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President Reagan was one of our country’s greatest leaders because he valued fair opportunities for the American people over political manipulations that waste taxpayer money.

The “Great Communicator” listened and connected with Americans and then acted in the best interest of our nation. This is why Reagan and presidents from both parties have shown strong support for the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank. The Ex-Im Bank’s charter has been reauthorized every term since its inception in 1934.

However, I won’t claim that the Ex-Im Bank has always been a flawless federal agency. In fact, Reagan was a scrutinizing supporter. From the start, he called for major reforms and instilled discipline and budget transparency. Limits were imposed upon the Ex-Im Bank, and subsidies were significantly cut. Those changes have helped to make the Ex-Im Bank self-sustaining today. The Ex-Im Bank not only does not receive or need taxpayer subsidies, but it also turned a $1 billion profit in 2013.

Working with Congress, Reagan fought for structural changes that eventually made the Ex-Im Bank a stronger and more fiscally sound institution. Years later, he reaffirmed his support for its mission to help American workers and families, small businesses and manufacturers and taxpayers, while growing and strengthening the U.S. economy.

On the Ex-Im Bank’s 50th anniversary in 1984, Reagan signed a letter praising the agency for its accomplishments, declaring the United States the greatest trading nation in the world owing to a combination of talented Americans and a free-enterprise economy. However, he also noted, “We must all work together to encourage a greater competitive spirit on the part of American companies as we seek to meet the challenges of exporting today and in the years ahead.”

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By Former Senators George Allen (R-VA) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
The Shopfloor – A Manufacturing Blog
May 5, 2014

In recent months, the reauthorization of the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank—a federal organization with longtime bipartisan support—has somehow found its way into the center of a politically fueled debate on international trade.

At the insistence of a few organizations that should know better, certain Republicans are digging in their heels against reauthorizing this important financial credit facility for small, medium and large U.S. businesses. For companies relying on the Ex-Im Bank, this is a very serious threat as the importance of global trade to advancing industry and job growth in the United States is becoming increasingly essential.

With improving productivity of U.S. industry and 95 percent of the world’s consumers living outside the United States, exports are more important than ever to American businesses, manufacturers and the overall strength of our nation’s economy, including hundreds of thousands of creative working American men and women. The ability to thrive in the global marketplace is no longer a luxury reserved for only large corporations; it is a vital operating strategy for the dedicated people who work in small and medium-sized businesses.

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Vice Presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence delivered an outstanding, principled speech last night at the Republican National Convention addressing reforms and leadership to make America more secure, more competitive and trusting free people to govern themselves. I consider Mike Pence a long time friend and top quality, experienced conservative choice by Donald Trump. Below are pictures of us together 8 years ago at a special Young America’s Foundation event in Springfield, Illinois.