AP Photo Clinton: Export-Import Bank renewal a 'no-brainer'

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Fresh on the heels of the House’s vote Tuesday to revive the Export-Import Bank, Hillary Clinton urged the Senate to follow suit, calling the decision a “no-brainer."

“It became a political football. Whether for ideological or political reasons, there are people in Washington against it, and that makes absolutely no sense,” she said Wednesday at a “Politics & Eggs” lunch at Saint Anselm College, criticizing opponents of the bank — like her primary rival for the Democratic nomination, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.


“For the life of me, I don’t understand the arguments,” she said, pointing out how the bank helps New Hampshire businesses. “The Export-Import Bank’s sole purpose is to support United States business abroad."

Clinton’s support for the bank hardly comes as a surprise, but it is a stark contrast with Sanders, who was the sole non-Republican voting against the organization in June, calling it “corporate welfare to multinational corporations."

And it also comes amid a pitched battle over the bank — many Republicans, including the ones running for president, stand against the organization.

“We know that small businesses create, still today, most of the jobs in America. They’re the backbone of the economy here in New Hampshire," Clinton said, bringing back a familiar line. “But we’re slipping. A recent global survey showed that where we used to be one or two in the world creating small businesses, we’re now 46."

Clinton’s appearance at the college, part of a series featuring multiple presidential candidates, kicks off her latest two-day swing through this first-in-the-nation primary state.