress that they should oppose a public policy that makes it easier for U.S. workers to compete against foreign manufacturers.

The Export-Import Bank was created more than 80 years ago to help American companies sell their goods and services to international buyers. It provides loans and guarantees to buyers of U.S. products by partnering with private-sector lenders – not competing against them. In 2014 alone, the Ex-Im Bank helped American companies export $27.4 billion in goods. Since Ex-Im’s customers pay interest and fees, Ex-Im was able to do this at no cost to taxpayers. In fact, it has actually lowered our national debt by more than $2.7 billion in recent years by sending excess fees back to the U.S. Treasury.

But Congress let Ex-Im’s charter expire June 30. Until Congress acts, American exporters are left standing alone trying to compete on an uneven playing field against hundreds of foreign competitors that get to use their countries’ versions of the Ex-Im Bank.

Spirit AeroSystems does not directly use the Ex-Im Bank, but Washington’s inaction affects our company and our employees. Every airplane that Boeing sells means work for our 11,000 Kansas employees as well as thousands in our supply base.

By failing to reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank, Congress is picking winners and losers. Unfortunately, Congress has decided to choose foreign producers as the winners and U.S. workers as the losers.

The good news is that 67 senators and a large majority of the House of Representatives support Ex-Im. We urge our Kansas congressional delegation to stand up for American workers and vote to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank quickly.

This story was originally published August 1, 2015 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Debbie Gann: Reauthorize Ex-Im Bank."