AIA Welcomes Ex-Im Bank Discharge Petition, Urges Congress to Vote

Statement by Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO David F. Melcher on the passage of a discharge petition allowing Congress to hold a vote to reauthorize the Export Import Bank of the United States.

Arlington, Va. — We are delighted with today’s passage of a discharge petition on Rep. Fincher’s (R-Tenn.) bill reauthorizing the Export Import Bank of the United States. The ExIm Bank is a valuable tool supporting exports in the aerospace and defense industry – the leading export industry in the U.S. manufacturing sector with a trade surplus of nearly $62 billion.

So far, American companies have lost three space payload orders, billions of dollars in American commercial airplane sales are at risk, and several companies are talking about moving operations overseas – all because ExIm Bank financing has not been available since July 1. Enough is enough – Congress must hold the vote and reauthorize the Export-Import Bank.