1.   By publicly tying the interstate banking bill to the politically unpopular savings and loan bailout, Metzenbaum may also undermine support for the entire bill.

2.   Gonzalez added the amendment to an interstate banking bill that enjoys widespread support and is expected to win final approval in both the House and Senate.

3.   He promised to challenge the conference committee report again when the interstate banking bill is considered by the Senate.

4.   In recent years, several interstate waste bills had passed the Senate, but failed in the House.

5.   Smaller banks initially opposed the interstate banking bill.

6.   The House had already approved the interstate banking bill.

7.   The interstate banking bill would eliminate this restriction, along with some of the large and duplicative bureaucracies that banks have established to operate separate subsidiaries in each state.

8.   The Senate had already passed an interstate banking bill providing a higher cap and sent it to the House without opposition.

9.   They also say that an interstate banking bill recently approved by the Senate and sent to President Clinton for signing may provide yet another spur to consolidations or expansions.