The Sun-Times Editorial Board opines that these days, Congress can not even get the easy stuff right. The Export-Import Bank should be one of the easy decisions. Congress should re-open it for business without delay.\n\nBy providing financing for transactions that commercial lenders will not or can not touch, the bank helps U.S. businesses export their products, which means more American jobs. It does not cost taxpayers anything - in fact it earned a $675 million profit last year and more than $7 billion over the past two decades. Here in Illinois, it has helped 322 businesses export $5 billion worth of goods over the last six years.\n\nWhat is not to like? A federal agency that makes money while supporting well-paying jobs that otherwise would go overseas. We could use more agencies like this.But spurred by conservatives who call the Export-Import Bank crony capitalism, Congress let its charter lapse on June 30. Since then, the bank has not made any new loans.\n\nInstead, what is happened is that Boeing lost an $85 million satellite contract and was told not to bother bidding on another. Layoffs have already started in its satellite division. General Electric said it is moving 400 jobs to France and 100 to Hungary and China and creating another 1,000 jobs in Europe. That companies said that was all due to pushing the U.S. Ex-Im Bank into limbo while more than 85 similar export credit agencies run by other countries are still open and eager for business.\n\nWhat has changed is the climate in Congress, where some new members are determined to score a political victory, even if the ultimate losers are American workers. If they really wanted to go after crony capitalism, they could target genuine corporate excesses. Why draw a bead on companies that keep jobs in America?
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