ought to do. this is what my amendment would accomplish. my amendment says we'll go ahead with this reauthorization of the ex-im bank but the increase in the ending limit which we're currently at, the first increase, the bufn-up of $20 billion, that would be contingent upon the administration informing congress that they have begun the process of negotiating a phase-out of all export subsidies. and the second increase, because i recognize that this phase-out wouldn't occur immediately; it would be a gradual process that would happen over time. but under my amendment, the second increase would occur only when the administration came back and informed congress that they had indeed reached an agreement with our leading trading partners on a framework that would phase out subsidization of exports. mr. president, i think this is a very sensible way to deal with the really only compelling argument i have heard in favor of forcing taxpayers to continue to take this rick, and that is, well everyone else does it, so we must. well, since that's the only reason, then let's start the process of persuading everyone else not to do it. we have tremendous