Ex-Im Bank nominee questioned

WASHINGTON — Democrats including Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown on Wednesday grilled the man Donald Trump nominated as the next president of the Export– Import Bank on why he wants to lead an institution that he spent much of his time in Congress trying to shut down.

Former Rep. Scott Garrett of New Jersey was a leading voice in repeated calls to shut down the Export-Import Bank, a small federal agency that provides and guarantees loans aimed at getting U.S. products into foreign markets. In Ohio, some 258 businesses benefited from the program between 2007 and 2014, and the bank has supported $2 billion worth of business in the state.

For nearly two hours at a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Wednesday, the Democrats — and at least one Republican — questioned Garrett and six other nominees for positions with the Export-Import Bank, including Judith Delzoppo Pryor, a Cleveland native who is nominated to be a member of the board.

Garrett refused entreaties to explain his change of heart, except noting that many of his negative statements came before a 2015 reauthorization of the agency. He said he is “committed to keep the bank fully open and fully operational.”

Democrats, however, were skeptical.

“Confirming Mr. Garrett as president of Ex-Im would be like putting an arsonist in charge of the fire department,” said Brown, who is the ranking Democrat on the panel.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D– Mass., said she thinks Garrett is pursuing the job “so you can get a job in this administration,” a sentiment Brown echoed.

Even Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who called Garrett “a man of principle,” wondered why he’d take the job.

No action was taken on Garrett’s nomination Wednesday, which must be approved by the committee and the full Senate.