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Enron Mail |
I, along with counsel for ISDA and counsel for the Coalition of Banks and
Investment Banks, met with Chairman Rainer and CFTC staff this morning. As you are aware, Senator Lugar and Congressman Ewing asked us to work with the CFTC to resolve our disagreement over how energy and other nonfinancial commodities should be regulated. This dispute and the even more significant dispute over SEC-CFTC jurisdiction (the Accord) are the most significant remaining issues with the legislation. In that context, you may be aware that the CFTC and SEC reported to Congress yesterday that they have not been able to work out the Accord issues. We were informed prior to our meeting this morning that the House and Senate bills on CFTC reauthorization are likely to be introduced today. I will transmit copies as soon as I get them. It is my understanding that both bills do a good job for us with respect to legal certainty for energy and other nonfinancial commodities. In this light, we met with the CFTC and reviewed with them the attached two-page legislative proposal. The most significant problem that we have is the CFTC's discomfort at providing an exclusion for bilateral, nonfinancial transactions. In essence, the CFTC does not want to go beyond the recommendations of the President's Working Group. We have continued to insist that nonfinancial bilateral transactions be treated like financial bilateral transactions and be carved out of CFTC jurisdiction. Our meeting was very cordial and the CFTC said that they would be taking our comments into consideration. Unfortunately, inability to get passed the bilateral issue effectively forecloses resolution of the other issues in our outline. Separately, we understand the CFTC is moving forward with its regulatory relief package which they hope to publish sometime next week. We understand that it will be published with a 45-day comment period. Further updates to follow. ---------------------------------- This e-mail is sent by a law firm and contains information that may be privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete the e-mail and notify us immediately. - Proposed Legislation.doc
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