MEMO TO MEDIA: Heading into August District Work Period, House Republicans Refuse to Let the House Work its Will, Leave Unfinished Business

To:        Editors, Editorial Writers, Reporters
From:   House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer
Re:        House Republicans’ Unfinished Business
Date:     August 3, 2015

As the Majority party in the House and Senate, Republicans indicated to the American people that they intended to govern responsibly. However, after seven months in office, they have failed to do so. Instead, they have spent this year struggling with internal divisions, pulling our nation from one manufactured crisis to the next, and wasting time on partisan legislation that won’t be signed into law. After spending months obstructing progress on key issues that need to be addressed, House Republicans left town last week for the August district work period, leaving behind a lot of unfinished business.

Reopening the Export-Import Bank

House Republicans shut down the Export-Import Bank on July 1, cutting off financing assistance to American businesses.  USA Todaycalled Republican efforts to kill the Export-Import Bank, a “monumentally stupid, self-inflicted wound to the economy.” Shutting down the Bank amounts to unilaterally disarming American businesses and giving global competitors a significant advantage over businesses here at home.

According to the Export-Import Bank, there were 116 transactions worth more than $9.3 billion in the pipeline when Republicans shut it down.  Without assistance from the Bank, American businesses can’t compete on a level playing field with global competitors who have the support of 85 foreign export credit agencies – many of which provide greater financing assistance to their businesses. For example, according to the Export-Import Bank’s annual report to Congress, China has provided its exporters with at least $670 billion in financing over the last two years, while the Export-Import Bank has provided American exporters with only about $590 billion in financing over its entire 81-year history.

At a time when export credit agencies are playing a growing role in the global marketplace, it is extremely short-sighted for House Republicans to cut off this assistance to American businesses entirely. Competitors abroad know it and have moved to take advantage. Yaduvendra Mathur, Chairman and Managing Director of the Export-Import Bank of India recently said: “With US Exim Bank closing down, we would now have more market, because Indian products were competed by US products. Now that competition will go away.” Moreover, the Export-Import Bank doesn’t cost a dime of taxpayer money. In fact, it helps reduce the deficit and has contributed $7 billion to the U.S. Treasury over the past two decades.

Since the Export-Import Bank shut down, owners of small, medium, and large businesses across the country have expressed serious concerns about how the shutdown is affecting their ability to do business and compete. In fact, many businesses have indicated that without the export financing assistance provided by the Bank, they are at risk of losing business, and are now forced to consider moving parts of their business – and American jobs – overseas.

With the Senate voting 64-29 to reopen the Export-Import Bank last week and a majority of Members in the House supporting reauthorization, House Republican leaders should have let the House work its will and scheduled a vote to reopen the Bank before adjourning for August. 

Beginning Budget Negotiations to Keep Government Open, Replace the Sequester

Since House Republicans released their budget plan and began the appropriations process, House Democrats have been calling on them to abandon sequester spending levels, which are “unrealistic and ill-conceived” according to their own Appropriations Chairman, Rep. Hal Rogers. For months, House Democrats have called on Republican leaders to start negotiations on a bipartisan budget agreement that keeps the government open and replaces their flawed and dangerous policy of sequestration.

Like Groundhog Day, eventually Republicans’ appropriations process stalled in the House due to internal disagreements in their own party, this time after House Republicans offered an amendment to the Interior appropriations bill that would require the National Park Service to continue allowing the display or sale of the Confederate flag – less than twenty-four hours after the House had adopted three amendments restricting the use of the flag.  Under tremendous pressure, House Republican leaders pulled their Interior appropriations bill, and there has not been an appropriations bill on the Floor since. It’s clear that, once again, Republicans will not complete the appropriations process before the end of the fiscal year. With only twelve days in session before the end of the fiscal year, Speaker Boehner needs to begin negotiations on a budget deal that can replace the sequester and avert a government shutdown.

Reaching Agreement on a Long-Term Highway Bill:

Last week, the House passed a three-month extension of the Highway Trust Fund, ensuring it doesn’t lapse in the middle of the summer construction season. While a long-term bill is necessary to provide certainty to the economy, the Senate-passed bill fell short of what is required to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure over the long run. It is a short-term patch masquerading as a long-term bill, paying for only half of the six years it claims to fund our highway and transit programs. Now that Congress has passed an extension, we must take the next three months to reach agreement on a sustainable and long-term funding source for the infrastructure repairs and improvements necessary to attract businesses and maintain our global economic competitiveness. House Republicans have had nearly a year to take action on a long-term surface transportation bill with nothing to show for it.  We need to consider a long-term bill in the Fall that can pass both Chambers and provide states with the certainty they need to plan and budget effectively, rather than another short-term patch.

Fixing Our Broken Immigration System:

It’s clear our immigration system is broken – nearly everyone agrees – and Democrats continue to advocate for comprehensive reform that secures our borders, respects the rule of law, and provides immigrants with a fair chance of achieving the American Dream.

Unfortunately, House Republicans have failed to take action – despite the fact that the majority of Americans, as well as the business community, agriculture community, the tech community, faith communities, and others support comprehensive reform. Instead, they have continued their anti-immigrant record this Congress, nearly shutting down the Department of Homeland Security over the President’s executive actions and passing a partisan bill just last week that demonizes immigrants and undermines the trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement. Rather than attacking the President’s executive actions to keep families together, Republicans should bring a comprehensive immigration bill to the Floor, debate it, and work with Democrats to pass a bill that will be signed into law.

Taking Meaningful Action to Address Voting Rights:

On August 6, our nation will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Signed into law in the wake of “Bloody Sunday” and the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965, this landmark legislation set protections in place for millions of voters. As we mark this important anniversary, Congress has a responsibility to work in a bipartisan way to restore the voter protections that were undermined by the Supreme Court’s flawed 2013 decision in Shelby v. Holder. By striking down the law’s preclearance provision, the Court denied a key tool to the Justice Department for preventing discriminatory practices by state and local governments. As Justice Ginsberg said in her dissent, “Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.” Without preclearance, we are now seeing legislatures across the country enact discriminatory laws that make it more difficult for voters – especially minorities, seniors, and young people – to cast their ballots. Congress must take action to stop the disenfranchisement of voters and ensure – fifty years after the Voting Rights Act was signed – that all eligible voters can register, cast ballots, and know with certainty that their voices are being heard.

As we reflect on the enactment of the Voting Rights Act – as well as the creation of Medicare and Medicaid – fifty years ago, it’s notable that the 89th Congress was able to take significant action to address the needs and aspirations of the American people. When the 114th Congress returns from the August district work period, House Republicans will have a choice: will they govern responsibly and take meaningful action to address the critical issues we face today, or will they continue to obstruct and fight amongst themselves? The American people expect Congress to work in a bipartisan way to support our nation’s competitiveness, job creation, and economic growth here at home. In the Fall, Republican have an opportunity to overcome their internal divisions and work with Democrats to achieve real results for the American people.