Majority Leader Says House Republicans Could Win Argument on Trade Title

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., argues that the America Competes Act and the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, the House and Senate legislation to confront economic competition with China, differ in significant ways but have the "same core principles."

He said during a Feb. 8 phone call with reporters he's not sure whether there will be a traditional conference committee, or whether House and Senate leadership teams will discuss ways to bridge the differences and then discuss those proposals with committee chairs. But either way, he said he expects those discussions to begin in the next week. Hoyer said he agrees with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and said that a conference report should be produced "within weeks," not months.

When asked if an informal process would still include Republicans in the House -- who were united in opposition to the America Competes Act -- Hoyer said he would "urge my chairman to deal with Republican ranking members in a constructive way." Hoyer said that if Republicans have ideas they want to pursue, they should bring them forward -- and when reminded that Ways and Means Republicans suggested last year that the House pass the Senate's trade title, arguing that it is bipartisan, given its 91-4 vote in the Senate, he said, "They may well have success."

House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Kevin Brady, R-Texas, told International Trade Today on Feb. 8 that he doesn't know if he'll be involved in the conference process, and said he wishes he did. "Look, I’m more than willing to work with [Democratic colleagues] on finding common ground on GSP, MTB," he said, referring to the renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program and the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill. When asked about the trade remedies proposal that is in the House trade title, but not the Senate one, but has bipartisan sponsorship, he did not express the same openness.