Following Meeting with President, Klobuchar Call for Immediate Reauthorization of Export-Import Bank to Ensure American Businesses can Compete on a Level Playing Field

Statement

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) took to the Senate floor today to call for the immediate reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank so that American businesses can compete on a level playing field. Klobuchar's call followed a meeting she attended at the White House with President Obama and five other lawmakers to discuss the importance of reauthorizing the Bank. Congress last week allowed the Bank's charter to expire, threatening crucial financing that businesses rely on to help boost their exports and create good jobs all across the country. In Minnesota alone, the Export-Import Bank has supported $2 billion in exports and helped over 170 businesses in the last five years alone, nearly two-thirds of which were small businesses.

"If we're going to maintain a level playing field for American companies and workers in a tough global economy, we need to immediately step up and reauthorize the Export-Import Bank," Klobuchar said. "Countries like China that are pouring huge amounts of money into supporting their exports are going to eat our lunch if we don't get this done. There is more than enough bipartisan support to reauthorize the Bank--all we need is the opportunity to vote."

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