Washington Post Op-Ed Response
The response to our recent op-ed in the Washington Post, http://wapo.st/n31RE7, has been fantastic. We've had calls from a number of members of Congress and from people looking to invest in US infrastructure.
The piece is resonating for a couple of reasons. First, because it's actually a good idea. Ex-Im has the skills and know-how to get a federal infrastructure finance program off the ground more quickly than any other institution. Many people have asked whether the Bank has the resources to execute such a mission. Fair question. There's no doubt that the Bank would need more personnel to meet an expanded mission. But the Bank is a lean and efficient organization, so we're not talking about creating some bloated government bureaucracy.
The second reason that the op-ed has resonated is that people are attracted to the idea -- in the age of deficit reduction -- of finding ways for government to serve the people without reinventing the wheel. Why build something new when that something already exists?
Stay tuned.
