Hoyer Discusses ISIL, Export-Import Bank, Republican Inaction on Critical Priorities on C-Span's "Newsmakers"

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) discussed the ISIL threat, the need to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, and Republican inaction on a number of critical priorities, including jobs and immigration reform, on C-Span's "Newsmakers."  Below are excerpts and a link to the video.

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“…I’ve had discussions with the Majority Leader, I’ve been involved in briefings, I think there is a bipartisan sense, that the American people agree with, that ISIL needs to be confronted, needs to be defeated, and needs to be removed as a threat to regional security in the Middle East and as a security threat to the United States of America. So I am hopeful, when you asked me how I would like to see this proceed, is that we proceed in a bipartisan way to, as the President said last night, show a united country to the world that we are resolved and united in meeting this threat and eliminating this threat and I think there will be debates on ways and means to do that. But I believe the overwhelming majority is for meeting the threat as the President suggests.”

“…The Democrats believe very strongly that the Export-Import Bank is a very important component of growing jobs and ensuring that America is competitive in international markets. When we passed it before, just a couple of years ago, Mr. Cantor and I worked on the reauthorization together. He was then the Majority Leader. We worked on it together, and very frankly, it passed with over 330 or 340 votes, an overwhelming majority with the significant majority number of Republicans voting for that  and every Democrat voting for that. Unfortunately for ideological reasons, in my view, it has become very controversial on the Republican side of the aisle. But I am very hopeful and believe there is still a majority in the House of Representatives. There are 41 Republicans that have urged a long term reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank. Every Democrat is for extending Export-Import Bank, that would give us at least 230 votes. And I am hopeful the Republican leadership would bring that option to the Floor because I believe it represents not only the majority of opinion in the House of Representatives, but a way to help create jobs and ensure our competitiveness in global markets.”

“I think the American people are rightfully disgusted and disappointed with their Board of Directors, the Congress of the United States. I frankly think our Republican friends have led the most ineffective House of Representatives in which I've served since I came here in 1981... Minimum wage clearly needs to be addressed. It hasn't been addressed for a lot of years now, it was last addressed in 2007, 2009. We need to do that. Comprehensive immigration reform – everyone admits the immigration system in our country is broken. The United States Senate by a two-to-one majority passed an immigration bill. The Republicans themselves have passed some five or six bills out of their committees. However, the Republican leadership has not brought either the Senate comprehensive bill [or] the House comprehensive bill that [Democrats] have introduced… they refused to bring that to the Floor. They refused to bring minimum wage, they have refused to bring unemployment insurance extension to the Floor, and so many other pieces of legislation that Americans support to grow our economy, create jobs, and move our economy forward. That's unfortunate. I am hopeful that the outcome of the election will be such that we move together in a much more positive fashion and bring to the Floor legislation that has bipartisan support, that can pass the House of Representatives, and not simply because you have the power to do so, exclude from consideration legislation which will help our economy, fix a broken immigration system, ensure that people are getting enough money to live on and not live in poverty while they are working 40 hours a week, to make sure that women get equal pay, and make sure, in short, we do the things that the American people want us to do.”