It is less effective--and we saw this particularly in the case of predatory lending--when the national standard is rather low and State standards, much more effective, are legally sort of avoided under Federal regulatory preemption.

Is it feasible, practical, to insist that we have jurisdiction--if it is an American entity that has set up the center overseas, that we have jurisdiction and that we can at least inspect, investigate, and correct?

I have seen sort of this debate in many different contexts, and a national standard is terrific if it is tough and strong and reaches all the players.

the U.S. law applies to the U.S. business.

Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, gentlemen, for your excellent testimony.

I want to commend you for holding this very timely hearing.

I think it was your testimony--actually, I take it back. It was Mr. Baker's--about needing to encourage consumers to be more aware

Depending on the agency relationship, it could easily become a government act.

Unless we are willing to share those with fairly large sectors of the private industry, because it is hard to pick winners and losers...

I think we have a challenge of making the laws work right, but we are up for that challenge.

I think that construct is starting to work in the way that we had always envisioned it would.

But that said, you do believe that, as time goes forward, this is going to be an increasing threat for the country, an increasing responsibility for law enforcement, and we are going to need increasing resources in order to meet that…

You will agree with me that there is an issue that is worth pursuing, though.

I am worried about the extent of the threat that we are facing right now and the time that it will take to work through some of the administrative procedures.

We, too, look forward to working with the Department of Justice, to use your words, to improve and amplify the administration's proposals.

The common thread is that these threats all take advantage of our strong reliance on the Internet for social communications, business, and national defense.

I have to assume that the interagency process is sort of an ongoing thing and that there remain discussions going on within the administration on these subjects.

I think we need to bridge that gap, and I do not see how the bill does that.