Judging from the steady stream of jobs being lost, the right-wing jihad to kill Washington’s Export-Import Bank is shaping up to be a significant blow to America’s economy. However, it may also be a blow to the Republican Party, which will have to take the blame for destroying tens of thousands of jobs in swing states vital to GOP presidential prospects. Consider the bellwether state of Florida, which can deliver over 10% of the electoral college votes needed to secure the presidency. There are nearly 900 exporters in Florida who tap Ex-Im programs, and the resulting overseas sales sustain about 52,000 jobs in the state. Sunshine State voting in recent presidential races has been very close, so the Republican presidential candidate in 2016 doesn’t need the electoral drag of being associated with the loss of thousands of jobs for no good reason. After all, Ex-Im doesn’t cost taxpayers a cent, and every other major trading nation has its own export credit agency. I have written a commentary for Forbes here.
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