Senate seen taking up House bill on startups
The Senate will vote this month on a bipartisan measure already passed by the House of Representatives to make it easier for small firms to raise capital, according to a Senate Democratic aide.
The move by the Democratic-led Senate to take up the version from the Republican-led House is a rare spot of election-year bipartisanship, as both parties try to convince voters they are helping the economic recovery.
The JOBS Act, which passed the House with overwhelming support last week, packages several measures aimed at easing restrictions on small businesses and startups raising capital.
The aide said that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will likely add an amendment reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank to the legislation, something Republicans have opposed.
But the aide added that if the amendment fails to get folded in to the bill, the Senate will still move to pass the overall legislation.
The Ex-Im Bank, established in 1934 by President Franklin Roosevelt, provides financing to exporters to make sales that are viewed as too risky by private banks.
Its charter is generally renewed for four or five years at a time, but the bank has been operating on temporary authority since October, and has run afoul of Republicans who have branded its mission as corporate welfare.
(Reporting By Alexandra Alper and Richard Cowan; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
© Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. All rights reserved.