Hoyer: Highway Amendments Are a Last-Ditch Attempt By Export-Import Bank Opponents to Undo the Will of the Majority

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke on the House Floor today in opposition to highway bill amendments related to the Export-Import Bank. Below is a transcript of his remarks and a link to the video:

Click here to watch the video.

“I rise in opposition to this rule. I rise in opposition because it would make in order several amendments that undermine the will of the majority of both parties in this House that the Export-Import Bank should be reopened immediately.

“I said for a year and a half the majority of this House was for it, and for a year and a half it was bottled up by a committee chairman in a closed process.  Since some Republicans blocked the extension of the Export-Import Bank's charter authority and let it shut down in July, hundreds of American jobs have been shipped overseas, and exporters and their workers have been unable to complete on a level playing field in foreign markets.

“Last month, in an historic effort, virtually all Democrats and a majority of Republicans came together to end the gridlock and take steps to allow the House to work its will and hold a vote on reopening the Export-Import Bank. This bill seeks to reverse that process – this rule. When that vote came up, Mr. Speaker, 127 Republicans finally got the opportunity to work their will, and a majority of their conference joined with every Democrat save one to reopen the Bank and create jobs in this country.

“The will of this House is clear – unequivocal. The best way to reopen the Bank is by keeping unchanged in this highway bill the Heitkamp-Kirk language, bipartisan bill from the Senate, that 313 Members – otherwise known as 75% of this body – voted for last week on this Floor. The amendments that this rule would make in order are, in effect, a last-ditch attempt by the Bank’s opponents to undo the will of the majority in this House.

“I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule, and, should it be adopted, as is likely the case, I urge every one of my colleagues who voted to reopen the Export-Import Bank last week to stand together in defeating every single amendment offered to the Export-Import Bank...  So we can stand together to defeat all of the amendments that are offered to the Export-Import Bank. It is a Senate bill and a House bill that are exactly the same, and if they had been passed alone they'd be on the President's desk right now.

“Once again, we need to help American exporters, but more importantly than that, we need to help American workers get and keep jobs. We talk a lot about it. This is an opportunity to do it. Defeat any and every amendment, no matter how sugary it may sound, to defeat the Export-Import Bank, and I yield back the balance of my time.”