Bill status: stuck in committee
If you have paid attention to the “bill status” tab on POPVOX bills pages, you know that many have the same not-very-encouraging status:
This bill or resolution was assigned to a congressional committee on [x date] which will consider it before possibly sending it on to the House or Senate as a whole. The majority of bills never make it past this point.
In the House, most rank-and-file Members of Congress have very little to say about whether a bill moves past this point. They can wait for the committee to take it up or hope that it catches the attention of House Leadership (which is rare for a bill introduced by a member of the minority party.)
Busting out of Committee
There actually IS one way that a bill can be brought for a vote even if it does not get reported out of committee and is not selected by Leadership: a discharge petition.
If at least half of the Members of the House (218) sign onto the petition to discharge a bill, it is brought to the Floor for a vote.
Discharge petition successful on Ex-Im Bank Reauthorization
For the first time since 2002, a discharge petition has reached 218 signatures and the House will on reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank.
H.R. 450: Providing for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 597) to reauthorize the export-import bank of the United States
Sponsor: Rep. Stephen Fincher (R, TN)
H.R. 597:The Reform Exports and Expand the American Economy Act
Sponsor: Rep. Stephen Fincher (R, TN)
H.R. 3611:Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthoriztion Act
Sponsor: Rep. Stephen Fincher (R, TN)
More from the Wall Street Journal.
