AIA Ramps Up Campaign Against Ex-Im Bank Nominee Scott Garrett

Arlington, Va. (AIAA PR) — The Aerospace Industries Association is launching a multi-tiered campaign reiterating the importance of the long-term health of the U.S. Export-Import Bank ahead of an important nomination hearing for the Bank leadership.

This week, AIA President and CEO David F. Melcher sent a letter to the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, calling on them to restore a working quorum on the Bank’s Board of Directors by confirming four of the nominees and rejecting confirmation of Scott Garrett. Concurrently, AIA is launching an ad campaign highlighting the importance of confirming an Ex-Im Chairman that believes in the important mission Ex-Im plays in the American economy. Nominee Scott Garrett has a long history of actions and statements designed to destroy the agency, demonstrating he is not the leader Ex-Im needs or American industry deserves.

As the Voice of American Aerospace and Defense, AIA has continued to advocate for policies, including a fully-functional Ex-Im Bank, that bolster an industry at the core of the American economy.

Ex-Im Bank supports millions of U.S. jobs by enabling businesses of all sizes to compete more successfully in the global economy. It is a vital tool in leveling the global playing field, helping businesses in the United States to secure new customers, particularly in emerging markets. The Bank deserves a leader that believes in its mission, will bolster and forcefully advocate for its programs, and advocate for American manufacturers.

We are encouraged to see movement on this issue, as Ex-Im has not been fully functional since its charter was allowed to lapse on July 1, 2015. We applaud the Administration’s nominations of Kimberly Reed, Judith Pryor, Spencer Bachus and Claudia Slacik to the Ex-Im Bank Board.

For more information on our positions and to see the ad, our letters to the Hill and our many position statements on the Ex-Im Bank, please visit https://www.aia-aerospace.org/issue/exportimport-bank/.

AIAA Letter to Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee

October 25, 2017

The Honorable Mike Crapo
Chairman
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee
U.S. Senate
239 Dirksen Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Sherrod Brown
Ranking Member
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee
U.S. Senate
713 Hart Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Crapo and Ranking Member Brown:

On behalf of the Aerospace Industries Association, its more than 340 member companies and the 2.4 million people our industry employs, we are writing to you today regarding the November 1 hearing where you will consider the Administration’s nominations for the board of directors and Inspector General of the Export-Import Bank.

We are encouraged to see movement on this issue, as Ex-Im has not been fully functional since its charter was allowed to lapse on July 1, 2015. We applaud the Administration’s nominations of Kimberly Reed, Judith Pryor, Spencer Bachus and Claudia Slacik to the Ex-Im Bank Board. At the same time, we continue to call on the Senate to oppose the confirmation of Scott Garrett, who has a long history of actions and statements designed to destroy the agency.

Ex-Im Bank supports millions of U.S. jobs by enabling businesses of all sizes to compete more successfully in the global economy. It is a vital tool in leveling the global playing field, helping businesses in the United States to secure new customers, particularly in emerging markets. The Bank deserves a leader that believes in its mission, will bolster and forcefully advocate for its programs, and advocate for American manufacturers.

Scott Garrett is not that leader. By voting against the reforms in the 2015 reauthorization bill, which was passed by a bipartisan, super-majority in both chambers, he has made it clear that he is not interested in any reform of the bank.

Continuing to leave the agency handicapped without a quorum ensures foreign competitors with better access to financing will win contracts instead of U.S. manufacturers. These lost opportunities will harm thousands of small and medium-sized U.S. supply chain companies and threaten hundreds of thousands of American workers whose jobs depend directly or indirectly on Ex-Im Bank’s export financing. In the aerospace and defense industry, 56% of our export activity can be attributed to the supply chain.

Our industry comprises 13% of the U.S. manufacturing base, and achieved a positive trade balance of $90 billion in 2016. It is vital to our industry and our nation that the United States maintain the competitiveness of U.S. exporters in order to sustain and grow jobs. The Senate must ensure that Mr. Garrett is not put in a position which will harm America’s manufacturing workers. We strongly oppose the nomination of Scott Garrett and to urge you to vote against him.

Respectfully,

David F. Melcher
Lieutenant General, USA (Ret.)
President & CEO
Aerospace Industries Association

cc: Senate Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs Committee