United States Export Finance Agency Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Chair, first, I thank the gentlewoman from California, and my chairwoman, for her leadership in bringing this incredibly important bill to the floor.

Mr. Chair, I rise to speak in support of the Ex-Im Bank.

Mr. Chair, the Bank provides targeted credit and export support to our small businesses that need it most to stay competitive. We know that the Bank's programs work, and we should not abandon them.

I fully support the reauthorization. The Ex-Im Bank plays an irreplaceable role in promoting American exports and keeping small businesses competitive on the international market and helps in creating jobs for America, some 352,000 jobs.

Since 2014, the Bank has provided over $450 million worth of export support value in my district alone in the Houston area. Among the 53 total exporters supported in my district, 39--well over half--are small businesses. In Texas, the Bank has supported $12 billion in exports and 815 exporters, including 470 small businesses.

Along with the reauthorization of this bill, it also includes an Office of Women and Minority Inclusion. This is important because, in my district alone, seven out of the 53 businesses are minority-owned and four are female-owned.

Additionally, this bill includes commonsense environmental and community engagement standards that seek to make sure the Bank is helping meet our Paris climate accord commitments.

While these improvements to the Bank contained in the bill are important, I don't want to take away from the bottom-line fact, and that is it creates jobs.

This bill supports American manufacturers. This bill supports our exporting sector. This bill helps reduce our trade deficit. That is why I am calling on all of my colleagues to join me in passing this critical legislation.

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