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Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives voted to support the reauthorization of the job-creating Export-Import Bank and override a faction of Republicans who refused to allow a vote before the bank’s authority expired on July 1, 2015. Since the bank’s authority lapsed, hundreds of jobs have been shipped overseas and thousands of businesses have lost access to new lines of capital needed to export their products. The legislation passed the House today by a vote of 313 to 118 and now moves to the Senate for consideration. 

“The American people are tired of partisan bickering, and I believe they want us to work together on the issues facing this country,” said Dingell. “They want us to support manufacturing, grow our economy and help create good jobs here at home. The Export-Import Bank is a vital tool to support that mission. For the past 80 years, the bank has played a critical role in helping U.S. businesses compete on a level playing field with our foreign competitors. In fact, the bank has helped 228 Michigan businesses, the majority of which are small businesses, export $11 billion worth of goods overseas – all while actually making money for taxpayers. We have to ensure this continues. It is my hope that the Senate will act immediately to reauthorize the bank so we can support our local businesses and the jobs they create.”

Since coming to Congress, Dingell has called for the reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank to support American manufacturing jobs. She is a cosponsor of legislation to reauthorize the bank and earlier this month, signed a “discharge petition” that forced today’s vote to revive the Ex-Im Bank on the floor. This summer, Dingell visited Hancock Enterprises, Inc. in Taylor and Polytorx, LLC in Ann Arbor to highlight the critical role the Ex-Im Bank plays in helping Michigan manufacturers sell their goods overseas and create jobs at home. 

The Export-Import Bank is the official export credit agency of the United States. When private sector lenders are unable or unwilling to provide financing, Ex-Im fills in the gap for American businesses by equipping them with the financing tools necessary to compete for global sales. In doing so, the bank levels the playing field for U.S. goods and services going up against foreign competition in overseas markets, so that American companies can create more good-paying American jobs.