Article snippet: Lawmakers are struggling to strike a bipartisan deal to reboot the Export-Import Bank as impeachment and the 2020 election threaten to derail a fleeting window for the major reform bill. The White House and Congress were poised to pass a long-term extension and expansion of the Ex-Im Bank, sparking optimism among manufacturers battered by MORE’s trade conflicts. But the collapse of a bipartisan House deal on an institution that provides loans to the country's exporters has thrown its future into doubt as the Senate searches for its own solution. Senators are seeking a bill that can balance widespread support for Ex-Im’s mission with concerns from conservative skeptical of the bank as subsidizing companies and distorting the free market. Those divides extend to Trump’s fractious economic team, where free-market advocates and staunch trade protectionists are jockeying for the president’s ear. Congress will likely keep Ex-Im open through an extension of its charter as impeachment proceedings and negotiations to avoid a shutdown dominate the rest of the year. That could leave mere weeks for senators to produce a viable bill in early 2020 before campaign season derails its efforts. “We obviously have not been able to get to where we can get legislation that would not be filibustered on the floor,” Senate Banking Committee Chairman MORE (R-Idaho) told The Hill last week. “It's just a tenuous process of trying to find a way forward where we can move without having to ... Link to the full article to read more
Lawmakers battle over future of Ex-Im Bank | TheHill
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