John Sarbanes: “I say very briefly to my distinguished colleague from Arizona, this is quite a broad sweeping power we are providing to…”

“I say very briefly to my distinguished colleague from Arizona, this is quite a broad sweeping power we are providing to the executive branch. I think it is reasonable to expect the decision will be made by the President. That does not mean the President has to staff his own decision. It will obviously be staffed for him. But the determination to provide the enhanced controls ought to be a Presidential determination. We do not expect that is going to be before him very often, but when that sort of issue arises, it seems to us it is reasonable that the President should make that judgment. One of the difficulties we have been experiencing all along is the way the export control regime gets bound up down the line and the decisions never go to the top to be made in those instances in which there are differences of opinion. In most instances, you have unanimity below either for the license or against the license. That is over and done with. But in those instances in which that is not the case and the President is going to exercise his sweeping authority, we do not think it is unreasonable to expect a determination to be the President's.”