House
effort to force Ex-Im vote to stall in Senate: McConnell aide
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[October 07, 2015]
By David Lawder
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bid by some House
Republicans and Democrats to force a vote to revive the U.S.
Export-Import Bank is likely to stall in the Senate, leaving the trade
bank's supporters to pin last-ditch hopes on attaching it to a Senate
transportation bill.
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U.S. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, who opposes renewal
of trade bank's charter that expired June 30, does not want to take
up a stand-alone bill that could result from the House effort, an
aide to the Kentucky Republican said.
"The leader has no plans to spend a week or more on this bill he
doesn't support," McConnell spokesman Michael Brumas told Reuters.
In July, McConnell allowed an Ex-Im renewal measure to be attached
to a six-year highway spending plan approved by the Senate. The
provision passed by a strong, 64-29 vote, but the transportation
bill was stalled by opposition in the House.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Oct/07/images/ads/current/LINCOLN_theater_011411.png) As a result, Ex-Im, which helps finance exports of U.S. goods and
services, has been effectively paralyzed for more than three months.
The House effort led by pro-Ex-Im Republican Representative Stephen
Fincher would attempt a rarely successful maneuver to force a vote
renewing the agency through a "discharge petition" if he can muster
a majority of the body's 435 members.
He would need at least 30 Republicans to join 188 Democrats to put
the renewal measure to a vote. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi
has thrown her support behind the effort.
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Fincher had about 60 House Republican co-sponsors for his previous
Ex-Im renewal and reform bill. Under arcane House rules, the first
day the petition can get a vote is Oct. 26.
If Fincher's bid were to succeed on the House floor but stall in the
Senate, there still could be an attempt to renew Ex-Im during a
negotiation over a highway bill.
(Reporting By David Lawder and Richard Cowan; Editing by Alan
Crosby)
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