[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 13946-13947]
[From the U.S. 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 
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

[[Page 13947]]

     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 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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