I think you will find cooperation on both sides of the aisle to get them, and it is something I will be working for in the new budget.

So let me ask you, if we gave you more in the area of financial fraud, you could certainly use them.

Given the fact that we only have an acting DEA, an acting ATF, you know, we do not have the people in place, would you consider a trip to the Mexican border, provided it is safe, to just figure out what is going on and visit it yourself?

I would urge some kinds of focused task forces, not just participation in the DEA, because it is a much broader problem than just drugs.

NextGen provides us with an opportunity to maintain that leadership.

Aviation's impact on the U.S. economy cannot be understated.

If we do not act, we will relinquish that position.

Let me tell you a story I heard, and this is a Connecticut story.

We could put $10 billion on Main Street, $10 billion into Main Street small loans almost immediately if they lifted that cap.

I think the history shows this was pushed not by the regulators, but by the bankers.

Give me a reason why we shouldn't, at the very least, temporarily lift the cap, given the state of our economy.

So if a credit union would want to lend to this small business and the local community banker for whatever reason wouldn't, why not let them?

If we could get that cap raised, we could $10 billion with no Government assistance in small business loans and little America Main Street tomorrow.

Modernizing our balkanized bank regulatory structure is critical to restoring confidence in our financial sector.

I have found in New York, and I compared this to my colleagues... that we not only have a failure for people to get new lending.

I think it is really important we look for more places for small businesses to get loans.

Opening Statement of: Hon. Charles E. Schumer, Chairman, a U.S. Senator from the State of New York.

The motion is agreed to--the original resolution is approved and ordered reported.

The Rules Committee will come to order.

We were pleased, therefore, to hear about the recent bipartisan effort, led by Senators Charles Schumer and Richard Shelby...

We intend to hire staff with specialized expertise in financial services and other related areas, including product specialists, traders, and others.

sweeping reform of abusive credit card and mortgage lending practices will be an essential component of this Committee's financial modernization efforts.

You need only to pick up our morning newspapers to appreciate what people are going through.

What is a middle-class family like the Moores supposed to do if they were counting on that credit line to help them through a medical crisis?

How would you propose it be funded? Should there be some kind of user fee, whether on the lender or the borrower?