Doug Bereuter: “I rise in opposition to the Visclosky- Mollohan amendment as the chairman of the authorizing subcommittee on the…”

“I rise in opposition to the Visclosky- Mollohan amendment as the chairman of the authorizing subcommittee on the Committee on Financial Services. The ranking member of that subcommittee is the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Sanders). While I have served for 21 years on the Banking Committee, now the Financial Services Committee, this is the first year that I have been the chairman of the authorizing subcommittee that relates to the Export- Import Bank. I would say to the gentleman from West Virginia and the gentleman from Indiana that the authorization for the Export-Import Bank expires on September 30, 2001 and there is broad and bipartisan concern with the case that the gentlemen have brought to our attention. It has also been brought to our attention by all of the members of the Steel Caucus. In fact, the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) and I introduced legislation last week at this time, H.R. 2517 and we have a section in that legislation specifically related to Benxi Steel and the transaction approved by the Export-Import Bank in December of 2000. I would tell the gentlemen that the Export-Import Bank and Treasury, which has exercised veto authority over the transactions of the Export- Import Bank, also has this Member's attention, and I want to make changes. If the Banks think they are going to have a straight, clean reauthorization bill, they are not going to do it with my approval or my active involvement.…”