Cantor urges White House to weigh in on China currency bill

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was noncommittal Tuesday on whether the House would vote on a China currency bill likely to pass the Senate.

Cantor said Republicans want to hear first from the White House, which has not taken an official position on a measure that has broad support among congressional Democrats.

“What I think I would like to see is where the administration is. They’ve got concerns as well,” Cantor told reporters Tuesday. “It would seem to me that it’s a big deal when you’re talking about a trading partner like China if you do this without the input of the White House.”

The China bill, spearheaded by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), would make it easier for the U.S. to crack down on alleged currency manipulation overseas. Obama declined to say whether he would sign the bill, although he and other administration officials have raised questions about whether it is compliant with World Trade Organization rules.

The Senate is expected to pass the bill on Tuesday evening.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has denounced the legislation as “dangerous,” and it could be a rare example of the House GOP leadership blocking a bill that has majority support in the House. The House version has 226 co-sponsors, and rank-and-file Republicans could sign onto a discharge petition that would force a floor vote.

Cantor did not say where he stood on the legislation other than to press the White House to get involved.

“The debate would be well-served by the White House stepping up, indicating where its concerns are,” he said. “I think all of us are very concerned about the competitiveness of the manufacturers in this country, about the unfair practices in place by China and others.”

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