Amodei: Buy U.S.

The U.S. Import-Export Bank is about to bump up against its loan limit, and business lobbies like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are pushing for Congress to raise it. So is the Obama administration. But Tea Partiers are honing in on the issue. The bank guarantees loans from U.S. banks to foreign businesses to buy U.S.-made products.

U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada said he is undecided on how to vote on the matter. He said he heard from a corporate executive that the bank has made loans to an airline that has been ordering planes from Airbus, a European manufacturer.

“So basically, they’re getting a better deal from the Import-Export Bank on their borrowing of money to buy their fleet than we get, because we’re buying from Boeing [a U.S. manufacturer],” Amodei said.

He didn’t know if the Airbus matter would determine his vote, but he wants it examined. However, Boeing is pushing for raising the loan limit and said a failure to do so could lead to layoffs.

The Washington Post reported that congressional Democrats are hoping it will be another issue that “could pit the [GOP’s] business wing against ‘populist’ conservatives.”