Manufacturers ramp up opposition to Garrett’s Ex-Im nomination

The National Association of Manufacturers is ramping up its campaign against Scott Garrett’s bid to head the Export-Import Bank ahead of a Senate hearing next week.

The association uses Garrett’s words against him to blast the former New Jersey Republican lawmaker’s long opposition to Ex-Im while he was in Congress in a new web ad released Tuesday.

“Scott Garrett has a long and disgraceful record of trying to kill the Ex-Im Bank, while showing no concern for the 1.4 million American jobs it supports,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.

“Letting him lead the Ex-Im Bank is simply too big a risk for America’s manufacturing workers,” Timmons said.

The 30-second ad urges voters to call their senators and tell them to vote “no” on Garrett’s confirmation.

The National Association of Manufacturers along with other business groups have called on President Trump to withdraw Garrett’s nomination.

But on Nov. 1, the Senate Banking Committee is set to take up Garrett’s nomination along with several other nominees for the agency’s board, which has been short of the quorum needed to make larger loans.

State and national business groups also have expressed strong opposition to Garrett, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable.

“Time and again, he’s insulted [the Bank’s] work, and it’s too late to change his record,” Timmons said.

The business groups have said they support the nominations of Kimberly Reed, Claudia Slacik, Judith Delzoppo Pryor and Spencer Bachus, who would give the Ex-Im a long-awaited quorum that would allow the agency to make deals over $10 million again.