Heritage to key-vote against fast-track

Heritage Action is urging House conservatives to vote against giving President Obama fast-track trade authority unless GOP leaders in both chambers promise not to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank.

In an alert, Heritage said it would negatively score votes in favor of fast-track “absent ironclad public commitments” from Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “that the Export-Import Bank will not be reauthorized.”

{mosads}The House is set to vote Friday on fast-track, which would give Obama the power to send trade deals to Congress for an up-or-down vote.

GOP leadership aides pushed back on the key vote, questioning why Heritage didn’t urge Republicans to vote no when fast-track came up in the Senate last month.

“The hypocrisy is rather spectacular, but not surprising,” said one GOP leadership aide.

Heritage vehemently opposes reauthorizing the bank’s charter, which is set to expire on June 30. The Export-Import Bank provides financing to encourage the purchase of U.S. exports. Critics argue it is a form of “crony capitalism” that benefits connected corporate interests, such as Boeing.

Groups like Heritage Action use key votes to rate lawmakers on certain issues. The group also criticized the trade package for connecting fast-track with a separate bill authorizing assistance to workers displaced by trade.