Matt Collins
10-26-2015, 12:12 PM
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/426070/ex-im-bank-house-discharge-petition-vote
At least 42 Republicans in Congress will vote today to revive the Ex-Im bank through a discharge petition which they initiated under the leadership of Tennessee’s Stephen Fincher. In this rare maneuver, they will be happily joined by almost all the Democrats in the House.
Many of the same centrist Republicans who complained about conservatives stabbing the GOP in the back on congressional procedures are behind the effort to circumvent their own leaders and force a vote on the divisive Export-Import Bank. Forty-two Republicans — less than a fifth of the House GOP conference — joined 146 Democrats in signing a rarely used vehicle known as a discharge petition to bring the issue to the floor The move is shocking in many ways. It is a sign that many Republicans in the House have no problem showing their support for cronyism and K street at the expense of everyone else without, it seems, fear of consequences. It also shows how easily some GOP members will ally with Democrats to advance so odious a goal.
As Heritage Action’s Dan Holler rightfully notes, the move amounts to giving Nancy Pelosi control of the House floor, something which I doubt voters expected to happen again after giving the Republicans their biggest majority since 1928. It is also a perfect demonstration that bipartisanship often results in the growth of government and the promotion of special interests.
Finally, the move goes a long way to bypass regular order. It should give pause to every chairman in the House as a tactic can be used against them next. For all these reasons, and many more, it will be interesting to see who joins Fincher and his crew in supporting Ex-Im through the discharge petition today.
At least 42 Republicans in Congress will vote today to revive the Ex-Im bank through a discharge petition which they initiated under the leadership of Tennessee’s Stephen Fincher. In this rare maneuver, they will be happily joined by almost all the Democrats in the House.
Many of the same centrist Republicans who complained about conservatives stabbing the GOP in the back on congressional procedures are behind the effort to circumvent their own leaders and force a vote on the divisive Export-Import Bank. Forty-two Republicans — less than a fifth of the House GOP conference — joined 146 Democrats in signing a rarely used vehicle known as a discharge petition to bring the issue to the floor The move is shocking in many ways. It is a sign that many Republicans in the House have no problem showing their support for cronyism and K street at the expense of everyone else without, it seems, fear of consequences. It also shows how easily some GOP members will ally with Democrats to advance so odious a goal.
As Heritage Action’s Dan Holler rightfully notes, the move amounts to giving Nancy Pelosi control of the House floor, something which I doubt voters expected to happen again after giving the Republicans their biggest majority since 1928. It is also a perfect demonstration that bipartisanship often results in the growth of government and the promotion of special interests.
Finally, the move goes a long way to bypass regular order. It should give pause to every chairman in the House as a tactic can be used against them next. For all these reasons, and many more, it will be interesting to see who joins Fincher and his crew in supporting Ex-Im through the discharge petition today.