Hoyer Urges House Republican Leaders to Not Let the Export-Import Bank Expire

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) urged House Republicans leaders to schedule a vote to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank before the June 30 deadline during a colloquy with Majority Leader McCarthy today. Below is an excerpt from the colloquy and a link to the video:

Click here to watch the video.

"I thank the gentleman for repeating for a third time his answer to me. Mr. Speaker, I would simply observe sadly that the representation ‘the House can work its will’ on an issue of great importance to the United States and to jobs in the United States will not be brought to this Floor, notwithstanding the fact that 180 Democrats have signed a discharge petition and 60 Republicans filed a bill to extend the Export-Import Bank. That is 240 votes, Mr. Speaker, as the Speaker well could add himself. 240 votes is a majority of this House. They reflect, in my view, Mr. Speaker, the will of this House, and it is extraordinarily regrettable that when the Speaker of the House says that if we don't do something, thousands of American jobs are going to be lost, it is particularly regrettable just after we had a vote on a bill that many people believe are going to lose us jobs and therefore they opposed.

“How sad it is that we don't bring to the Floor a bill which will, like 85 other countries [do] …help us export goods. Those 85 countries, Mr. Speaker, are not going to stop helping their [companies] export goods, so the loss will be to our exporters and those they employ. I very much regret that [Ex-Im Bank reauthorization] won't be brought to the Floor as the Majority Leader has told me, it is not scheduled. I know it's not scheduled.

“I lament the fact that it's not scheduled and [Republican] Representative Chris Collins of New York said, 'I can't figure out for the life of me why my party, the Republican party, that stands for jobs and in every conference meeting, it's jobs and the economy'.... 'And here I am,' says [Rep.] Chris Collins, 'in the minority of my own conference, fighting to defend the Export-Import Bank, which is the best example of creating jobs in America.' I regret that that's not being brought to the Floor and I won't ask the gentleman the question again, because he's already told me it's not scheduled and apparently there's no intention of scheduling it. I regret that."