Walker Says He’ll Push To Keep GE Jobs In Waukesha

Gov. Scott Walker won’t say much about a Washington political controversy over the Export-Import Bank but he said he’ll try to convince General Electric to keep manufacturing work in Waukesha.

GE officials said Congress’ failure to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank was a tipping point in the company’s decision to eventually move 350 jobs from Waukesha to Canada. Some House Republicans including Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan contend the bank — which made loans to potential overseas customers of American firms — is an example of corporate welfare.

Walker said the GE workers are pawns in a larger political battle being played out in the nation’s capitol, but he stopped short of criticizing individual lawmakers.

“I think it’s unwise for any corporation to be making decisions about where they place work, just based on one particular vote in the Congress,” he said.

Walker said he and Waukesha County officials will attempt to get GE to keep the jobs in Wisconsin, and if that fails, he said the state will try to help the laid-off workers.