In a blow to House conservatives, a sizable group of Republicans joined with Democrats to force a vote to renew the Export-Import Bank.
In a rarely used procedure, a bipartisan majority in the House joined together to force a vote, which will now take place Oct. 26. The bill extends the bank’s charter thru Sept. 30, 2019.
The procedure used is called filing a”discharge petition” and once it gets 218 members to sign it, a majority of the House, the rules say the bill must be scheduled for a vote.
The push was led by Tennessee GOP Rep. Steve Fincher and a bloc of pro-business Republicans.
Renewing the bank has become a flashpoint inside the Republican party — pro-business Republicans say the bank creates jobs but other GOP members say it’s a form of corporate welfare.
Rep. Paul Ryan has expressed opposition to extending the bank’s charter, which expired at the end of June, saying, “I want to get rid of it.”