President Bush's fiscal year 2006 federal budget request, which was released today, fully supports the Export- Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). The FY 2006 request provides US$186.5m to fund the Bank's program budget and US$73.2m to fund its administrative budget.
"This budget request will enable Ex-Im Bank to continue to help US exporters, small and large, compete in the toughest global markets," Ex-ImBank chairman Philip Merrill said. "This is a triple win for America – for US businesses to make overseas sales, for US workers whose jobs are sustained by export production, and for US taxpayers whose investment is repaid in increased US prosperity."
When Ex-Im Bank was overwhelmingly reauthorised by Congress in 2002, president Bush said: "The Export-Import Bank helps advance US trade policy, facilitate the sale of US goods and services abroad, and create jobs here at home."
