Georgia’s Republican U.S. senators are divided on whether to resurrect the controversial Export-Import Bank in a pending bill to fund the nation’s highway system.
Sen. Johnny Isakson supported the effort to resume the charter for the bank to finance American exports, which has been touted by proponents as a job creator and denounced by foes as “crony capitalism.”
“The Export-Import Bank is important for jobs in Georgia,” Isakson said in a statement. “The Bank allows U.S. businesses to compete on a level playing field against global companies who receive far greater assistance from their governments. In addition, the Export-Import Bank makes money for the United States. In 2013, the Export-Import Bank returned $1.1 billion to the U.S. Treasury. I support extending the Export-Import Bank with some important reforms included in the reauthorization.”
While Sen. David Perdue did not commit to fully opposing the bank, he voted against adding the bank to the highway bill because he felt it should be a separate issue.
Perdue “continues to believe the American people deserve a separate and robust debate about the future of the Export-Import Bank, and that opportunity was not provided on the floor of the U.S. Senate,” spokeswoman Megan Whittemore said.
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