The Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm three officials to the board of the Export-Import Bank, restoring the federal manufacturing subsidizer to full strength in a blow to its conservative critics.
Senators voted to confirm Kimberly Reed as president of the Ex-Im Bank and approved the nomination of former Rep. Spencer Bachus
Spencer Thomas BachusManufacturing group leads coalition to urge Congress to reauthorize Ex-Im Bank Biz groups take victory lap on Ex-Im Bank On The Money: White House files notice of China tariff hikes | Dems cite NYT report in push for Trump tax returns | Trump hits Iran with new sanctions | Trump praises GM for selling shuttered Ohio factory | Ex-Im Bank back at full strength MORE (R-Ala.) and Judith DelZoppo Pryor to be members of the bank’s board of directors.
Bernie SandersBiden will help close out Texas Democrats' virtual convention: report Senate Dems press DOJ over coronavirus safety precautions in juvenile detention centers Gabbard drops defamation lawsuit against Clinton MORE (I-Vt.) in opposition. Bachus was confirmed by a 72-22 vote and Pryor was confirmed 77 to 19. GOP Sens. John Barrasso
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Marsha BlackburnSunday shows preview: States begin to reopen even as some areas in US see case counts increase Commerce Department cracks down on Huawei's access to chips Senate approves bill to sanction China over Uighur rights MORE (Tenn.), Mike Braun
Michael BraunGOP faces internal conflicts on fifth coronavirus bill Hillicon Valley: Trump threatens Michigan, Nevada over mail-in voting | Officials call for broadband expansion during pandemic | Democrats call for investigation into Uber-Grubhub deal Republicans introduce bill to create legal 'safe harbor' for gig companies during the pandemic MORE (Ind.), Ted Cruz
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John Neely KennedyMORE (La.), James Lankford
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Richard Craig ShelbyTop Republican says Trump greenlit budget fix for VA health care GOP senators not tested for coronavirus before lunch with Trump McConnell, GOP senators support exempting VA health funds from budget caps MORE (Ala.), Pat Toomey
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Todd Christopher YoungHillicon Valley: House FISA bill in jeopardy | Democrats drop controversial surveillance measure | GOP working on legislation to strip Twitter of federal liability protections GOP senators urge Trump not to restrict guest worker visas Lawmakers introduce bill to invest 0 billion in science, tech research MORE (Ind.) voted against all three nominees.
With three of Ex-Im’s five board positions filled, the bank can now meet the legally required quorum to approve transactions worth more than $10 million.
The confirmations of Reed, Bachus and Pryor is the latest swing in a four-year battle between a broad coalition of Ex-Im supporters and fiscally conservative critics over its existence.
The Ex-Im Bank was created in 1934 to subsidize U.S. exporters and manufacturers amid mounting global competition. The bank attracted little political fire until 2015, when a cadre of GOP lawmakers spurred by conservative groups successfully blocked a reauthorization of its charter.
President Trump
Donald John TrumpTrump marks 'very sad milestone' of 100K coronavirus deaths DOJ: George Floyd death investigation a 'top priority' Lifting our voices — and votes MORE had initially nominated former Rep. Scott Garrett
Ernest (Scott) Scott GarrettBiz groups take victory lap on Ex-Im Bank Export-Import Bank back to full strength after Senate confirmations Manufacturers support Reed to helm Ex-Im Bank MORE (R-N.J.), who was among the bank’s top House critics during the fight over its charter, to lead Ex-Im.
But after Senate Republicans rejected Garrett’s nomination, Toomey sought to block the confirmation of other Ex-Im nominees, preventing the bank from reaching full strength.
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and pro-business groups have rallied for restaffing Ex-Im, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.
Ex-Im advocates say the bank plays a crucial role in helping U.S. manufacturers compete against state-backed companies and protectionist trade policies, particularly in China.
The bank’s critics, including the Heritage Foundation and the conservative nonprofit Americans for Prosperity, say Ex-Im is prototypical crony capitalism that distorts markets and benefits major U.S. firms that do not need help.
The Ex-Im Bank’s future is still unclear despite the confirmation of three new members, with lawmakers facing a September deadline to reauthorize the bank’s charter.
Reps. Maxine Waters
Maxine Moore WatersMcCarthy yanks endorsement of California candidate over social media posts Top bank regulator announces abrupt resignation GOP pulls support from California House candidate over 'unacceptable' social media posts MORE (D-Calif.) and Patrick McHenry
Patrick Timothy McHenryTop bank regulator announces abrupt resignation Trump campaign launches new fundraising program with House Republicans The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump turns to lawmakers to advise on reopening MORE (R-N.C.), the chairwoman and ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, respectively, both support renewing the bank but could face obstacles from Toomey, Shelby and other Ex-Im critics.
