Wendy Sherman: “This is really two bills that have been put together. One deals with Operation Choke Point, and for reasons explained by…”

“This is really two bills that have been put together. One deals with Operation Choke Point, and for reasons explained by the majority, it is important that we pass that part of the legislation. The other imposes restrictions on FIRREA, and for reasons eloquently expressed by the ranking member, I do not support that part of the bill. I, frankly, do not know how I am going to vote because of these portions of the bill, one is important to pass, and the other is a restriction that I cannot support. I will point out for all of us who want to deal with Operation Choke Point that it is unfortunate that these two bills have been put together into one because we know the President isn't going to sign this bill if it has got the FIRREA portion in it. So it is my hope that we put on the President's desk a bill that protects American businesses from Operation Choke Point, a bill that the President can sign. I want to use the time allotted here to try to improve the Operation Choke Point provisions because I hope they are ultimately signed into law. Now, why are those Operation Choke Point provisions important? As the majority has explained, various businesses that are currently unpopular with the bureaucracy are being targeted, and it is an extremely powerful tool to destroy a business and to cut off its access to financial institutions. Today they come for the gun stores and the tobacco dealers.…”