Week ahead: Ex-Im supporters await vote

Supporters of the Export-Import Bank will be pressing ahead with their efforts to reauthorize the bank.

House Democrats joined with Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.) and a group of Republicans to file a discharge petition to force a vote to reauthorize the bank, whose Congressional charter expired on June 30.

They gathered enough signatures to secure a vote, and aides said a vote could come later this month.

{mosads}The debate has split Republicans, with conservative critics calling the bank corporate welfare and supporters saying it sustains jobs.

But it is unclear what the Senate will do. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said he opposes the bank but would allow a vote. Some believe the Senate would likely attach Ex-Im legislation to an infrastructure spending bill.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will have a mark-up on a long-term transportation funding bill on Thursday – with little time before the Oct. 29 deadline for funding expires.

The House Financial Services Committee will have a hearing on Thursday exploring “the future of housing in America,” according to a committee release. It comes as Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) has increasingly sought to highlight housing finance reform alongside the 50th anniversary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

For Hensarling, it’s a second chance to push housing reform – which many see as unfinished business in the aftermath of the 2008 economic collapse.

Politically, it’s also an opportunity to keep tabs on HUD Secretary Julián Castro, who is considered a potential vice presidential pick for Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

On Wednesday, the panel’s subcommittee on housing and insurance will also have a meeting to discuss housing policy.

But there may be little chance of lawmakers passing significant housing reform until after the 2016 elections.

Also on Wednesday, the panel’s subcommittee on financial institutions and consumer credit will have a hearing on Dodd-Frank regulations and their impact on economic growth.

The panel’s subcommittee on capital markets and government sponsored enterprises will have an oversight hearing on the Security and Exchange Commission’s Division of Investment Management on Friday.

The Senate Banking Committee has no scheduled meetings.

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