Delta signals new push for Ex-Im reforms
“We have played a significant role opposing it. And it’s not so much the reauthorization, it’s the bank needs to be reformed,” Anderson said. “There’s no transparency around what it does with the taxpayer’s money in the United States, and it creates a huge subsidy for state-owned competitors of carriers in the United States.”
On Tuesday, Newman wrote to Ex-Im Bank President Fred Hochberg to blast the bank for claiming that one of its loan guarantees supported 400 jobs in a Delta division that services aircraft owned by Brazilian airline GOL.
The claim runs counter Delta’s argument that Ex-Im financing is costing U.S. jobs.
“Despite highlighting the bank’s misleading statements directly for you, we recently learned that Ex-Im has continued to promote these false and misleading statements, including making false statements in communications with Members of Congress,” Newman wrote.
The Bank’s original press release on the loan guarantee highlighted Paulo Kakinoff, chief executive officer of GOL saying “the availability of Ex-Im Bank’s financing was the key to our choosing this U.S. provider for these services and is strengthening the partnership between our two companies.”
Newman said “not a single job” was added and “not a single job would have been lost” without the GOL transaction supported by Ex-Im.
The Export-Import Bank said Tuesday that it is sticking to its 400 jobs supported estimate.
“The Bank stands behind the accuracy of its press release and communications to members of Congress,” said Matt Bevens, an Ex-Im Bank spokesman.
— This story was last updated at 6:30 p.m.
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