Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said that GE has decided to move work out of Maine and three other states because Congress has failed to reauthorize the agency that provides financing for U.S. companies exporting products overseas. General Electric announced today they are moving 500 jobs from facilities in Maine, Texas, New York and South Carolina to France, Hungary, and China because of the failure of Congress to reauthorize Ex-Im. Work that would support 80 jobs at the GE plant in Bangor that manufactures key components for power turbines will be moved to a GE facility in France. 

"There is a direct connection between the loss of this work in Maine and the failure by Congress to reauthorize Ex-Im," Pingree said.  "GE doesn't want to move this work overseas, but the customers for their power turbines require that an export credit agency provide financing.  Since the U.S. can't do that right now and France can, the jobs and the work are going to France."

Authorization for Ex-Im expired this summer, and Congressional Republicans have blocked a bill to reauthorize the bank. Pingree has signed a "discharge petition" that would force a vote on the bill, but so far not enough of her colleagues have joined her to bring the measure to the floor.
 
"I've heard firsthand from Maine businesses about how the Ex-Im Bank has made it possible to export their goods to other countries.  But it's gotten caught up in Tea Party politics in Congress and now Maine workers are paying the price.  There is a lot of bipartisan support to keep Ex-Im operating, but Republican leaders won't let it even come up for a vote.  It's really outrageous," Pingree said.
 
The U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) helps manufacturers sell U.S.-made goods overseas.  The Bank has supported $266 million in exports from Maine since 2007 and over the last twenty years hasreturned $7 billion to U.S. taxpayers.
 
"We need to get the Ex-Im Bank back up and running," Pingree said.  "The longer this work is done overseas, the harder it will be to bring it back to Maine."