House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer sent fellow Democrats a memo outlining the legislative actions they’ll vote on in the coming weeks, with barely a mention of the impeachment proceedings that now dominate Congress.
The lawmaker from Maryland mentioned the House impeachment proceedings in the seventh paragraph of his note to rank-and-file Democrats, underscoring the Democratic leadership’s efforts to show they are not solely focused on ejecting President Trump from office.
“The House is continuing to do important work for the people, even as our committees continue the impeachment inquiry,” Hoyer wrote. “We can, and we will, continue to make progress on critical issues while upholding our Constitutional duty.”
Hoyer announced that he expects the House will vote in December on the Democrats plan to lower prescription drug prices, which is a key voter concern.
The House next week is scheduled to begin much-anticipated public impeachment hearings featuring staunch Trump critics who have testified behind closed doors that they believe the president abused his office by asking Ukraine government officials to investigate 2016 election interference by Democrats and corruption charges involving former Vice President Joe Biden.
Democrats, meanwhile, aren’t getting much of their floor agenda passed into law because the Senate and White House are occupied by Republicans who oppose nearly everything they send across the Capitol.
The House, during the next two weeks, will take up measures that will win at least some GOP support when it votes on reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and on a measure to extend a temporary government funding bill.
Both are expected to pass.
Hoyer told lawmakers the House would vote on the Export-Import Bank reauthorization next week.
“This legislation will help ensure a level playing field for American businesses that are competing in a global economy,” Hoyer wrote.
The bank guarantees and provides loans to enable foreign companies to purchase U.S. goods. Some conservative Republicans who call it a form of corporate welfare have worked to block the bank’s authorization in recent years, but it was revived in May when the Senate voted to confirm nominees to serve on the bank board of directors.
The House will vote on a new stopgap funding bill the week of Nov. 18, Hoyer wrote to Democrats.
Democrats and Republicans are at odds over how to divide up funding for a long-term spending bill and are now poised to pass a second stopgap bill.
“This action will, unfortunately, be necessary to keep the government open as we work toward an agreement … which will allow us to move appropriations bills that are in line with the bipartisan budget caps agreement,” Hoyer wrote. “I remain hopeful that we can finish our work and fully fund the government before the end of the year.”
Hoyer told lawmakers the House would also vote in the coming weeks on a new voting rights bill that would make it harder for states to alter election laws without approval from the federal government.
The measure is aimed at reestablishing anti-discrimination provisions of the Voting Rights Act thrown out by the Supreme Court in 2013.
