[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 101 (Thursday, July 19, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7940-S7942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JACKIE M. CLEGG
Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I seek recognition to express a deep
appreciation for the dedicated service of Jackie M. Clegg as first Vice
President and Vice Chair of the Export-Import Bank of the United
States.
As I think many of my colleagues are aware, Jackie's 4-year term at
the Eximbank will be concluding on tomorrow, July 20. As chairman of
the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, I note our
committee's gratitude and, indeed, the gratitude of the Senate for the
many extraordinary contributions she has made to the Export-import Bank
during her tenure.
Jackie spent more than 8 years in a series of senior positions at the
Eximbank, devoting herself tirelessly to the agency's mission of
supporting U.S. exporters and sustaining American jobs. She first
joined the Eximbank in April of 1993, served as special assistant,
chief of staff and vice president for congressional and external
affairs, prior to her nomination, in May of 1997, to be first Vice
President and Vice Chair of the Export-Import Bank.
Her exceptionally effective service at the Eximbank was a logical
outgrowth of her extensive legislative staff career in the Congress.
She worked for more than a decade as the legislative assistant for
foreign policy, trade, and national security issues, for Senator Jake
Garn of her home State of Utah, as an associate staff member to the
Appropriations Committee, and later as a professional staff member on
the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on
International Finance and Monetary Policy.
It thus came as no surprise to us in the Congress when Jackie
skillfully led the bank's efforts on its reauthorization legislation in
1997.
The legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support in the
Congress and set the stage for the agency's excellent work on behalf of
U.S. exporters during her term.
We on the Banking Committee have had the benefit of Jackie's wise
counsel on export and trade matters for several years. She has an acute
sense of the relationship among Federal agencies, Congress, foreign
governments, and the business community.
In her travels on the Bank's behalf, and in her speeches, Jackie has
raised awareness of the critical nature that international trade and
trade finance can play in improving the lives of our citizens. Jackie
has also devoted herself to improving the management of the Eximbank
and its responsiveness to staff concerns. She has helped shepherd the
Bank towards increased automation as a means of better fulfilling its
objective of satisfying the needs of small business. She has served as
both an institutional memory and a trailblazer--traits not often found
in the same person.
The board of directors of the Eximbank today adopted a resolution
expressing its appreciation and thanks to Jackie for her distinguished
service to the Bank.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be printed
in the Record after my remarks.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
(See Exhibit 1.)
Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, for those of us who have supported and
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worked with the Eximbank, it is a loss that Jackie Clegg has chosen to
leave public office at this time. We recognize, however, she has a
special reason for moving on, and many of us have already extended our
congratulations to Jackie and our colleague, the distinguished Senator
from Connecticut, Senator Dodd, as they start a family. But I want to
thank her before she leaves office for her outstanding service to the
Nation through her many contributions to the work of the Export-Import
Bank of the United States.
Exhibit 1
Export-Import Bank of the United States Resolution
Whereas Jackie M. Clegg has served with distinction as
First Vice-President and Vice Chairman of the Export-Import
Bank of the United States since June 17, 1997; and
Recognizing, that she has spent more than eight years in a
series of senior positions at the Ex-Im Bank, devoting
herself to the agency's mission of supporting U.S. exporters
and sustaining American jobs; and
Recognizing further, that her success at the Ex-Im Bank is
a logical outgrowth of her extensive U.S. Senate staff
career, including more than a decade of work as a legislative
assistant for foreign policy, trade, national security,
banking, and appropriations issues; and
Recognizing further, that she led the Bank's efforts on its
reauthorization legislation in 1997, which received
overwhelming bipartisan support in the Congress and has made
it possible for the Bank to serve better the needs of U.S.
exporters, earning her the admiration and respect of numerous
Members of Congress, the Executive Branch, and the exporting
community; and
Recognizing further, that she demonstrated leadership and
creativity as the Bank tackled critical issues such as
resolving international financial challenges, balancing the
need for environmental protection with promoting business
opportunities, and increasing trade opportunities for small
businesses, particularly those owned by women, minorities,
and Americans who live in rural areas; and
Recognizing further, that she devoted herself to enhancing
the quality of life for the Bank's career staff through
innovation and a commitment to training, advancement, and
empowerment; and
Recognizing further, that she has brought great credit to
the Bank and succeeded in raising awareness of the agency and
its mission, thereby expanding exporting opportunities for
American companies and enhancing their competitiveness in the
global marketplace; and
Recognizing further, that her intelligence, dedication,
warmth, and leadership have earned her the friendship,
affection, and respect of Export-Import Bank colleagues at
all levels of the agency;
Now, therefore, be it resolved. That the Directors of the
Bank, individually and on behalf of the entire Bank, hereby
express their sincerest appreciation and thanks to Jackie M.
Clegg for her distinguished service to the Bank and extend to
her best wishes in all future endeavors.
John E. Robson,
President and Chairman.
Dan Renberg,
Director.
D. Vanessa Weaver,
Director.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator's
morning business time be extended.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. REID. I say to my friend, I also have gotten to know Jackie
Clegg. I met Jackie when she was a staff person for Senator Garn on the
Appropriations Committee. She would come and be at his side and was his
voice and ears on that committee--an important committee on which he
did so well for the State of Utah. I got to know her better when she
went to the Eximbank. We think of the Bank--I always did--as being
something that was done in places other than in the United States. But
she was kind and professional enough to do a meeting in Las Vegas for
me of the Eximbank. There was tremendous interest of Las Vegas
businesspeople in what that Bank could do and could not do. People were
brought to a meeting in Las Vegas, and I can say it was one of the most
successful of that type of meeting I have ever held.
She will be missed. Of course, being chairman of the Banking
Committee and having worked in the area a long time, you certainly
understand, having worked so closely with her, more than most of us how
important that Bank is. I appreciate the Senator mentioning Jackie very
much. However, I am very confident that her new role, as important as
her old role was, will be even more important. I know she is looking
forward to it. She will be a great mother, and I look forward to seeing
her with her new baby in just a few months.
Mr. SARBANES. I thank the Senator for his comments.
Mr. REID. May I say also, while I have the Senator's attention, I say
to my friend, the senior Senator from Maryland, I have been so
impressed in watching what is taking place in Baltimore in the last 24
hours--almost exactly 24 hours now--to see the work of professionals
there with the terrible tragedy that took place in the tunnel. I am
confident that the Senator is as impressed as I am with the great work
being done by the people from Maryland and Baltimore, and the other
entities of which I am not totally aware, in averting a disaster that
could have been much worse.
Mr. SARBANES. I thank the Senator. They are still working on that
problem. It has not been fully resolved yet. I received a message from
Mayor O'Malley that the fire is still smoldering. But they have had
terrific intergovernmental cooperation throughout in trying to address
this pressing issue. We are hopeful that it will be resolved soon. The
tunnel is a mile and a half long, and so they are pulling these cars
out of the tunnel--decoupling them and pulling them out. So that
process is still underway, but we hope it can be carried through to
completion without worsening of conditions.
Mr. REID. This points out how dangerous it is to transport hazardous
materials. Certainly, this is a clear indication of how dangerous it
really is.
Mr. SARBANES. The other thing--if the Senator will yield for a
minute--I think it points out the need for us to make investment in our
Nation's infrastructure. We have been trying for a long time to get a
real commitment at the Federal level, to be matched at the State and
local level, for operating infrastructure. I think it is something we
need constantly to keep in mind and not lose sight of. We are making a
number of these budget priorities, including sweeping tax cuts, for
example, and at the same time all across the country we are being
challenged by major needs in terms of the Nation's infrastructure. This
is an obvious instance of transportation infrastructure and
communications. I hope we will be able to come to grips with that issue
and make a major national commitment with respect to upgrading the
Nation's infrastructure.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am going to hold a hearing next week on
the Environment and Public Works Committee. I am now the subcommittee
chair on the committee with jurisdiction over this country's
infrastructure. The first hearing I am going to do is going to be
involved with the mayors of major cities in the United States, to have
them start telling us what some of our major urban cities need. We are
tremendously deficient in what we have not done to help cities and, of
course, other parts of our country.
This is not a problem that developed today. We have been ignoring
this for far too long. The Senator is absolutely right. We now are
looking at budgetary constraints that make it very difficult for us to
address some of the most grievous things facing this country as relates
to infrastructure. That is one of the reasons I am holding this
hearing. We can no longer hide our head, bury our heads in the sand,
and say they don't exist. These problems exist. The Senator is so
right, and the Public Works Committee is going to start addressing this
next week.
Mr. SARBANES. I commend the Senator for that initiative. I think it
is extremely important. I think we have to get across the understanding
that these public investments in infrastructure are essential to the
private sector activity. In other words, there is a relationship
between making available a first-class public infrastructure--for
example, transportation--and the ability then of the private sector to
efficiently carry out its business. I think we need to perceive it in
those terms because people come out and say you are just talking about
making a public expenditure, but this is a public expenditure with
wide-ranging consequences and implications for the effective working of
the private sector of the economy.
Mr. REID. I will finally say to my friend, you are so right. Some of
the people who want to spend less money than anyone else are the so-
called market-oriented people. The fact is, Adam Smith, in his book
``Wealth of Nations,'' in 1776, said that governments
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had certain responsibilities, and one of those responsibilities is
things about which we are speaking, things we cannot do for ourselves.
Only governments can do roads, highways, bridges, dams, sewers, water
systems. So we go right back to the basic book of the free enterprise
system, and that is what we are talking about.
Mr. SARBANES. That is right.
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