[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 69 (Thursday, April 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5802-S5803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      COUNTERTERRORISM INITIATIVE

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, the day after the tragic bombing in 
Oklahoma City, when it became more evident that the terrorist attack 
was launched by Americans, President Clinton said he would seek prompt 
action on counterterrorism proposals he had already made, and promised 
to develop additional tools for Federal law enforcement to use.
  Yesterday evening, the President hosted a meeting of the bipartisan 
congressional leadership to present his proposals and ask for timely, 
bipartisan consideration and enactment.
  The President's proposals result from the well-considered experience 
of Federal law enforcement officials. They are designed to provide the 
additional legal authority Government needs to effectively combat 
terrorism, whether domestic or foreign.
  These additional authorities will give Federal law enforcement 
agencies tools to combat terrorism more effectively without undermining 
or curtailing the constitutional rights of law-abiding American 
citizens.
  Briefly, the proposal would extend the authority the FBI now has in 
national security cases to access credit reports and financial data for 
counterterrorism investigations.
  The same standards as now apply in routine criminal cases would be 
used in counterterrorism cases for the orders that permit the FBI to 
use pen registers and trap-and-trace devices in investigations. These 
devices are not wiretaps; they simply capture phone numbers dialed, 
like a caller ID device that many people use in their own homes.
  It would require hotel and motel operators and common carriers to 
provide records to the FBI for national security cases as they now 
routinely do for State and local law enforcement purposes.
  It would fully fund the costs of implementing the digital telephony 
law, so that the ability of law enforcement to carry out court-
authorized electronic surveillance would not be impeded by the shift to 
digital transmissions.
  It would add 1,000 additional agents, prosecutors, and other 
personnel to increase the resources devoted to counterterrorism 
investigations, and establish an interagency counterterrorism center 
that would make sure the information and expertise of all Federal law 
enforcement agencies in this field are properly integrated in 
investigations.
  It includes practical issues such as the requirement that chemical 
taggants be included in the raw materials from which explosive charges 
are created. This is essential to tracing the sources of such 
explosions as the one in Oklahoma City in the future.
  Additionally, the proposal would enhance the penalties for crimes 
related to explosives, and directed against Federal employees. The 
proposal has been released by the White House, so all my colleagues 
have the opportunity to review these proposals in detail.
  In addition, the President asked that we approve the Omnibus 
Counterterrorism Act of 1995, legislation which is primarily directed 
at foreign terrorists.
  This package of proposals, along with the existing legislation, are 
carefully designed to give additional tools to law enforcement without 
weakening in any way the constitutional rights of any American.
  The President has been particularly clear that we will fight against 
terrorists at home and abroad with all constitutional tools. Anything 
less would give the terrorists the victory over us that they seek: They 
would have destroyed the fundamental rule of law in our country.
  As Americans, we all understand that we cannot and must not allow the 
cowardly attack on civilian Federal workers to incite us to such anger 
that we take shortcuts with American citizens' rights.
  The President's proposals are sound, moderate, and effective. They 
reflect the advice of practical, hands-on law enforcement agents who 
have experience in this field. They deserve careful and thorough review 
by the Congress, and they deserve timely enactment.
  It had been the President's hope, and mine as well, that on this 
matter, where there is truly broad agreement across partisan lines, the 
Congress could work in a bipartisan fashion to enact this package of 
security enhancements in the not too distant future.
  I also hoped that we could have a bipartisan, narrowly tailored 
package of proposals that could be enacted without divisive debates 
over controversial issues of long standing.
  I believe that the American people expect us to put partisanship and 
political advantage aside and respond with unity to the immediate and 
urgent needs of Federal law enforcement agencies.
  Last night, at the meeting with the President, there was every 
indication that there would be a bipartisan, focused proposal on which 
Congress and the President could agree to move us forward in the effort 
to combat terrorism. Each of us in attendance pledged our support 
toward that end. Regrettably, today the majority leader introduced a 
bill that threatens to slow our progress and mire the Senate in 
divisive, partisan, rhetorical debate.
  Americans know that we can and undoubtedly will debate matters such 
as habeus corpus reform later this year. We have debated the issue in 
virtually every Congress in the past decade. But that debate involves 
persons who are already incarcerated with no chance for parole and who 
no longer pose a threat to society.
  I think this is a time when we should instead be concentrating on 
measures that will have an effect on those who may be planning an 
attack, and from whom we are not at all safe, as the bombing in 
Oklahoma City so dramatically proved last week.
  I sincerely hope prompt action on these needed law enforcement tools 
will not be held hostage to political priorities. I believe Americans 
expect more of us. I know the Federal workers who lost their lives and 
their children certainly deserve that and more.

[[Page S5803]]

  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, pending one other matter of business, I am 
going to ask for some unanimous-consent agreements that have been 
cleared with the minority and represent the minority's position as well 
as the majority leader's position.

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