Trump Nominates GOP Congressman Who Lost Seat Over Anti-Gay Comments to Head Agency Both Opposed

Called the Agency He’s About to Head a ‘Corporate Welfare Program’

President Donald Trump has just nominated former seven-term Republican Congressman Scott Garrett to head the Export-Import Bank. Garrett, from New Jersey, lost support of voters and Wall Street backers – and his seat – after his anti-gay comments drew national outrage.

Until last week, President Trump toed the GOP line on the Export-Import Bank, which helps businesses large and small finance purchases of U.S. goods. Trump was opposed to the agency, as was Garrett, who called it a “corporate welfare program.” Now he’ll likely be confirmed to head it, as The Huffington Post reports.

As a U.S. Congressman, Garrett, a founding father of the far right Freedom Caucus, supported the discriminatory First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), which unconstitutionally allows individuals, groups, and businesses to deny service to same-sex couples based on their deeply held religious beliefs. 

But it was Garrett’s comments on gay people that led to him last year losing the seat he first won in 2002. 

Garrett in 2015 told House Republicans he would no longer pay his dues to the National Republican Campaign Committee, which works to elect Republicans to Congress, because he said the organization had been actively recruiting and supporting gay candidates. Garrett opposes same-sex marriage, citing his religious beliefs, and the Republican national platform.

That did not sit well with Garrett’s fellow New Jersey Republicans or his Wall Street donors, whom he had amassed, having been chair of the powerful Capital Markets Subcommittee, which regulates financial services companies.

The Editorial Board of New Jersey’s Star-Ledger issued a strong rebuke, saying it hoped he lost he seat. He did.

President Trump falsely claimed during the campaign he would be the best president ever for LGBT people, even better than President Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. But Trump seemingly has gone out of his way to fill his administration with anti-gay Republicans, like Garrett. 

Why?

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Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license