Right.
Look, the argument over Salazar’s illegal blocking of permitting in the GoM and the Ex/Im loan to Petrobras are separate issues on most levels.
Blocking GoM permits, and blocking Ex/Im loans to Petrobras are BOTH BAD FOR US BASED BUSINESSES.
The Petrobras 36 platform was built in Italy, converted in Canadian shipyards.
Under the terms of the Ex/Im deal, the future platforms bought by Petrobras could be competitively bid on by US shipyards. Future retrofits/conversions could be competitively bid on by US Shipyards. Shipyards based in La., Ms. and Tx.
Vitter must not get campaign contributions from Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans.
Petrobas is used world-wide in engineering schools as as example of how not to build something, second only to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Galloping Gertie).
And we loaned them money to build something?