Sunday afternoon, the Senate voted 67 to 26 to attach a reauthorization of the U.S. Export-Import Bank to the "must-pass" highway bill, choosing to represent lobbyists over the voters who put them in office. If this amendment makes it into law, the corporations which have spent so many millions of dollars to lobby for Ex-Im's resurrection will have Mitch McConnell to thank for it.
In spite of his repeated public insistence that he opposes Ex-Im, it was McConnell who introduced (for Senator Kirk) the amendment to revive the bank via the unrelated highway funding bill, knowing full well that it had the votes to pass.
As Senator Cruz pointed out in his brilliantly scathing speech, the Senate Majority Leader has priority of precedence on the Senate floor - meaning that only McConnell could guarantee a vote on Ex-Im. Conversely, McConnell alone could have guaranteed Ex-Im stayed expired, by simply refusing to give it a chance on the floor.
But instead McConnell lied, and the amendment to reauthorize an 80-year-old corporate welfare fund received a vote. 24 Republicans joined the Democrats to pass the amendment. Ever the crafty politician, McConnell voted against the amendment, having already done his share to ensure it passed.
Here's the list of the 24 Republican senators who chose to represent Boeing rather than the American taxpayer (you can see the full roll call HERE):
Lamar Alexander
Kelly Ayotte
Roy Blunt
Richard Burr
Dan Coats
Thad Cochran
Susan Collins
Mike Enzi
Joni Ernst
Lindsey Graham
Chuck Grassley
Dean Heller
John Hoeven
Johnny Isakson
Mark Kirk
Ron Johnson
John McCain
Jerry Moran
Lisa Murkowski
Rob Portman
Pat Roberts
Mike Rounds
Tim Scott
Roger Wicker
