[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15546-15547]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
McCarthy), the majority leader, for the purpose of inquiring about the 
schedule for the week to come.
  Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, on Monday, no votes are expected in the House.
  On Tuesday, the House will meet at noon for morning-hour and 2 p.m. 
for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30.
  On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for 
morning-hour and noon for legislative business.
  On Friday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for legislative business. 
Last votes of the week are expected no later than 3 p.m.
  Mr. Speaker, the House will consider a number of suspensions next 
week, a complete list of which will be announced by close of business 
tomorrow.
  In addition, the House will consider H.R. 3192, the Homebuyers 
Assistance Act, sponsored by Representative French Hill of Arkansas. 
This bipartisan bill will provide relief to everyone who is doing their 
best to comply with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's mortgage 
loan disclosure rule.
  Mr. Speaker, the House will also consider H.R. 538, the Native 
American Energy Act, sponsored by Representative Don Young of Alaska, 
which is necessary to expedite energy production on tribal lands.
  And, finally, Mr. Speaker, the House will consider H.R. 702, 
sponsored by Representative Joe Barton of Texas. Oil exports are key to 
creating American jobs and furthering America's energy renaissance.
  Given the increased security threats facing the United States and its 
allies, the presence of more American oil in the global marketplace 
will offer more secure supply options. This will provide America with 
greater foreign policy influence as well as strengthening our economic 
and national security.
  I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for that information.
  Mr. Speaker, the last 2 weeks have been filled with a lot of things 
going on in this House. But I know the majority leader would be 
profoundly disappointed if I didn't ask him about one thing that 
doesn't seem to be going on, but which I think is critically important.
  I know the majority leader, Mr. Speaker, joins with me in not wanting 
to see American jobs lost overseas or American jobs not created here in 
America for American workers because we are able to make products and 
sell them overseas.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I would ask the distinguished majority leader, 
knowing full well, as he does, that Jeff Immelt, the CEO of GE, was 
here; and he spoke to both Democrats and Republicans. I know he talked 
about 500 U.S. jobs going overseas because we have not yet reauthorized 
the Export-Import Bank.
  The Senate voted 64-29 to reopen the Bank. They voted in July. Almost 
two-thirds of the United States Senate.

[[Page 15547]]

  As the majority leader is tired of hearing, I know, but I still 
believe there is a significant majority of Members in this House that 
would vote for it.
  Now, I want to tell you, Mr. Speaker, I was extraordinarily pleased 
to read--I didn't hear, but read--the majority leader's comments when 
he was talking about the failure of the Senate to proceed on a vote of 
disapproval or approval on the agreement with Iran on nuclear arms 
control.
  He said he was deeply distressed that ``so consequential that they 
demand revisions to the Senate's procedures.'' And he went on to say 
those revisions would be ``to let the people''--in this case, the 
Senate--``have a voice'' That was quoted in The Wall Street Journal 
just a few days ago.
  I know the gentleman doesn't want us to lose jobs. I know he is 
quoted as saying that the people's voice ought to be heard. I know that 
he shares with me that this is the people's House.
  And I ask the gentleman: It is not on the schedule next week, but 
does the gentleman expect the Export-Import Bank to be voted on in this 
House before the end of this month?
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman.
  In honor of the late Yogi Berra, ``It's like deja vu all over 
again.'' There is no action scheduled in the House on Ex-Im.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, that is the answer I expected. That is the 
answer I have been getting. And, very frankly, that is the answer this 
House has been getting.
  I know some of my Republican friends are very frustrated by that 
answer, and I know all of our side is frustrated by that answer.
  I will say respectfully to my friend I would certainly hope we could 
bring that bill to the floor.
  Win or lose, whether you win or I win or Export-Import Bank is 
reauthorized or not, you are correct: the voice of the people should be 
heard on such a critical issue for jobs in this country.
  Also, I know that we had marked up in committees reconciliation 
bills. Those reconciliation bills repeal provisions of the Affordable 
Care Act and defund Planned Parenthood.
  The gentleman I think knows full well that the United States Senate 
voted on the Planned Parenthood issue and only got 47 votes for it. So 
in the one instance, we have an issue that got three less than one-half 
of the United States Senate being proposed to come to this floor, and 
an issue that got 64 votes in the United States Senate, as the 
gentleman so correctly observed, is not yet scheduled.
  Can the gentleman tell me whether or not these reconciliation 
provisions are going to be brought to this floor, knowing full well 
that they won't pass the Senate and, even if they did, the President 
wouldn't sign them and we would sustain that veto?
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Knowing the rules of reconciliation, I do believe it will pass the 
Senate.
  The three committees that received reconciliation instructions from 
the Budget Committee have marked up their portions, as the gentleman 
has said.
  I do expect the Budget Committee to meet in the near future to 
complete their work, and we will notify Members as soon as that is 
scheduled for the floor.
  Mr. HOYER. Thank you.
  Mr. Speaker, we may have a difference of opinion, but perhaps we will 
see who is right on whether it passes the United States Senate or not. 
I understand reconciliation only needs a majority, but we will see.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to also ask the majority leader: One of the 
issues that I know the majority leader has been working on--and I know 
that all of us on this floor feel it to be very, very important to pass 
before October 30, when the highway bill authorization expires, and I 
know the gentleman from California is a strong supporter of it. Clearly 
we need to invest in infrastructure, again, to expand the economy.
  Can the gentleman tell me what prospects we have on passing or at 
least considering the highway bill?
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  As the gentleman knows, the hardest thing to do in this town is to 
find pay-fors. But Chairman Ryan continues to have bipartisan 
discussions on ways to pay for the long-term highway bill.
  I have had follow-up meetings with him today, and they are 
progressing over in the Senate. I have met with Chairman Shuster even 
today as well, and I expect an announcement very shortly on committee 
movement.
  We will advise Members as soon as action is taken to schedule it for 
the floor.
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the leader.
  I hope that optimism is realized and that we do have the opportunity 
to consider a highway bill. I would urge the majority leader to urge 
those who are working on a resolution that the pay-fors, which are 
difficult, as he observes, are pay-fors which can be supported in a 
bipartisan fashion.
  I think that is important not only to pass the Senate, but to be 
signed by the President. And we all, I think, share the view that this 
is a very, very important bill for us to get done.
  With that, unless the majority leader may want to reconsider and tell 
me the Export-Import Bank is coming to the floor, which apparently he 
doesn't, I yield back the balance of my time.

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