[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 90 (Monday, June 5, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7658-S7696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CLOTURE MOTION
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the
provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate,
do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the substitute
amendment to S. 735, the anti-terrorism bill.
Bob Dole, Orrin G. Hatch, John Ashcroft, Slade Gorton,
Craig Thomas, Strom Thurmond, Spencer Abraham, Alfonse
D'Amato, Trent Lott, Larry E. Craig, Dan Coats, Rick
Santorum, Bob Smith, Don Nickles, Rod Grams, R.F.
Bennett.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, let me indicate I will be speaking with the
Democratic leader to see if we cannot have a vote on this tomorrow. I
did not file the motion on the Friday before we went out because I
thought at that point there would be a lot of progress made during the
recess. I am not certain what progress has been made, but this is just
the final attempt on the part of the majority leader to try to pass
this bill.
We will find out how many people really want to pass the
antiterrorism bill when it comes to a cloture vote. There will be other
bills this year to offer amendments on. This is not the last train to
come through the Senate. I hope we can pass a good bill, and I hope the
House follows suit very quickly and that we get it to the President in
the next week or so.
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. HATCH. 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the quorum call be rescinded.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. HATCH. Mr. President, I have just come from a press conference
where a significant number of the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing
appeared. It was a very moving experience for me to hear these people
talk about their loved ones who were killed in the bombing and to meet
some of them who were actually maimed and harmed during the bombing.
At that particular press conference were Diane Leonard, whose
husband, Don, a Secret Service agent was killed in the bombing; Glenn
Seidl, who lost his wife, Kathy; Kay Ice, who lost a brother, Paul, a
Customs agent; Mike Reyes, who lost his father and was injured himself;
Jason Smith, who lost his mother, Linda McKinney; Dan McKinney, Linda's
husband; Gary Bland, who lost his wife, Shelly; Suzanne Britten, who
lost her fiance, Richard Allen; Earl Adams, who lost a nephew, Scott
Williams; Alice Maroney Dennison, who lost her father, who gave me this
ribbon and pinned it on me personally, representing the tragedy, or I
should say tragedies that occurred in the Oklahoma City bombing.
I very proudly will wear this ribbon and will keep it after this
debate, as well. And I want to thank Alice Maroney Dennison for
thinking of me and being kind enough to give me these ribbons,
representing various aspects of the Oklahoma City bombing.
Beverly Rankin was also a survivor who lost many friends in the
bombing.
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Chancellor were there, as well, and of course he is
a strong force in one of the national organizations trying to get some
finality in the habeas corpus laws.
I have to say I was very impressed by these victims of this bombing.
They stood there and told their stories and begged the U.S. Senate and
the Congress as a whole to get this bill through and to keep the true
habeas corpus provisions in the bill as they are currently written.
The habeas corpus provisions of this bill happen to be the only part
of the bill and really, the only thing we can do, to make up to those
who have lost family members and those who have been hurt and maimed,
as a result of the Oklahoma City bombing. It is the one reform Congress
can pass which will affect this case.
[[Page S7659]] It is the one thing we can do something about. We can
stop these incessant, frivolous appeals, that cost the taxpayers
hundreds of millions of dollars--billions over the extended period of
time--in frivolous litigation, that keeps these people alive for 5, 10,
usually an average of almost 10 years, sometimes as long as 18 to 20
years. Some of them die in prison before the final judgments are
carried out.
The reason that the far left in this country is fighting habeas
corpus reform is because they hate the death penalty. They feel they
cannot win the battle over public opinion so they have adopted a
strategy to make death penalty litigation so costly and so protracted
that capital punishment is eliminated de facto. Now, I have to admit
that I believe the death penalty is proper, but I hate it, too. I wish
we never had to use it. I wish there would be no heinous murderers in
our society. But there are occasions where it is appropriate and just.
It is a deterrent, as much as the opponents of the death penalty argue
against it.
However, I would suggest that instead of throwing up frivolous appeal
after frivolous appeal and allowing this system to distort and disrupt
our society and putting these victims and their families through
frivolous appeal after frivolous appeal, I would suggest that if they
hate the death penalty, argue the issue straight up, argue against the
death penalty. Make their philosophical points. Fight it throughout
society if they want to, but do not make a mockery of justice by
keeping a system alive that literally is thwarting justice.
The fact of the matter is some have argued that habeas reform applied
to the State is not germane to this debate. These individuals,
including my distinguished colleague and friend from Delaware, contend
that a reform of the political overview of State convictions is
meaningless in the context of the debate we are having. They are
willing to admit that some revision of the collateral review may be in
order, but they contend that reform of Federal collateral review of
cases tried in State court is unnecessary. This position is simply
incorrect.
I would like to read from a letter written by Robert H. Macy,
district attorney of Oklahoma City, and a Democrat. By the way, at this
meeting today, representatives from the attorney general for the State
of Oklahoma, a Democrat, were there, and one came up to me afterwards--
Richard Winnery--and said, ``Thank you for what you are doing.'' Drew
Edmondson has been one of our strongest supporters as a Democrat of
habeas corpus reform, and there are a number of other Democrat attorney
generals, and I might say many prosecutors who are Democrats throughout
the country, who agree with what we are doing here.
Robert H. Macy, as district attorney of Oklahoma City and a Democrat,
said:
Immediately following the trial or trials in Federal court,
I shall, working in cooperation with the United States
Department of Justice and the Federal law enforcement
agencies investigating the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah
Building, prosecute in Oklahoma State court the cowards
responsible for murdering innocent people in the areas
surrounding the Federal building. And I shall seek the death
penalty. We must never forget that this bombing took several
lives and injured dozens of persons in the neighborhoods and
businesses near the building. The State of Oklahoma has an
overwhelming, compelling interest to seek and obtain the
maximum penalty allowable by law for the senseless and
cowardly killings.
That is a statement of Robert H. Macy, the district attorney for
Oklahoma City, a Democrat.
In our reaction to the destruction of the Federal buildings in
Oklahoma City, we may overlook the fact that the bomb also caused the
death of people not inside the building at the time, that were not
inside the building itself, or even on Federal property. The State of
Oklahoma, not the Federal Government, will thus prosecute those
responsible for the bombing that killed people outside of the Alfred P.
Murrah Building.
In those instances, Federal jurisdiction may not obtain and it will
thus be necessary to prosecute the killers under State law, as well as
Federal, court.
A failure to enact a complete, meaningful, reform of habeas corpus
proceedings may enable the individuals in this case, provided they are
apprehended and duly convicted, to frustrate the demands of justice.
The blood of the innocent men and women are on the hands of the evil
cowards who committed this terrible tragedy. Justice must be, as
President Clinton declared, ``swift, certain, and severe.''
Moreover, failure to enact meaningful, comprehensive, habeas reform
will permit other killers who have terrorized their communities to
continue to frustrate our judicial system in this country.
If we adopt this view, we will create a schism between State and
Federal capital law. In other words, murderers tried in Federal court
will face imposition of their final penalty more swiftly than persons
tried for capital crimes in State courts--that is, if we adopt the
amendments that apparently are going to be put forth by the ranking
minority member on this committee. So, in other words, if we adopt any
amendment that changes the habeas corpus reform bill within this bill
that would provide that it applies only to Federal courts, that will
create a schism between State and Federal capital law.
Murderers tried in Federal court will face imposition of their final
penalty more swiftly than persons tried for capital crimes in State
cases. Why should we adopt such a piecemeal approach to reform, one
that will leave such a gap between State and Federal cases? It simply
makes no sense to reform habeas proceedings for cases tried in Federal
court but leave the current disastrous system in place for cases tried
in State court.
As of January 1, 1995, there were some 2,976 inmates on death row.
Yet, only 38 prisoners were executed last year, and the States have
executed only 263 criminals since 1973.
Yet, keep in mind, 2,976, almost 3,000, are sitting there on death
row. Many more have died while in prison from natural causes, and some
even from unnatural causes, while waiting for imposition of their
penalty, because of frivolous habeas corpus appeals.
I might add, some of them have committed further murders while the
delays have occurred, murders that would not have been committed had
sentences been carried out.
Abuse of the habeas process features strongly in the extraordinary
delay between the sentence and the carrying out of that sentence. In my
home State of Utah, for example, convicted murderer William Andrews,
with his partner, murdered a number of people in the hi-fi murder case,
but only after they had tortured them by ramming pencils through their
ears and pouring drain cleaner down their throats, destroying their
vocal boxes and their esophageal areas.
There, the imposition of a constitutionally imposed death sentence
for over 18 years. The State had to put up millions of dollars in
precious criminal justice resources to litigate his meritless claims.
His guilt was never in question. He was not an innocent person seeking
freedom from an illegal punishment. Rather, he simply wanted to
frustrate the imposition of punishment his heinous crimes warranted.
This abuse of habeas corpus litigation, particularly in those cases
involving lawfully imposed death sentences, has taken a dreadful toll
on victims' families, seriously eroded the public's confidence in our
criminal justice system, and drained State criminal justice resources.
This is simply not a just system.
Justice demands that lawfully imposed sentences be carried out.
Justice demands that we now adopt meaningful habeas corpus reform.
Justice demands that we not permit those who would perpetuate the
current system to steer us from our course. We must do as the victims,
families, and friends of those who have asked us to do: enact
meaningful, comprehensive, habeas reform now.
Mr. President, the Senate is in session today debating the specific
topic of habeas corpus reform, as well as other aspects of this
antiterrorism bill. I have been devoting my time to habeas corpus
reform because of, and in honor of, the witnesses, the victims, and the
families of victims who appeared here today.
I notice the distinguished Senator from California is here. Does the
Senator desire to take the floor and speak?
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. In response to the Senator, I would like to send an
amendment to the desk. I was going to do it at 11:30.
[[Page S7660]]
Mr. HATCH. That will be fine. I will hold off on any further comments
on this until after the distinguished Senator has a chance to present
her amendment, and I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
Amendment No. 1202 to Amendment No. 1199
(Purpose: To amend the bill to authorize requirements for tagging of
explosive materials and other purposes)
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and
ask for its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from California [Mrs. Feinstein], proposes an
amendment (No. 1202) to amendment No. 1199.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading
of the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
On page 152, strike line 6 through line 17 on page 153, and
insert the following:
SEC. ____. STUDY AND REQUIREMENTS FOR TAGGING OF EXPLOSIVE
MATERIALS, AND STUDY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
RENDERING EXPLOSIVE COMPONENTS INERT AND
IMPOSING CONTROLS ON PRECURSORS OF EXPLOSIVES.
(a) the Secretary of the Treasury shall conduct a study and
make recommendations concerning--
(1) the tagging of explosive materials for purposes of
detection and identification;
(2) whether common chemicals used to manufacture explosive
materials can be rendered inert and whether it is feasible to
require it; and
(3) whether controls can be imposed on certain precursor
chemicals used to manufacture explosive materials and whether
it is feasible to require it.
In conducting the study, the Secretary shall consult with
other Federal, State and local officials with expertise in
this area and such other individuals as shall be deemed
necessary. Such study shall be completed within twelve months
after the enactment of this Act and shall be submitted to the
Congress and made available to the public. Such study may
include, if appropriate, recommendations for legislation.
(b) There are authorized to be appropriated for the study
and recommendations contained in paragraph (a) such sums as
may be necessary.
(c) Section 842, of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after subsection (k), a new subsection
(l) which reads as follows:
``(l) It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture,
import, ship, transport, receive, possess, transfer, or
distribute any explosive material that does not contain a
tracer element as prescribed by the Secretary pursuant to
regulation, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe
that the explosive material does not contain the required
tracer element.''.
(d) Section 844, of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after ``(a) through (i)'' the phrase
``and (l)''.
(e) Section 846, of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by designating the present section as ``(a)'' and by
adding a new subsection (b) reading as follows: ``(b) to
facilitate the enforcement of this chapter the Secretary
shall, within 18 months after the enactment of this Act,
promulgate regulations for the addition of tracer elements to
explosive materials manufactured in or imported into the
United States. Tracer elements to be added to explosive
materials under provisions of this subsection shall be of
such character and in such quantity as the Secretary may
authorize or require, and such as will not substantially
impair the quality of the explosive materials for their
intended lawful use, safety of these explosives, or have a
substantially adverse effect on the environment.''.
(f) The penalties provided herein, shall not take effect
until ninety days after the date of promulgation of the
regulations provided for herein.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, the amendment I am offering today is
an amendment to require the use of taggants. Now, what is a taggant? A
taggant is a tiny, microscopic, color-coded plastic or ceramic piece
which can be mixed with explosive materials to allow law enforcement
agencies to trace a batch of explosives like we currently do with car
serial numbers. In other words, it might be possible, therefore, to
identify the place of purchase of these explosives and therefore to,
quite possibly, trace the purchaser.
Why is this important? It is important because we have seen in this
Nation a rising incidence of bombs. In my own State in the last few
years, there have been about 500 bomb incidents. The Department of
Justice tells us that about 80 percent of these result in an actual
detonation. Consequently, there has been major loss of life from
bombing incidents. I think this was brought home to every American by
the incident in Oklahoma City.
It is a complicated amendment because it is actually two parts.
First, it requires the Secretary of the Treasury to do a study within
12 months, and then within 18 months to implement the results of that
study or put into place a system by which taggants can be included in
across-the-counter explosives. The affected explosives would include
dynamite, water gels, slurries, emulsions, and black powder.
Second, it would require a study on the use of diffusers in another
body of agents used in explosives, and those are common chemicals such
as the ammonium nitrate fertilizer that was used in the Oklahoma City
bombing--common chemicals, these kinds of chemicals, as well as pool
chemicals that can be utilized. This part of the amendment would only
require a study, however, as to how these chemicals can be made inert
or diffused or nonexplosive. The amendment also has language so that it
will not impair the effectiveness, the safety, nor the environmental
impact of the explosive materials which are covered.
This past Friday in Los Angeles, I met with members of the Los
Angeles County bomb squad, the Orange County bomb squad, Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms bombs experts, and FBI experts, and
virtually everyone in the room supported the use of taggants as a
possible viable law enforcement tool.
Taggants have been available for use in the United States and
elsewhere for some 20 years but, frankly, special-interest groups have
prevented their use. The current bill only provides that a study be
done on the feasibility of using these taggants. There is no deadline.
This means that 16 years of delay that has already taken place could be
followed by another 16-year period of delay. My amendment includes two
real deadlines. First, the report must be done in 12 months; and,
second, after 18 months, the use of taggants would be required.
I think the potential effectiveness of taggants was highlighted by a
study conducted in the late 1970's when ATF seeded a very small portion
of explosives, 10,000 pounds, with taggants. Despite this relatively
small sample, these taggants actually helped solve a bombing in
Maryland. In other words, by seeding just 10,000 pounds of explosives
with taggants, they actually got leads to one bombing which led to the
conviction of the individual responsible.
If we had required taggants years before, we could have had crucial
evidence in about 17 percent of the bombs cases that occurred between
the years of 1987 and 1993. People will say taggants do not work or
should not work. They will say they should not be included. But I will
tell my colleagues that Switzerland for some time has incorporated
taggants into explosives, and it has resulted in the conviction of many
who have perpetrated bombings.
I should say that, although ammonium nitrate was used along with
diesel fuel, the people I have spoken to also believe there had to have
been another accelerator included in that explosive batch of materials,
and that accelerator most probably could have been tagged with a
taggant.
I believe the amendment before my colleagues is well thought out, Mr.
President, and I believe it can and should be supported by both sides
of this Chamber.
I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum. And I also retain
the remainder of my time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Smith). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I would like to add my support of the
Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act of 1995, which is the bill
before us.
For many years, it seemed to many Americans that the United States
was immune to terrorism, that somehow it could not reach our shores.
Perhaps it is because we are surrounded by oceans [[Page S7661]] on the
west and the east, by friendly neighbors to the north and to the south.
We may have fooled ourselves into a false sense of security, somehow
thinking that we live on an island and that no terrorist would reach
us.
We were long ago disabused of any such notion about our safety
abroad. The hijackings and hostage takings of the 1970's and 1980's
taught all Americans that we could be the victims of foreign terrorists
who were prepared to use violence to advance their causes. We have
expended much time, effort and money to improve the safety of our
airlines and our Embassies and to ensure the cooperation of other
governments in combating terrorism. But for many, home seemed a refuge,
a haven from the political violence that has plagued so many other
parts of our world. But we can no longer comfort ourselves with such
illusions--and illusions they are. What was once unthinkable here in
America is today a reality. Terrorism can strike us here at home. It
can strike with massive deadly force, and it poses a most fundamental
threat to our freedoms--the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. So that is why we must act, and that is why we must take
action on this bill today.
In the wake of Oklahoma City, there is a new imperative--a bipartisan
consensus on the need for tough, comprehensive antiterrorism
legislation that can move through the legislative process and become
law quickly. So I would like to commend the distinguished majority and
minority leaders, as well as the Senator from Utah and the Senator from
Delaware, who are the distinguished chairman and ranking member of the
Judiciary Committee, for acting expeditiously to bring this bill to the
floor.
The purposes of the legislation are clear: To make it more difficult
to carry out acts of terrorism, to toughen the penalties for committing
or abetting acts of terrorism, and to strengthen the hands of our law
enforcement authorities to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism.
Terrorists do not wait to get caught. It is our job to give our law
enforcement agencies the authority and ability to seek out terrorists
before they act. We must find them before they find us. It is that
simple and that important.
I believe that terrorism, the ultimate act of cowardice, actually
threatens our life, our way of life, and jeopardizes our most
fundamental liberties. With all that at stake, it is important that we
act today.
One of the most important sections of this bill, in my view, is a
section that toughens restrictions on access to explosives, and
increases the penalties for possessing stolen explosives, for
transferring explosives with knowledge that they will be used to commit
a crime, for conspiracies involving explosives, and for using
explosives to commit a crime. These provisions are long overdue and
well-considered. Oklahoma City taught us what the people of Beirut and
London, Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires have known for far too long: Bombs
kill. That is their sole purpose--to blow up buildings and kill people.
We should be doing everything possible to make it harder for terrorists
to get their hands on explosives.
I have a very personal interest in the issue of bombs. You see, Mr.
President, I myself was the target of a terrorist bombing less than 20
years ago. An extremist group, the New World Liberation Front, tried to
blow up my home, and failed only because the type of explosive they
used does not detonate when the temperature drops below freezing and
San Francisco experienced a rare frost that night. I was lucky, but so
many others have not been.
The proliferation of bombmaking materials has reached astounding
proportions. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms,
from 1983 to 1993 bombings in the United States more than tripled, from
910 to 2,980. The Department of Justice now puts out an annual Bomb
Summary each year--who ever thought such a thing would be necessary?--
and in 1993 summary, we learn that the 2,980 bombing incidents, 541 of
which were in California, caused 49 deaths and 1,323 injuries
nationwide. Whether or not all of these bombing incidents can be
classified as terrorist attacks, these appalling statistics clearly
demonstrate the need to restrict access to bombmaking materials.
Indeed, Mr. President, the problem is not merely with bombmaking
materials. In my opinion, there is altogether too much information too
readily available on how to conduct terrorist attacks. Books and
manuals, some of them posted on the Internet, teach everything one
could want to know about picking locks, stealing chemicals, building
bombs--all the skills you need to be a successful terrorist. Later, I
intend to offer an amendment that will strengthen this legislation by
making it a crime to teach or disseminate bombmaking information with
knowledge that it will be used in a crime.
Mr. President, another extremely important section of this bill deals
with the problem of aliens who are members of terrorist organizations.
It should be clear, that the risks of allowing alien terrorists to work
their way through ordinary deportation hearings, which are often
lengthy and slow-moving, are unacceptable. Yet this is the case under
current law. In terrorist cases, our law enforcement authorities must
be granted expedited procedures for deportation.
I am pleased that the pending legislation provides for a special
``terrorism court,'' composed of U.S. district court judges appointed
by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, that would be able to deport
expeditiously alien terrorists without risking the disclosure of
national security information and techniques. In the rare cases where
evidence against an alien is highly classified, a summary of the
evidence will be provided to the alien. In addition, the pending
legislation would make membership in a terrorist organization a
sufficient basis for exclusion from the United States.
The point of this provision, is that when the Government has reliable
information regarding terrorist activities of specific aliens, we
cannot afford to wait until they commit crimes to deport them. The
special court will hear evidence, and if it makes a compelling case
that the alien is a member of a terrorist organization, the alien will
be deported. I am confident that we can trust a panel of five Federal
judges, appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States, to fairly
weigh the evidence disclosed. And importantly, there is provision to
not fully disclose sensitive information that could lead to the deaths
of Americans and others. Such disclosures should not be necessary just
to deport someone dangerous.
Mr. President, one of the most serious problems we face is that
international terrorist groups use the open environment of the United
States to raise funds for their terrorist activities. The President has
already delineated a list of organizations--such as Hamas and
Hizbullah, and Jewish extremist groups like Kach and Kahane Chai--that
raise funds in the United States for terrorist activities that
undermine the Middle East peace process. The legislation before us will
help put an end to that, by making it illegal to raise funds for any
activity conducted by an organization deemed by the Secretary of State
to be engaged in terrorist activities.
Some have raised the objection that certain groups, that may conduct
terrorist operations, also run humanitarian or social service
operations, like schools and clinics. But I simply do not accept that
so-called humanitarian works by terrorist groups can be kept separate
from their other operations. I think the money will ultimately go to
bombs and bullets, rather than babies, or, because money is fungible,
it will free up other funds to be used on terrorist activities.
Mr. President, we have all witnessed over the years the harm done to
U.S. citizens and U.S. interests by international terrorism. The
bombings of United States Embassies, the slaughter of 241 U.S. marines
in Beirut, the hijacking of American airliners, the bombing of Pan Am
flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, the holding of American hostages.
All of these images are deeply imprinted on our national psyche.
These incidents, and the hundreds of others like them, aimed at
Americans and non-Americans alike, pose one of the greatest threats
today to international stability and security. Terrorism, as we have
seen in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Hebron, can wreak havoc on
[[Page S7662]] the Middle East peace process. It undermines moderate
regimes, such as Egypt, and exacerbates social tensions. It disrupts
the lives of ordinary people, the flow of commerce, and the policies of
affected governments.
The State Department's Patterns of Global Terrorism report tells us
that in 1994, there were 321 international terrorist attacks, over one-
fifth of which were anti-U.S. attacks. And although this figure
represents a 23-year low, it still means that there was an average of
nearly one terrorist attack per day in 1994. All told, these attacks
killed 314 people and left another 663 wounded.
In the face of this problem, the United States should demand, and has
every right to expect, full cooperation from all friendly governments
in the battle to combat international terrorism. Cooperation today is
by and large quite good, although some nations are not as cooperative
as we would like. The pending legislation would increase the incentive
for other governments to cooperate in our antiterrorist efforts by
prohibiting U.S. assistance to countries that provide aid or military
equipment to terrorist states. The seven state sponsors of terrorism--
Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria--do not deserve
such assistance until they can justifiably be removed from the list of
state-sponsors.
The bill would also expand the type of assistance that we can provide
our allies under the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program. With the
expansion of such programs, and the increased incentive for other
countries to cooperate with us, the United States can help forge even
greater international consensus on combating terrorism.
But again, Mr. President, the primary lesson of the World Trade
Center and Oklahoma City bombings is that from now on we face the
possibility of a serious terrorist problem here at home. In addition to
international terrorist groups that may set up cells in the United
States, there is a growing danger of armed extremist groups of
Americans, who hold antigovernment views, using violence to pursue
their agenda. We have all heard the inflammatory statements of some
members of militia and other right-wing extremist groups attacking
religious or ethnic groups, predicting violent revolution against the
Government, or slandering Federal law enforcement officers, who risk
their lives to protect the very freedoms that allow the extremists to
make their outrageous statements. But we have been warned. When heavily
armed people with the ability to make bombs make threats, we ignore
them at our peril.
For that reason, Mr. President, perhaps the most important provisions
of this legislation are those that strengthen the ability of Federal
law enforcement officers to monitor extremist and potential terrorist
groups. These provisions grant Federal law enforcement agencies
enhanced access to credit, telephone, financial, and certain commercial
records in counterterrorism cases. It will no longer be required to
have evidence of criminal activity, but it will allow officers to
investigate groups whom they suspect may be engaging in criminal
activity.
The effect of these changes in law will effectively be to untie the
hands of our law enforcement officials. Currently our agents are unable
to be proactive--they are only able to react to criminal activity, and
launch an investigation of suspect individuals or groups after there is
credible evidence of wrongdoing. These changes will allow our law
enforcement officials to take steps to stop terrorist attacks before
they happen. By investigating, monitoring, and infiltrating groups that
may be involved in terrorism before a crime is committed, our agents
can actually help prevent terrorist acts, and perhaps prevent the kind
of horror we all witnessed last month.
Passive investigation by the FBI of any group with terrorist
potential is absolutely necessary in this day and age. As FBI Director
Louis Freeh testified before the Judiciary Committee earlier this
month, we ``can't afford'' even one terrorist nuclear incident.
Infiltration and court-ordered surveillance are critical to preventing
that doomsday scenario from becoming a reality at some point in time.
As long as the FBI and police do not encourage illegal conduct or
otherwise entrap group members, we simply have to have the information
that good surveillance--and only good surveillance--can provide.
I want very much to make a few comments on the habeas corpus
provisions. I suspect that these provisions are often complicated, that
they are not always well known. But I believe very strongly in the
provisions of this bill. As President Clinton recently said--and I
could not agree more--``swift punishment, including the death penalty,
where appropriate, is critical in efforts to combat terrorism.'' I
strongly believe that the death penalty can act as a deterrent to the
most violent of crimes and is an appropriate punishment for those who
knowingly take another life.
There has been a lot of discussion as to whether the death penalty is
or is not a deterrent. But I remember well in the 1960's when I was
sentencing a woman convicted of robbery in the first degree and I
remember looking at her commitment sheet and I saw that she carried a
weapon that was unloaded into a grocery store robbery. I asked her the
question: ``Why was your gun unloaded?'' She said to me: ``So I would
not panic, kill somebody, and get the death penalty.'' That was
firsthand testimony directly to me that the death penalty in place in
California in the sixties was in fact a deterrent.
But the deterrent impact of the death penalty is weakened when it
cannot be imposed swiftly after a verdict has been reached in a fair
trial. As the Senate Judiciary Committee heard at its hearing on habeas
reform last March, the extraordinary delay in carrying out capital
sentences is in effect a form of terrorism against the survivors of
murder victims, traumatizing them year after year by preventing justice
from being carried out.
Let no one doubt, Mr. President, that habeas reform should and must
be an integral part of this legislation.
Indeed, I spoke a few days ago with Oklahoma Attorney General Drew
Edmondson, and a number of surviving family members of the men and
women who lost their lives in Oklahoma City in that blast. It was a
moving conversation and one that I will not forget. In sum, each of the
survivors with whom I spoke, as well as the attorney general, urged the
swift adoption of the habeas proposals in this legislation. Each
conveyed to me that justice will not fully have been done until those
responsible for the bombing have been tried, convicted, and the death
penalty imposed and swiftly carried out.
As Alice Maroney Dennison, the daughter of Mickey B. Maroney, a
special agent with the Secret Service, said to me: ``I'm 27 years old
and they took my father. I cannot be 47 when this man goes to death.
That's not fair.''
Mr. President, Alice Maroney Dennison's plea, and indeed the voices
of all of the family members of Oklahoma City's victims, a number of
whom just about a half-hour ago held a press conference in front of
this Capitol, must be heard,
and their loved ones must not have died in vain.
Mr. President, it is time for meaningful habeas corpus reform. This
bill contains it. Let no one doubt that comprehensive reform is
critical, and particularly in capital cases.
Much has been said about the case of Robert Alton Harris in
California, a vicious murderer, and what he did when he was out of
prison in San Diego. He went to a drive-in. He wanted to take a car.
There were two 16-year-old boys in the car eating hamburgers. He took
the car with the boys in it. He took the youngsters to a remote
location. He killed one. The other dropped to his knees crying and
begging for help, and he killed the second. Then he ate their
hamburgers and went on to commit other robberies.
This man actually filed no fewer than 6 Federal habeas petitions and
another 10 such petitions in State court before he was ultimately
executed 14 years later for his crime. In all, Harris and his attorneys
were able to engineer 14 years' delay of his capital sentence. It was
14 years of unresolved grief for the survivors of his victims.
In California today there are currently 410 convicted criminals on
death row. On June 7, the longest serving member of California's death
row population, Andrew E. Robertson, will mark the 17th year of his
incarceration. He [[Page S7663]] has managed to delay his capital
sentence by filing habeas petitions for 17 years.
In California, since 1978, when the people of the State voted to put
back into place the death penalty, 18 prisoners on death row have died
of natural causes or committed suicide. Only 2 have been executed. Only
2 have had their sentence carried out, while 18 have either committed
suicide or died of natural causes, all of them delaying their sentence.
Another case deserves attention as well. Clarence Ray Allen committed
murder in 1974. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in
1977. From within prison he ordered the murder of the witnesses to the
first murder. In September 1980, his assassin shotgunned to death three
people and gravely wounded a fourth.
Six years later, the California Supreme Court affirmed his conviction
and death penalty. During the next 2 years, it considered and denied a
State habeas corpus petition in which a prison inmate is permitted to
attack his sentence on factors outside the appellate record.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined review. On September 2, 1988, a
Federal district judge issued a stay of execution. Over 6 years later
that stay remains in effect, and the case is still mired in the
district court. Unfortunately, this is a typical case. This points out
a need for the habeas corpus reform in the bill before the Senate
today.
In fact, according to Attorney General Dan Lungren's testimony before
the Senate Judiciary Committee in March of this year, there are
``currently 410 inmates on death row in California. We have had 2
executions occur since 1992, the only 2 in the last 27 years. The
number of capital cases pending on Federal habeas corpus has more than
doubled since 1991,'' when he first testified here on this issue.
In 4 years, the number of Federal habeas corpus cases on death row in
California has doubled. Mr. President, since the death penalty was
reinstated in California, as I said, many more prisoners on death row
have died of natural causes and suicide than of a carrying out of their
sentence.
This problem is not unique to California. According to the
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, during the year ending
September 30, 1994, there were 11,918 prisoner petitions for habeas
corpus review in the U.S. district courts alone. That is the reason
habeas corpus reform has been a high priority of the Judiciary
Committee. We should do it right and not merely pass a bill labeled
with the term ``habeas reform'' for the sake of passing legislation.
That is why all 58 California district attorneys opposed the habeas
provisions included in Senate bill 1607, the crime bill as originally
introduced in 1993, and legislation introduced that year, Senate bill
1657.
I am very pleased to say that the habeas provisions included in the
bill currently under consideration by the Senate are identical to those
included in the Habeas Corpus Reform Act, Senate bill 623, legislation
strongly supported by the attorneys general of California and Oklahoma
and which, I believe, strikes an appropriate balance between the need
to assure due process of those both convicted in capital and noncapital
crimes and the need of any rational judicial system to bring cases to
closure.
Most importantly, Mr. President, this bill provides habeas
petitioners with one bite of the apple. It assures that no one
convicted of a capital crime will be barred from seeking habeas relief
in Federal court. In my view, it appropriately limits second and
subsequent habeas appeals to narrow and appropriate circumstances.
Furthermore, the bill requires States which provide for counsel that
habeas appeals must be filed within 6 months of when a State prisoner's
conviction becomes final, or in States where standard for the adequacy
of counsel are not adopted, such appeals must be filed within 1 year.
So there is an incentive that if there is an adequacy of counsel
standard in your State, there is 1 year from which the habeas petition
must be filed.
Time limits are also imposed upon courts. The bill requires that
Federal courts must act promptly on habeas appeals and establishes a
mechanism by which courts of appeals will screen habeas petitions
before they are permitted to go to a Federal district court for
resolution.
Finally, unlike the crime bill proposals that I and the Nation's law
enforcement officials opposed 2 years ago, the bill does not dictate to
the States precisely what counsel competency standards are adopted, but
rather it properly provides States with an incentive to formulate their
own plans by making expedited timetables I have just described
available for States to do so.
I believe there are two things that are an effective deterrent to
crime. One of them is the speed of the trial. The other is the
certainty of punishment. The habeas corpus reforms in this bill will
make much more certain the certainty of punishment. I am very pleased
to support them. I am very pleased to give my commendation to the
committee chairman, the Senator from Utah, and to support this bill.
I think this is an important moment for our country and for this
Congress. We have an opportunity to take bold action which will go a
long way toward increasing the security of our citizens. This
comprehensive package of antiterrorist legislation is an important step
also in the recovery for the people of Oklahoma City, the people of the
State of Oklahoma, and the people of the United States. For while the
wounds of that day will never fully heal, today we begin to act to help
prevent future sorrows and to help the American people be reassured
that their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness will
not be threatened by the menace of terrorism, whether from foreign
shores or our own.
I yield the floor.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator from
California for her cogent remarks on habeas corpus reform. She is one
of the leaders in this body in trying to reform these laws, and I want
to personally compliment her for them.
I appreciate the support that she is bringing to this debate. It
means a lot to me personally, as one who has fought for years to try to
get the habeas corpus bill through. This is the time when I think we
have to stand up and do it. I thank her and I appreciate the leadership
she has provided.
Presently, there are 100 amendments, under our unanimous consent
agreement, to this bill. Mr. President, 68 of these amendments are
Democrat amendments and 32 amendments are Republican. Most of the
Republican amendments, I believe, will not be offered. So it is really
coming down to the 68 amendments that our friends on the other side
have.
We have the Feinstein taggant amendment pending, but I want to urge
my Democrat colleagues to come to the floor and offer their amendments.
We will stack them for votes beginning at 6 o'clock tonight. I believe
we also can dispense with several GOP amendments, including the two
Pressler amendments, the Smith amendment, a Brown amendment, and
perhaps an Abraham amendment today, if we can. I would like to do that.
Having said that, I would like to spend a few minutes chatting about
the amendment of the distinguished Senator from California which is
currently pending.
I have to rise in opposition to that amendment, but I first want to
emphasize that the bill under consideration, S. 735, already contains a
requirement for a study of the feasibility of ``tagging'' all
explosives for tracing purposes.
Trace tagging, unlike ``identification'' taggants, are actual chips
mixed in with the explosive. This is certainly an area that merits
further serious study. We have authorized, in the bill, the Departments
of Treasury and Justice to undertake exactly such a study.
Our bill also includes a provision which requires plastic explosives
to be tagged with a detectable agent, thus helping to ensure that these
devises can be detected before they are used in sabotage.
A detection taggant is a chemical odorant added to the explosive
which enables security devises to detect the explosive. This particular
provision fulfills our obligations under an international convention
requiring such legislation.
The amendment under consideration, however, goes much further. In
addition to providing a study of tracing [[Page S7664]] taggants, it
also gives regulatory authority to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms to implement the results of the study without congressional
review. The amendment thus presupposes that the study will conclude
that the use of tracing taggants is feasible, and the amendment
criminalizes the failure to include these agents in the manufacturer of
explosives.
Thus, the Feinstein amendment would require the placement of so-
called traceable taggants--that is, microscopic bits of plastic coded
to link explosives to a particular manufacturer--in all explosives
before the study of whether this is feasible or safe is concluded, or
even conducted for that matter.
This is hardly the type of impartiality and objectiveness the American
people would want in a study of this sort.
Indeed, even if the study reasonably concluded that use of such
agents was practical, cost effective, and would aid law enforcement,
opponents of the inclusion of such agents would have the perfect
argument that the results of the study were preordained and thus
unreliable.
Even the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the agency which
would have regulatory authority, has conceded that more study is needed
before implementing procedures and regulations. The BATF's division
chief for arson and explosives recently stated:
It would be important for us to at least assess the state
of the technology and the research and the development that
has been done in the last 15 years. We need to get ourselves
up to speed.
Moreover, this amendment would impose a requirement for regulation
without regard to the need for unbiased study of this issue, or for the
legitimate safety concerns raised by the use of these taggants.
A 1980 report by the Office of Technology Assessment found
substantial evidence that placing these ``tracing'' taggants in
explosives seriously affects the stability of the explosive materials.
Thus, these taggants could increase the risk of injury or death.
Tagging explosives may raise other very important issues, such as
contamination of evidence, saturation of tagging agents in places where
explosives are used for legitimate uses, and negative effects on small
business.
Given these very important and wide-ranging concerns, it is
imperative that the Congress, not the BATF, have the ability to make
these important decisions regarding tracing taggants once a study is
completed. Requiring the use of taggants before a thorough study of the
effectiveness and safety implications of their use is conducted places
the cart before the horse.
The bill now before the Senate provides for a comprehensive study of
this issue. Congress should commission and review the study before
enacting criminal penalties based on the assumed outcome.
I understand the distinguished Senator is very sincere in her
amendment and is trying to do what is right here. But I hope the points
I have raised will persuade colleagues on both sides of the aisle that
we ought to approach this with a study first and then see where we go
from there and have congressional action with regard to taggants after
we have a thoroughgoing study because of the safety and other concerns
involved in tagging various explosives.
It is not just safety; it is effectiveness of the explosives as well.
But safety is something that is more important to me. I really believe
we ought to do this the right way. Of course, hopefully, do it in a way
that ultimately will be pleasing to our friend from California, who is
very sincere about her amendment and has the highest of motivations in
bringing it here. But I hope I have made the case we really should not
accept this amendment at this time.
I am prepared to move to table the amendment with the understanding
the vote will occur after 6 p.m. today.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I wonder if the Senator would permit me to respond to
his statement prior to tabling?
Mr. HATCH. Sure.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I appreciate that very much.
Mr. President, if I might just very briefly respond? Taggants have
been studied. I am holding up one of these studies entitled ``Taggants
In Explosives.'' The date is April 1980. The studying office is the
Office of Technology Assessment. You can see the thickness of the
study.
On the issue of safety, what the Office found:
In no case did the addition of encapsulated taggants
significantly increase the sensitivity of the explosive
materials to the test conditions. No evidence of any
decreased stability or other significant changes was found in
any of the tests with dynamite, gels, slurries or black
powder.
That is essentially the world that would be affected by taggants. The
taggants would affect, really, these areas. In my amendment we do
provide for a study, but what we say is at some point you have to say
enough of studying and make a decision and go ahead. Twelve more months
of study and then it is implementation, where taggants can be used with
safety, with no increase in the volatility of the explosive matter, and
where they could lead to being able to trace suspects in bombings.
There have been two constituencies opposed to taggants. Let us be
brutally frank. One of them is, once again, our friends in the National
Rifle Association. And the second is the explosives industry. The
explosives industry says taggants would add cost to us.
In fact, the cost of using taggants in dynamite, water gels,
slurries, emulsions, and cast boosters, as quoted are, per pound,
$1.42; $1.47; $1.45, and $7.41 respectively. That is a minimal cost to
be able to trace back where an explosive might be used in a bomb that
can blow up as many as 168 people at one time.
The National Rifle Association has once again opposed the use of
taggants. I cannot figure out the reason for the life of me, but I
suppose it is because we surround this area with a certain kind of
anonymity. I think if ever we have seen the need to increase
transparency in sales of explosives we saw it at the World Trade Center
and we saw it once again in Oklahoma City.
My amendment would also permit the study, and a study only, of
chemical fertilizers that are used, like ammonium nitrate, to see if
these fertilizers can be made inert. There are countries, for example,
that add lime to ammonium sulfate and prevent it from exploding. Should
we do that? I think we ought to study it. The amendment in the bill,
the original, includes no study in the area of chemical fertilizers and
chemical components which are increasingly used as bomb materials in
this country.
In response to my distinguished chairman, I would only say there is a
time to study and there is a time to stop studying and take action.
This issue has been studied in 1980. In my amendment it will be studied
for another year. But then we will move ahead in the areas I have just
mentioned: dynamite, water gels, slurries, emulsions, and black powder.
All of these areas can be successfully tagged. The state of the art is
there to do it. Switzerland has done it for a number of years. Other
countries are doing it and there is no reason why we should not as
well.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, there are a couple of letters I have
received, mailed to the Honorable Christopher J. Dodd and the Honorable
Joe Lieberman. This is from Unimin Corp. in New Canaan, CT, a
corporation or business right in the middle of their State. I will just
read the letter to Senator Dodd. I ask unanimous consent both letters
be printed in the Record at this point.
There being no objection, the letters were ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Unimin Corp.,
New Canaan, CT, May 24, 1995.
Hon. Christopher J. Dodd,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Dodd: I am writing on behalf of Unimin
Corporation to express Unimin's opposition to S. 761
(proposed by the Clinton Administration and introduced by
Senators Daschle and Biden) which authorizes the Treasury
Department (BATF) to promulgate regulations requiring the use
of identification ``taggants'' in explosives manufactured in
or imported into the United States. This legislation could
devastate our business.
Unimin is the world leader in the mining, production and
sale of high purity silica powders used both domestically and
abroad in the production of semi-conductors. In the
[[Page S7665]] initial stage of Unimin's silica purification
process, explosives are used to extract the silica-containing
ore from the earth.
In order to meet the stringent purity requirements of our
semi-conductor industry customers, Unimin has gone to great
expense using the most advanced technology in the industry to
remove nearly all forms of contaminants from our silica
products. Unimin has reduced the metal contaminants to levels
below 1 part per million. The slightest impurity in our
materials can result in costly losses to our customers
because they result in defective silicon chips. High purity
silica is the hallmark of our international business success
and leadership. We produce the world's purest natural silica
powder. As a result we are the leading supplier of this
essential semi-conductor product to producers in each of the
U.S., Europe and Japan.
This proposed legislation would force Unimin to introduce
contaminants (the taggants to be included in the explosives
we use) into our product, and could make our product
unsuitable for their intended use--the production of semi-
conductors. This legislation would give our foreign
competitors (who will not have their products contaminated by
taggants from explosives used in silica mines abroad) an
enormous opportunity to get our customers in the U.S. and
overseas to drop their U.S. supplier, Unimin.
Unimin Corporation urges that you oppose this legislation.
While everyone seeks to deter terrorism, further study and
thorough consideration should be given to this important
issue before any action is taken which will have unintended,
far-reaching and commercially injurious consequences to
Unimin's world leadership in the high purity silica market.
There must be some way to meet the objectives of this
legislation without requiring a company which depends
entirely on the purity of its product to introduce
contaminant taggants into our production stream.
Unimin urges you to support S. 735, sponsored by Senators
Dole and Hatch, which proposes a study of detection and
identification taggants for non-plastic explosives.
Unimin looks forward to your support in this issue.
Very truly yours,
Joseph C. Shapiro,
Senior Vice President/Legal
and Regulatory Affairs.
Unimin Corp.,
New Canaan, CT, May 24, 1995.
Hon. Joe Lieberman,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Lieberman: I am writing on behalf of Unimin
Corporation to express Unimin's opposition to S. 761
(proposed by the Clinton Administration and introduced by
Senators Daschle and Biden) which authorizes the Treasury
Department (BATF) to promulgate regulations requiring the use
of identification ``taggants'' in explosives manufactured in
or imported into the United States. This legislation could
devastate our business.
Unimin is the world leader in the mining, production and
sale of high purity silica powders used both domestically and
abroad in the production of semi-conductors. In the initial
stage of Unimin's silica purification process, explosives are
used to extract the silica-containing ore from the earth.
In order to meet the stringent purity requirements of our
semi-conductor industry customers, Unimin has gone to great
expense using the most advanced technology in the industry to
remove nearly all forms of contaminants from our silica
products. Unimin has reduced the metal contaminants to levels
below 1 part per million. The slightest impurity in our
materials can result in costly losses to our customers
because they result in defective silicon chips. High purity
silica is the hallmark of our international business success
and leadership. We produce the world's purest natural silica
powder. As a result we are the leading supplier of this
essential semi-conductor product to producers in each of the
U.S., Europe and Japan.
This proposed legislation would force Unimin to introduce
contaminants (the taggants to be included in the explosives
we use) into our product, and could make our product
unsuitable for their intended use--the production of semi-
conductors. This legislation would give our foreign
competitors (who will not have their products contaminated by
taggants from explosives used in silica mines abroad) an
enormous opportunity to get our customers in the U.S. and
overseas to drop their U.S. supplier, Unimin.
Unimin Corporation urges that you oppose this legislation.
While everyone seeks to deter terrorism, further study and
thorough consideration should be given to this important
issue before any action is taken which will have unintended,
far-reaching and commercially injurious consequences to
Unimin's world leadership in the high purity silica market.
There must be some way to meet the objectives of this
legislation without requiring a company which depends
entirely on the purity of its product to introduce
contaminant taggants into our production stream.
Unimin urges you to support S. 735, sponsored by Senators
Dole and Hatch, which proposes a study of detection and
identification taggants for non-plastic explosives.
Unimin looks forward to your support in this issue.
Very truly yours,
Joseph C. Shapiro,
Senior Vice President/Legal
and Regulatory Affairs.
Mr. HATCH (reading the letter):
Dear Senator Dodd: I am writing on behalf of Unimin
Corporation to express Unimin's opposition to S. 761
(proposed by the Clinton Administration and introduced by
Senators Daschle and Biden) which authorizes the Treasury
Department (BATF) to promulgate regulations requiring the use
of identification ``taggants'' in explosives manufactured in
or imported into the United States. This legislation could
devastate our business.
Unimin is the world leader in the mining, production and
sale of high purity silica powders used both domestically and
abroad in the production of semi-conductors. In the initial
stage of Unimin's silica purification process, explosives are
used to extract the silica-containing ore from the earth.
In order to meet the stringent purity requirements of our
semi-conductor industry customers, Unimin has gone to great
expense using the most advanced technology in the industry to
remove nearly all forms of contaminants from our silica
products. Unimin has reduced the metal contaminants to levels
below 1 part per million. The slightest impurity in our
materials can result in costly losses to our customers
because they result in defective silicon chips. High purity
silica is the hallmark of our international business success
and leadership. We produce the world's purest natural silica
powder. As a result we are the leading supplier of this
essential semi-conductor product to producers in each of the
U.S., Europe and Japan.
This proposed legislation would force Unimin to introduce
contaminants (the taggants to be included in the explosives
we use) into our product, and could make our product
unsuitable for their intended use--the production of semi-
conductors. This legislation would give our foreign
competitors (who will not have their products contaminated by
taggants from explosives used in silica mines abroad) an
enormous opportunity to get our customers in the U.S. and
overseas to drop their U.S. supplier, Unimin.
Unimin Corporation urges that you oppose this legislation.
While everyone seeks to deter terrorism, further study and
thorough consideration should be given to this important
issue before any action is taken which will have unintended,
far-reaching and commercially injurious consequences to
Unimin's world leadership in the high purity silica market.
There must be some way to meet the objectives of this
legislation without requiring a company which depends
entirely on the purity of its product to introduce
contaminant taggants into our production stream.
Unimin urges you to support S. 735, sponsored by Senators
Dole and Hatch, which proposes a study of detection and
identification taggants for non-plastic explosives.
Unimin looks forward to your support in this issue.
Very truly yours,
Unimin Corporation.
Joseph C. Shapiro,
Senior Vice President/Legal
and Regulatory Affairs.
That is just one illustration of perhaps many illustrations that
indicates we are not as sure of what we are doing in this area as we
should be.
I am concerned about the effectiveness of explosives. More
importantly, I am concerned about the safety of explosives. But this
raises another issue, and that is whether putting taggants into
explosives that are utilized in some of our industries might destroy
those industries in this country at a high cost to our society. And I
would say the silica chip industry is a very important industry in this
country.
Senator Feinstein's amendment requires the Secretary of Treasury to
promulgate regulations requiring the placement of trace elements which
``will not substantially impair the safety of the explosive.''
I would like to ask my colleague one question. Where do we draw the
line, and what is a substantial or unsubstantial impairment of safety?
Does not the Feinstein amendment require the placement of taggants
where doing so may very well impair safety? At least, that is what I
have been led to believe.
I would be happy to yield for a response.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield for a
moment, the amendment very specifically says so that safety would not
be impaired; in other words, in the study that would be done in the
ensuing 12 months that there not be an adverse environmental impact,
not impair the stability of the explosive materials, and that safety
not be impaired.
Those are the three criteria in the amendment.
Mr. HATCH. The study that the distinguished Senator from California
has cited was conducted, I believe, back in 1980. I am a member of the
Technology Assessment Board. That study itself found substantial
evidence that placing taggants in explosives seriously affects
[[Page S7666]] the stability of the explosive material. I am reading
what it says here on page 29, in their detailed findings.
The tests so far conducted are only a small fraction of the
total number of tests that must be performed before it can
conclusively be determined whether taggants are compatible
with commercial explosives and gun powders. Even if the
current question of the stability of smokeless powder in
boosters is resolved, it is not possible to generalize from
the results of the limited tests . . . so far completed.
And they conclude that the testing has not demonstrated that taggants
can be safely added to explosives.
Thousands of people come into contact with explosives every day
during the manufacture, storage, transportation, and use of explosives.
Accidents involving explosives can have extremely severe consequences
to these thousands of people. Therefore, safety must be demonstrated,
and a carefully administered qualification program for analysis,
safety, testing, and manufacturing procedures, control, and experience
is necessary before a new explosive or an explosive with a significant
exchange in composition can be considered safe.
In addition, each type of explosive product requires individual
evaluation and testing, the type of qualification program considered
necessary before safety can be demonstrated as shown in table 12 and
discussed in detail in chapter 4. A particularly important aspect of
that qualification testing is the effect of long-term storage.
It goes on. The point is that recently, the ATF itself asked for
further studies recognizing that technologies had changed substantially
since the original study was conducted. It is pretty apparent that I
and those on my side of this issue do not oppose taggants per se.
Rather, we oppose granting regulatory authority to an agency before an
updated study can be done which may solve some of these very important
issues.
Even though the distinguished Senator requires a study, as do we, she
requires without further congressional approval that taggants be placed
automatically at a certain time. It makes no sense to grant regulatory
authority before an updated study is conducted. Indeed, I think that
this legislation proposed by Senator Feinstein would seriously
undermine our confidence in the studies that have occurred thus far and
our confidence in explosives in general.
So there is a lot of use of explosives in our society--legitimate,
honest, decent use. The Unimin letter is a perfect illustration of
perhaps thousands of businesses or companies or people who might be
affected by this. We should not compromise the integrity or the
objectivity of the study conducted by OTA.
So I, therefore, oppose this amendment, and with the Senator's
permission, I move to table the amendment and ask for the yeas and
nays, with the understanding that it will not be voted upon until after
6 o'clock tonight.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the unanimous-consent
request?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
Is there a sufficient second?
There is a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Feinstein
amendment No. 1202 be laid aside, and at 6 p.m., we have a vote on my
motion to table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Mr. INHOFE addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.
Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, this is a very special day to Oklahoma. We
have a very distinguished group of people from Oklahoma who are at this
very moment visiting with various Senators who oppose the idea of
habeas reform. I cannot think of any stronger message that we can take
to these people than from those who are the survivors and those who
have families lost in the tragic explosion in Oklahoma.
I just came back from my 76th town hall meeting out in Oklahoma. I
think I probably have more of those than any other Member of this body.
A question always comes up when I have these meetings. They say
something to the effect, ``Why is it that people in Washington are more
concerned about the criminals than they are the victims?'' I try to
explain to them--and I know that this is rather controversial to say,
but I really believe it in my own heart, Mr. President--that at least
prior to this new Congress coming in, the majority of people in both of
these bodies did not honestly in their own hearts believe that
punishment is a deterrent to crime.
It is one that I look at, and it seems very logical that when you
take a tragedy such as we experienced in Oklahoma, when the
perpetrators of that crime were preparing this explosion and what they
were going to do, the bombing and the attack on the Federal building in
Oklahoma City, this is not something that they did just overnight. This
is something they planned--not for days, not for weeks, but maybe even,
we feel, for several months.
During the time that something like this is happening, those
individuals who are making the plans to detonate a bomb that will
murder many, many people have to be thinking what is the worst thing,
what is the downside of this, what is the worst thing that can happen
to me if I get caught? The worst thing that can happen, as they look at
it, might be to sit around in some air-conditioned prison cell watching
color TV, eating three good meals a day for 10 years, 15 years, 20
years. And I suggest to you, Mr. President, that is not much of a
deterrent.
I think particularly some of the people from maybe the Middle Eastern
cultures, and others, people who are trained terrorists--most of them--
do not think they are going to be around for 10 years, anyway. Here in
America, it takes an average of 9\1/2\ years between conviction and
execution. I suggest that takes away all of the deterrent value.
This happens because we have things built into our system. I am sure
that they were put in there in the sense of trying to be fair to
everyone, and to make sure no chances are taken that someone might be
executed who was not actually the one who committed the crime. But they
sit in there through appeal after appeal after appeal.
Roger Dale Stafford, in the spring of 1978, murdered a Sergeant
Lorenz, then he murdered his wife, then he murdered Sergeant Lorenz'
small son. Then he turned around and drove 60 miles to Oklahoma City,
where he went into the Sirloin Stockade Restaurant.
He rounded up six employees at gunpoint, bound them, took them into a
refrigerator, and murdered them execution style.
That was in 1978. Roger Dale Stafford is now still in McAlester in
our State prison in Oklahoma. By the way, he is now over 100 pounds
more than he was when he went in, so you know they are feeding him
pretty well. He has been sitting in his cell for 17 years and probably
living better than he lived before anyway. And I suggest to you that is
not just an inhumane thing to do to the families of those victims of
his murders, but it is no deterrent for other people who may be tempted
to do the same thing.
What is interesting about this is that the attorney who is so
successful in getting all of these appeals and all these delays in the
ultimate execution which still has not taken place of the guy who did
kill those nine people back in Oklahoma in 1978, that attorney is a
very competent and capable attorney named Steven Jones from Enid, OK. I
happen to know him personally. I suggest to you that Steven Jones is
also the attorney for Timothy McVeigh, one who is held right now as
possibly one who is responsible for the tragedy in Oklahoma City.
So today we have a number of people who are here from Oklahoma. We
have Diane Leonard, whose husband Don, a Secret Service agent, was
killed in the bombing in Oklahoma City. We have Glenn Seidl, who lost
his wife, Kathy, in the bombing. I talked to Kay Ice just a few minutes
ago, who lost her brother, Paul. He was a customs agent; Mike Reyes,
who lost his father and was injured himself in the explosion. I believe
he is the one who actually fell four stories and was able to survive.
But he lost his father; Jason Smith, who lost his mother, Linda; Dan
McKinney. That is Linda's husband. He was here today; Gary Bland, who
lost [[Page S7667]] his wife, Sally; Suzanne Britten, who lost her
fiance.
It is very significant that we understand what these people are doing
today. We had a news conference at 10:30, and we stood down there in
front of the Senate and they described the types of deaths that their
loved ones had been subjected to, how there was no longer any facial
characteristics left; they could not really identify them as they
normally would; and being exposed to this, they are going through all
this for one reason. That is, they know the way to deter this type of
thing from happening again is to have swift justice.
We had a President who came out and said we want swift and sure
justice. I call upon the President right now to stand up before these
Oklahomans who are up here today and say, yes, I support Senator
Hatch's habeas reform as in the bill. Frankly, as a Senator from
Oklahoma, I am going to support the Kyl amendment for a stronger habeas
bill. It is very moderate and very fair, but it is a habeas reform that
will not allow these things to go year after year after year, 10 years,
15 years and 20 years, where all deterrent value is lost.
So, Mr. President, I hope that those Senators who are being visited
right now by Diane Leonard, and by Glenn Seidl, and by Kay Ice and Mike
Reyes and Jason Smith and Dan McKinney and Gary Bland and Suzanne
Britten will stop and realize that they have an opportunity to preclude
something like this from happening again, allow the message that will
go out to all who might be considering such an act that in America we
are not going to allow someone to sit around for 8 years or 10 years or
20 years before an execution takes place. We will in fact have swift
justice.
Maybe, Mr. President, I am old fashioned, but I really believe in my
heart that punishment is a deterrent to crime, and sitting around for
10 years is not cruel punishment.
Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Frist). The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Amendment No. 1203 to Amendment No. 1199
(Purpose: To make technical changes in section 102 of the Dole-Hatch
substitute)
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk for and on
behalf of Mr. Smith and ask for its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment.
The bill clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Utah [Mr. Hatch], for Mr. Smith, proposes
an amendment numbered 1203 to amendment No. 1199.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
On page 12, line 6, strike ``25 years.'' and insert the
following:
``25 years; Provided, however, That the damages to property
that were caused, or would have been caused if any object of
the conspiracy had been accomplished, must exceed, or must be
reasonably estimated to exceed, $25,000.
On page 7, at the end of line 17, add the following:
``Provided, however, That the damages to property must
exceed $25,000;''
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HATCH. 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. HATCH. Mr. President, I have just sent up the amendment for and
on behalf of Senator Smith. This is an amendment of a technical nature.
This amendment simply places a dollar floor on cases that can be
brought in Federal court in acts of terrorism. This amendment will
prevent Federal courts from having to try minor cases in Federal court.
For example, we would not want a case involving a mere broken window or
a smashed door to be tried in Federal court.
So this amendment basically says, ``* * * 25 years; provided,
however, that the damages to property that were caused, or would have
been caused if any object of the conspiracy had been accomplished, must
exceed, or must reasonably be estimated to exceed, $25,000.'' So that
is basically what this amendment does.
This amendment makes a great deal of sense in the context of this
debate so I would urge my colleagues to support this Smith amendment.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Smith amendment be
set aside so that I can call up a Pressler amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Amendment No. 1204 to Amendment No. 1199
(Purpose: To designate the Federal building at 1314 LeMay Boulevard,
Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD, as the ``Cartney Koch McRaven Child
Development Center'')
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for
its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment.
The bill clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Utah [Mr. Hatch], for Mr. Pressler,
proposes an amendment numbered 1204 to amendment No. 1199.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. --. DESIGNATION OF CARTNEY KOCH MCRAVEN CHILD
DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
(a) Designation.--
(1) In general.--The Federal building at 1314 LeMay
Boulevard, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, shall be
known and designated as the ``Cartney Koch McRaven Child
Development Center''.
(2) Replacement building.--If, after the date of enactment
of this Act, a new Federal building is built at the location
described in paragraph (1) to replace the building described
in the paragraph, the new Federal building shall be known and
designated as the ``Cartney Koch McRaven Child Development
Center''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to a
Federal building referred to in subsection (a) shall be
deemed to be a reference to the ``Cartney Koch McRaven Child
Development Center''.
Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I am proud to offer this amendment along
with my South Dakota colleague, Senator Daschle, to S. 735, the
Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act, to designate the child
development center at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota as the
Cartney Koch McRaven Child Development Center.
It was just slightly more than a month ago that terrorist thugs
bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Among
the victims inside was Cartney Koch McRaven. Stationed at Tinker Air
Force Base and having just been married the previous weekend, Cartney
was in the Murrah Federal Building to register her new married name on
Federal documents. Tragically, her life was cut short by the savagery
of domestic terrorism.
It is only fitting that we honor Cartney at Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Spearfish was her home. And she chose to begin her adult life by
joining the Air Force and serving her country. And serve she did, with
honor, with devotion, with dignity.
It is even more fitting that her name appear on the child development
center at Ellsworth. A1c Cartney Koch McRaven served in Haiti, where
the stark poverty had an enormous impact on her. Cartney's heart went
out to the children of Haiti. She devoted her time in Haiti to an
orphanage, offering a warm smile and a kind, loving word to young
faces. The mission of our Armed Forces in Haiti was to ensure peace and
offer hope to the people of Haiti--young and old. Cartney took her
mission to heart.
Even her family honored Cartney's commitment to young people by
urging that donations be made in Cartney's memory to the orphanage in
Haiti.
But we do more than honor a person. We honor the values she
personified and practiced in her daily life. The values of service, of
duty, of compassion and caring for the underprivileged young--values
that are at the core of South Dakota and of America. [[Page S7668]]
It is my hope that by passing this amendment and the underlying bill,
Cartney Koch McRaven forever will be remembered as a symbol of these
core values and an inspiration to the young people in South Dakota and
America to honor and serve their family, community, and country.
I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I am offering this amendment on behalf of
my colleague, Senator Pressler, the distinguished Senator from South
Dakota. This amendment would designate the child development center at
Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota as the ``Cartney Koch McRaven
Child Development Center.''
This amendment intends to honor the dedication and service of a young
Air Force airman from South Dakota who was killed in the Oklahoma City
bombing. U.S. Airman First Class Cartney Koch McRaven, a South Dakota
native stationed at Tinker Air Force Base outside Oklahoma City, was
among those killed in the April 19, 1995 bombing.
Last year, while serving in Haiti, Cartney devoted her free time to
an orphanage. Her family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be
made to the orphanage in Haiti. This amendment seeks to honor her
memory by designating the child development center at Ellsworth Air
Force Base the ``Cartney Koch McRaven Child Development Center.''
I believe we can get unanimous consent on this amendment honoring
this young Air Force airman. My colleague from Delaware is not here to
comment on this amendment, so I ask unanimous consent that the
amendment now be set aside so that we can call up another amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Amendment No. 1205 to Amendment No. 1199
(Purpose: To amend title 18 of the United States Code regarding false
identification documents.)
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for
its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The bill clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Utah [Mr. Hatch], for Mr. Pressler,
proposes an amendment numbered 1205 to amendment No. 1199.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. . FALSE IDENTIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS.
(a) Minimum Number of Documents For Certain Offense.--
Section 1028 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ``five'' and
inserting ``3''; and
(2) in subsection (b)(1)(B), by striking ``five'' and
inserting ``3''.
(b) Required Verification of Mailed Identification
Documents.--
(1) In general.--Chapter 83 of title 18, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1739. Verification of identification documents
``(a) Whoever knowingly sends through the mails any
unverified identification document purporting to be that of
the individual named in the document, when in fact the
identity of the individual is not as the document purports,
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 1
year, or both.
``(b) As used in this section--
``(1) the term `unverified', with respect to an
identification document, means that the sender has not
personally viewed a certification or other written
communication confirming the identity of the individual in
the document from--
``(A) a governmental entity within the United States or any
of its territories or possessions; or
``(B) a duly licensed physician, hospital, or medical
clinic within the United States;
``(2) the term `identification document' means a car,
certificate, or paper intended to be used primarily to
identify an individual; and
``(3) the term `identity' means personal characteristics of
an individual, including age and nationality.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 83 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new item:
``1739. Verification of identification documents.''.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 3001(a) of title 39,
United States Code, is amended by striking ``or 1738'' and
inserting ``1738, or 1739''.
Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I rise to explain the false ID amendment
I have proposed to S. 735, the Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act.
According to several national news sources, Timothy McVeigh, the
primary suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing, allegedly used a false
South Dakota driver's license to rent the Ryder truck which exploded
outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building on April 19 of this year.
Again, the driver's license used by McVeigh was a fake. Timothy McVeigh
is not a resident of South Dakota, nor do I believe he ever has been a
resident of my State. My understanding is the fake license contained
his picture, but a different name. To add insult to injury, the
birthdate listed on the license was April 19, the same date as the
bombing. This example illustrates how easily a terrorist can obtain an
authentic-looking driver's license, and operate in our society under an
assumed name.
It is not clear at this point exactly how McVeigh obtained the false
South Dakota driver's license. However, the sad fact is, false
identification documents [ID's] are easy and cheap to obtain given the
advanced state of computer technology today. Counterfeiting a driver's
license is child's play for sophisticated computer users. Modern color
printers can produce stunningly accurate reproductions of driver's
licenses, Social Security cards, and other ID's. Even
anticounterfeiting measures, such as holographic images and magnetic
strips, are being duplicated with relative ease.
A vast underground industry has emerged to meet the growing demand
for false ID's from underage drinkers. Just last week, two young men
who were students at George Washington University here in Washington,
DC, plead guilty to operating a sophisticated fake driver's license
operation. They sold the fake licenses to college students for $65
each. They even gave a discount for ordering 10 or more fake ID's. I
ask that a news article describing that operation be printed in the
Record at the conclusion of my remarks.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
(See exhibit 1.)
Mr. PRESSLER. Most States have laws against the use of false ID's to
purchase alcohol, but those laws only target the underage drinker.
Nothing prohibits anyone from mailing false ID's from another State.
Tough Federal action is needed to really make a difference. Congress
needs to crack down on the suppliers--those in the industry of
producing and distributing false ID's.
Last year, and again this year, I introduced legislation designed to
deal with this situation. The amendment I have offered today is similar
to this legislation. It seeks to target and punish those in the
business of producing and distributing false identification documents
nationally.
Anyone convicted of distributing false ID's under this provision
would face a prison sentence of up to 1 year, a fine, or both. The
amendment also would reduce from five to three the number of false ID's
that must be in a person's possession to trigger penalties under
Federal law.
These two changes are needed if we are to make a dent in the volume
of false ID's being offered and sold throughout our country. I urge my
colleagues to support the amendment.
Exhibit 1
[From the Washington Post, June 2, 1995]
Two Plead Guilty to Selling Fake Driver's Licenses
(By Toni Locy)
A student and a former student at George Washington
University pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court yesterday to
running a sophisticated fake driver's license operation,
using computers to make nearly perfect copies to sell to
underage students in several states so they could buy liquor.
Prosecutor Joseph B. Valder described Ronald Stewart
Johnson, 20, as the mastermind of the scheme and Said C.
Kiwan, 19, as the legman who drummed up business and
[[Page S7669]] made deliveries for the illegal enterprise.
They sold the licenses for $65 each or at a discount of $55
each for 10, making about $8,000 in less than six months.
Valder said Johnson, as a high school student in Durham,
N.C., discovered the wonders of computers and learned how to
alter valid driver's licenses. He said Johnson used scanning
equipment to enter a driver's license into a computer and
shading and texture devices to make changes.
In 1994, Kiwan and Johnson, who were friends when their
families lived in Rio de Janeiro when they were both 10,
became reacquainted and began selling the licenses to make
money, Valder said.
Though the prosecutor and defense attorneys lauded their
cooperation with authorities after they were caught, U.S.
District Judge Ricardo Urbina rejected a request by Kiwan's
attorney to forgo the normal procedures and sentence him
immediately.
Attorney Thomas Abbenante said GWU officials will decide
next week whether to expel Kiwan, as they have done with
Johnson. If Kiwan's case is resolved, Abbenante said, he has
a chance to remain in school.
But Urbina refused to give Kiwan such a consideration.
``This is an episode in his life that carries the potential
of two years of incarceration. I would not want to send you
the wrong message by having you walk in here, plead guilty .
. . and walk out with probation that you may not deserve,''
the judge told Kiwan, who is a citizen of England and
Lebanon.
``You are a privileged young man with lots of education,
lots of advantages in life, with no need for money, and yet
you engaged in this enterprise, which probably resulted in a
lot of young people getting booze and possibly driving under
the influence,'' Urbina said. ``If ill consequences develop
because of it, then that is your problem. You are here
because you committed a crime, and you have to deal with the
consequences, whatever they are.''
Kiwan pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts for sending
fake driver's licenses to a student at Vanderbilt University,
in Nashville, and to a high school student in Durham.
Johnson, who was born in Brazil but is a U.S. citizen,
pleaded guilty to a felony charge of unlawful production of
false identification. He faces up to five years in prison.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I also believe this is another technical
amendment that probably will be accepted by unanimous consent. I think
many of the Republican amendments are of this nature. I do not believe
this amendment needs to delay the debate on this matter.
What this amendment does is that it is similar to S. 507, the False
Identification Act of 1995, which has the support of Senators Grassley
and Daschle. It would make the following two changes in our current
law:
First, it would reduce from five to three the number of false
identification documents--that is, ID's--that must be in a person's
possession to trigger penalties under Federal law.
Second, it would require a prison sentence of up to 1 year, a fine,
or both, for anybody convicted of distributing false ID's through the
mail.
The amendment seeks to target and punish those producing and
distributing false identification documents nationally. According to
new sources, Timothy McVeigh used a false identification to rent the
Ryder truck used in the Oklahoma City bombing. This illustrates how a
terrorist can obtain an authentic-looking driver's license and operate
in our society under an assumed name.
False ID's are obtained far too easily and cheaply today.
Counterfeiting a driver's license is child's play for sophisticated
computer users. Modern color printers can produce stunningly accurate
reproductions of driver's licenses, Social Security cards, and other
identification documents.
Even anticounterfeit measures such as holographic images and magnetic
strips are being duplicated with relative ease. A vast underground
industry has emerged to meet the growing demand for false ID's for
underaged drinkers. Most States have laws against the use of false ID's
to purchase alcohol, but they only target the underaged drinker.
Nothing prohibits mailing false ID's from another State.
Tougher Federal action is needed to really make a difference.
Congress needs to crack down on the suppliers, those in the industry
producing and distributing false ID's.
I ask unanimous consent that the Pressler amendment be set aside so
that another amendment can be offered.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Amendment No. 1206 to Amendment No. 1199
(Purpose: To authorize assistance to foreign nations to procure
explosives detection equipment)
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for
its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The bill clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Utah [Mr. Hatch], for Mr. Specter,
proposes an amendment numbered 1206 to amendment No. 1199.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
On page 22, between lines 18 and 19 insert the following:
``(b) Assistance to Foreign Countries To Procure Explosives
Detection Devices and Other Sophisticated Counterterrorism
Technology.--Subject to section 575(b), up to $10,000,000 in
assistance in any fiscal year may be provided to procure
explosives detection devices or other sophisticated
counterterrorism technology to any country facing an imminent
danger of terrorist attacks that threaten the national
interests of the United States or put United States nationals
at risk.''.
On page 22, line 19, strike ``(b)'' and insert ``(c)''.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, this amendment I have sent to the desk on
behalf of Senator Specter simply authorizes assistance to foreign
countries to procure explosives detection devices and other
sophisticated counterterrorism technology.
I believe that, in time, we can unanimously accept this amendment.
That is why I have sent it to the desk. I compliment Senator Specter
for his work on this amendment. I also compliment Senator Pressler for
the work on his two amendments and Senator Smith for the work on his
amendment, all of which are before the Senate.
I ask unanimous consent that this Specter amendment be set aside so
we can call up another amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. HATCH. 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. HATCH. 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. HATCH. Mr. President, referring to the current debate on the
taggants amendment of Senator Feinstein, Senator Simpson has asked me
to get a letter into the Record from ARCO Coal Co. This is a letter to
the Honorable Alan K. Simpson dated June 5, 1995.
I ask unanimous consent that this letter be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
June 5, 1995.
Hon. Alan K. Simpson,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Simpson: I understand that the Senate will be
discussing S. 735 as early as June 6. As noted in earlier
correspondence we support the concept of the bill. However,
we have learned that Senator Feinstein will probably be
introducing an amendment that broadens the scope of the bill
to include such explosive agents as ammonium nitrate with
fuel oil (ANFO). I am writing to urge you to resist this
amendment as unnecessary and very costly. Following is most
of the letter that was previously sent to your attention, and
believe that it explains the problems with the Feinstein
amendment.
In the wake of the tragedy in Oklahoma City, I have learned
of Senate legislation that has been introduced to address the
issue of domestic terrorism (S.735). ARCO Coal Company
supports legislation that reduces or eliminates these
horrific acts, but urges against any over reaction that would
adversely impact the legal and responsible use of explosive
materials, including ANFO.
Before discussing the proposed legislation in more detail,
let me first explain the importance of this issue to the coal
industry in Wyoming. Thunder Basin Coal Company (TBCC) is our
subsidiary in Wyoming, operating the Black Thunder (BTM) and
Coal Creek Mines. In order to mine efficiently, safely and
cost effectively, the overburden and coal is ``shot'' with an
ANFO/emulsion [[Page S7670]] blend. Blasting operations at
BTM safely and legally consume about 75 to 85 million pounds
of ANFO on an annual basis (with plans to increase the usage
to nearly 100 million pounds annually). The ammonium nitrate
prill is manufactured at the fertilizer plant near Cheyenne,
Wyoming and is transported to the mine by Wyoming trucking
companies.
In reading about the proposed legislation we concur with
the requirement for a ``detection agent'' (or taggant) in
``plastic explosives''. However, we oppose any broader
requirements that explosive material, which would include
ANFO, to contain ``taggants'' or ``tracer elements'' (to be
defined by regulation). We have several key concerns with
requiring taggants in ANFO, including:
1. Safety--manufacturers of the explosives used by the
mining industry have raised the concern that the introduction
of taggants will raise safety concerns. For example, the
manufacturers are concerned that the introduction of the
taggant into an explosives mixture can have an adverse effect
on the friction and impact sensitivity and/or the stability
properties of the explosives. The Wyoming coal mining
industry is among the safest, if not the safest, in the
entire world. This admirable safety record has not come about
by accident, but rather through careful implementation of
safety awareness and programs. We cannot compromise the
safety of our employees.
2. Cost--a 1993 study by the Institute of Makers of
Explosives (IME) conservatively estimated that taggants in
ANFO would cost an additional 47 cents per pound. As
previously noted, BTM anticipates using 75 to 85 million
pounds of ANFO annually. Using the IME study, TBCC's costs
would conservatively rise by $35 to $40 million annually on a
product that is currently being used in a safe, legal and
regulated manner. In a market that is highly competitive,
costs have to be controlled.
We hope that you will support Title VIII provisions in S.
735 and will resist any efforts to expand the scope of the
bill to include ANFO. This will help ensure that any new
legislative and/or regulatory program meets its specified
purpose without compromising safety or punishing industries
using the product in a safe and legal fashion. We would also
be glad to help you in any manner you desire with regard to
this issue.
Sincerely,
Greg Schaefer.
Mr. HATCH. Gregg Schaefer is director of Government issues and
analysis for the ARCO Coal Co.
Mr. President, as I said before, there are presently 100 amendments
under the unanimous consent. We have five up. Sixty-eight of those are
Democrat amendments; we have one of those up. Thirty-two amendments are
Republican; four of those are up. Most of those 32 amendments, I
believe, will not be offered.
I am hoping that Senators will get to the floor and offer their
amendments so that we can stack these votes after 6 o'clock p.m. and
move ahead with this very important bill.
I am wearing this ribbon in honor of the people who died, and their
families who have survived, the Oklahoma City bombing. It has great
significance to me because one of the survivor's daughters pinned it on
me earlier this morning. I wear it with honor and with consideration
for what these good people suffered and what they are going through
currently.
We know that this bill is critical. The President has expressed
dissatisfaction with the Congress because we did not pass an
antiterrorist bill by Memorial Day. We are only a little time later
than Memorial Day--one week. I believe we can, if we can get the
cooperation of our friends on both sides of the aisle, I believe we can
pass this bill by tomorrow evening or at some reasonable time this
week.
I hope that Senators who have amendments will get over here to the
floor and offer them. We will stack those amendments until after 6
o'clock tonight, and if necessary, tomorrow. I would like to debate
them now and utilize this time so that we can move ahead on this very
important bill.
Regarding a vast majority of this bill, I think a vast majority of
Senators will agree with. I believe a vast majority of this bill, if
not most all of it, the President agrees with.
It is a bill that should not have any real controversy except in some
isolated areas, and of course on the habeas corpus reform provisions.
There are people who sincerely believe that we should have no habeas
corpus rights in this society. There will be an amendment offered,
perhaps later today or tomorrow, that will severely curtail habeas
corpus appeals, if it is passed.
Then there are others who believe we ought to continue the same
system we have now which allows for multiple frivolous appeals, one
appeal after another, all the way up to the State courts, and then all
the way up to the Federal courts, or vice versa. I do not think very
many people in this country would agree with either of those extreme
points of view.
Habeas corpus is a statutory right that was established for the
purpose of protecting the rights of the accused. Our habeas corpus
provision, the Specter-Hatch bill, will protect those rights, but it
will put an end to the frivolous appeals that make a mockery out of our
system of justice.
I hope that our fellow Senators will get over here and bring their
amendments to the floor so that we can move ahead and get this bill
done within a reasonable time, please our President, and certainly do
so in memorialization of the suffering that these folks from Oklahoma
City are undergoing and in memorialization of those who have died,
because we have not done enough to resolve terrorist problems in our
society.
I am not sure that any piece of legislation is going to absolutely
protect people from terrorist activities. Of course, no legislation can
be crafted to do that. But this legislation will put teeth in our
criminal laws, our Federal criminal laws, to bring people to justice
who might commit terrorist activities and might deter those who are
considering participating in terrorist activities in our society.
I am hopeful we can move ahead here today. I am prepared to stay as
long as we have to and to debate any issue that any Member cares to
bring to the floor. I hope those who have the remaining 67 amendments
on the Democrat side and the remaining 28 amendments on the Republican
side will get to the floor and move ahead on this matter.
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. HATCH. 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. HATCH. Mr. President, I am very concerned that we are sitting
here just wasting time while there have been complaints about not
moving ahead on the terrorism bill. So we are moving ahead. We are here
to go. Frankly, the only real controversial issue that I can see of any
real consequence on this bill happens to be the habeas corpus, Specter-
Hatch bill. I am hoping that those who have amendments on that habeas
corpus reform bill will bring them to the floor and debate them and let
us get them out of the way. If they win, they win. If they lose, they
lose. The fact is let us get out here and use this time and not waste
it. Thus far, we have had four Republican amendments, one Democrat
amendment. The Democrat amendment is scheduled for a vote at 6 o'clock.
Amendment No. 1207 to Amendment No. 1199
Purpose: To extend U.S. sanctions against Iran to all countries
designated as ``terrorist countries'' by the Secretary of State)
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I send another Republican amendment to the
desk and ask for its immediate consideration. I send this up for and on
behalf of Senator Brown from Colorado.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Utah [Mr. Hatch], for Mr. Brown, proposes
an amendment numbered 1207 to amendment No. 1199.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
At the appropriate place in the Dole-Hatch substitute, add
the following new section--
``SEC. . SANCTIONS AGAINST TERRORIST COUNTRIES.
(a) Prohibition.--In conjunction with a determination by
the Secretary of State that a nation is a state sponsor of
international terrorism pursuant to 6(j) of the Export
Administration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. App. 2405(j)) or 620A
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371), the
Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of
Commerce, shall issue regulations prohibiting the following--
(1) The importation into the United States, or the
financing of such importation, of any goods or services
originating in a terrorist country, other than publications
or materials imported for news publications or news broadcast
dissemination;
(2) Except to the extent provided in section 203(b) of
IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)), the exportation from the United
States to a terrorist [[Page S7671]] country, the government
of a terrorist country, or to any entity controlled by the
government of a terrorist country, or the financing of such
exportation, of any goods, technology (including technical
data or other information subject to the Export
Administration Act Regulations, 15 CFR Parts 768-799(1994))
or services;
(3) The reexportation to such terrorist country, its
government, or to any entity owned or controlled by the
government of the terrorist country, or any goods or
technology (including technical data or other information)
exported from the United States, the exportation of which is
subject to export license application requirements under any
U.S. regulations in effect immediately prior to the enactment
of this Act, unless, for goods, they have been (i)
substantially transformed outside the U.S., or (ii)
incorporated into another product outside the United States
and constitute less than 10 percent by value of that product
exported from a third country;
(4) except to the extent provided in section 203(b) of
IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)), any transaction, including
purchase, sale, transportation, swap, financing, or brokering
transactions, or United States person relating to goods or
services originating from a terrorist country or owned or
controlled by the government of a terrorist country;
(5) Any new investment by a United States person in a
terrorist country or in property (including entities) owned
or controlled by the government of a terrorist country;
(6) The approval or facilitation by a United States person
or entry into or performance by an entity owned or controlled
by a United States person of a transaction or contract:
(A) prohibited as to United States persons by subsection
(3), (4) or (5) or
(B) relating to the financing of activities prohibited as
to United States persons by those subsections, or of a
guaranty of another person's performance of such transaction
or contract; and
(7) Any transaction by any United States person or within
the United States that evades or avoids, or has the purpose
of evading or avoiding, or attempting to violate, any of the
prohibitions set forth in this section.
(b) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section:
(1) the term ``person'' means an individual or entity;
(2) the term ``entity'' means a partnership, association,
trust, joint venture, corporation, or other organization;
(3) the term ``United States person'' means any U.S.
citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the
laws of the United States (including foreign branches), or
any person in the United States;
(4) the term ``terrorist country'' means a country the
government of which the Secretary of State has determined is
a terrorist government for the purposes of 6(j) of the Export
Administration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. App. 2405(j)), or 620A
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371) and
includes the territory of the country and any other territory
or marine area, including the exclusive economic zone and
continental shelf, over which the government of the terrorist
country claims sovereignty, sovereign rights, or
jurisdiction, provided that the government of the terrorist
country
exercises partial or total de facto control over the area or
derives a benefit from the economic activity in the area
pursuant to international arrangements; and
(5) the term ``new investment'' means--
(A) a commitment or contribution of funds or other assets,
or
(B) a loan or other extension of credit.
(6) the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the Ways
and Means Committee and the International Relations Committee
of the House of Representatives;
(B) the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, the
Finance Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee of the
Senate.
(c) Export/Re-Export.--The Secretary of the Treasury may
not authorize the exportation or reexportation to a terrorist
country, the government of a terrorist country, or an entity
owned or controlled by the government of a terrorist country
of any goods, technology, or services subject to export
license application requirements of another agency of the
United States government, if authorization of the exportation
or reexportation by that agency would be prohibited by law.
(d) Rights and Benefits.--Nothing contained in this section
shall create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable by any party against the United States, its
agencies or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or
any other person.
(e) Waiver.--The President may waive the prohibitions
described in subsection (a) of this section for a country for
successive 180 day periods if--
(1) the President determines that national security
interests or humanitarian reasons justify a waiver; and
(2) at least 15 days before the waiver takes effect, the
President consults with appropriate committees of Congress
regarding the proposed waiver and submits a report to the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro
Tempore of the Senate containing--
(A) the name of the recipient country;
(B) a description of the national security interests or
humanitarian reasons which require a waiver;
(c) the type and amount of and the justification for the
assistance to be provided pursuant to the waiver; and
(D) the period of time during which such waiver will be
effective.
The waiver authority granted in this subsection may not be
used to provide any assistance which is also prohibited by
section 40 of the Arms Control Export Control Act.''
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise to offer this amendment for and on
behalf of the distinguished Senator from Colorado, [Mr. Brown].
This amendment will extend the sanctions currently imposed against
Iran to all countries designated as terrorist countries by the
Secretary of State. Thus, under Senator Brown's proposed amendment, all
countries deemed to engage in terrorist activities and designated as
supporting international terrorism will be punished to the same degree
that Iran is.
Now, this is a controversial amendment. I hope that those who are
opposed to it will come to the floor and be prepared to debate it if
they so desire. If not, we will put it in line following the stacked
amendments where either it will be accepted by unanimous consent or
voted upon one way or the other. Senator Brown has permitted me to put
that amendment into the Record at this point.
Now, that makes five Republican amendments. I think it is safe to
assume that Senator Dole probably is not going to call up his two. I am
not going to call up my two. And so that is at least 9 or 10 Republican
amendments disposed of, and I do not believe most of the others will be
brought forward either.
Major difficulties are going to be over the question of habeas corpus
reform. And I hope that those who have amendments to that will bring
them up here today and let us debate them and go ahead. If there are
any other amendments that can be brought to the floor at this time, we
sure would like to encourage our colleagues to do so so we can dispose
of as many of them today as we possibly can.
I ask unanimous consent that the Brown amendment be set aside so that
another amendment can be called up by any Senator who desires to do so.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. HATCH. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HATCH. 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. HATCH. Mr. President, again I encourage my colleagues to get here
and bring up their amendments. So far, we have five Republican
amendments up, and two Democrat amendments. I believe that Senator Dole
will forgo his two. I intend to forgo my two, unless we have to use
those. I have been informed by Senator Gramm's staffer that he will
forgo his two. That is six more.
We are moving through this pretty well today. But I would like to get
as many amendments as can be agreed to or debated over a short term
today as quickly as possible. Of course, we would be happy to take any
habeas corpus amendments that there are.
As I have been standing here, some people have called in and wondered
about the ribbons I am wearing on my lapel that were kindly placed
there by one of the family members who lost a member of their family.
I think it is important, as we discuss this matter, that we recall
why in the world we are here. There are 167 victims of the Oklahoma
City bombing. This morning, along with Senator Inhofe and Senator
Nickles, I met with the families of some of the victims of that
tragedy. So they presented me with this ribbon I am wearing. Let me
just explain its significance. It has four ribbons, or four strands.
The blue strand right here represents the State of Oklahoma. The white
strand represents hope. The yellow strand represents those who were
missing in the wake of the bombing. The purple strand represents those
killed. Just to make that point a little more dramatically, this chart
represents the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing.
I ask unanimous consent that all of those names be printed in the
Record at this point.
[[Page S7672]]
There being no objection, the list was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
The Murdered Victims of Oklahoma City
Lucio Aleman, Jr., 33.
Teresa Alexander, 33.
Ted Allen, 48.
Richard Allen, 46.
Baylee Almon, 1.
Diane E. Hollingsworth Althouse, 44.
Pamela Argo, 36.
Saundra Avery, 34.
Peter Avillanoza, 57.
Calvin Battle, 65.
Peola Battle, 51.
Danielle Bell, 1\1/2\.
Oleta Biddy, 54.
Shelly Turner Bland, 25.
Andrea Blanton, 33.
Olen B. Bloomer, 61.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Lola Rene Bolden, 40.
James E. Boles, 51.
Mark A. Bolte, 27.
Cassandra Booker, 25.
Carol Bowers, 53.
Peachlyn Bradley, 3.
Woodrow Brady, 41.
Cynthia Campbell Brown, 26.
Paul G. Broxterman, 43.
Gabreon Bruce, 4 months.
Kimberly Ruth Burgess, 29.
David N. Burkett, 47.
Donald E. Burns, 62.
Karen Gist Carr, 32.
Michael J. Carrillo, 44.
Rona Chafey, 35.
Zackary Chavez, 3.
Robert Chipman, 51.
Kimberly K. Clark, 39.
Margaret L. Clark, 42.
Anthony C. Cooper II, 2.
Antonio A. Cooper, Jr., 6 months.
Dana L. Brown Cooper, 24.
Harley Cottingham, Jr., 46.
Kim R. Cousins, 33.
Elijah Coverdale, 2.
Aaron Coverdale, 5.
Jaci Coyne, 14 months.
Katherine Cregan, 60.
Richard Cummins, 56.
Steven Curry, 44.
Brenda Daniels, 42.
Sgt. Benjamin L. Davis, 29.
Diane Lynn Day, 38.
Peter DeMaster, 44.
Castine Deveroux, 48.
Sheila Driver, 28.
Tylor Eaves, 8 months.
Ashley Eckles, 4.
Susan Ferrell, 37.
Carrol ``Chip'' Fields, 49.
Katherine Ann Finley, 44.
Judy J. Fisher, 45.
Linda Florence, 43.
Donald Fritzler, 64.
Mary Anne Fritzler, 57.
Tevin Garrett, 1.
Laura Jane Garrison, 62.
Jamie Genzer, 32.
Margaret Goodson, 55.
Kevin Lee Gottshall, 6 months.
Ethel Louise Griffin, 55.
Colleen Guiles, 58.
Marine Capt. Randolph Guzman, 28.
Cheryl Hammons, 44.
Ronald Harding, 55.
Thomas Hawthorne, 52.
Doris Adele Higginbottom, 44.
Anita C. Hightower, 27.
Thompson E. ``Gene'' Hodges, 54.
Peggy Louise Holland, 37.
Linda Coleen Housley, 53.
George M. Howard, 46.
Wanda Howell, 34.
Robbin A. Huff, 37.
Charles Hurlburt, 73.
Anna Jean Hurlburt, 67.
Paul D. Ice, 42.
Christi Y. Jenkins, 32.
Domonique London Johnson, 2.
Norma Jean Johnson, 62.
Raymond L. Johnson, 59.
Larry J. Jones, 46.
Blake R. Kennedy, 1\1/2\.
Carole Khalil, 50.
Valerie Koelsch, 33.
Carolyn A. Kreymborg, 57.
Teresa L. Lauderdale, 41.
Catherine Leinen, 47.
Carrie Lenz, 26.
Donald R. Leonard, 50.
Airman 1st Class Lakesha R. Levy, 21.
Rheta Long, 60.
Michael Loudenslager, 48.
Aurelia ``Donna'' Luster, 43.
Robert Luster, 45.
Mickey Maroney, 50.
James K. Martin, 34.
Gilberto Martinez, 35.
Tresia Mathes-Worton, 28.
James Anthony McCarthy, 53.
Kenneth McCullough, 36.
Betsy J. McGonnell, 47.
Linda G. McKinney, 48.
Airman 1st Class Cartney J. McRaven, 19.
Claude Medearis, 41.
Claudette Meek, 44.
Frankie Ann Merrell, 23.
Derwin Miller, 27.
Eula Leigh Mitchell, 64.
John C. Moss III, 51.
Patricia Mix, 47.
Jerry Lee Parker, 45.
Jill Randolph, 27.
Michelle Ann Reeder, 33.
Terry Smith Rees, 41.
Mary Leasure Rentie, 39.
Antonio Reyes, 55.
Kathryn Ridley, 24.
Trudy Rigney, 31.
Claudine Ritter, 48.
Christy Rosas, 22.
Sonja Sanders, 27.
Lanny L. Scroggins, 46.
Kathy L. Seidl, 39.
Leora L. Sells, 57.
Karan D. Shephard, 27.
Chase Smith, 3.
Colton Smith, 2.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Victoria Sohn, 36.
John T. Stewart, 51.
Dolores M. Stratton, 51.
Emilio Tapia, 49.
Victoria Texter, 37.
Charlotte A. Thomas, 43.
Michael Thompson, 47.
Virginia Thompson, 56.
Kayla M. Titsworth, 3.
Ricky L. Tomlin, 46.
LaRue Treanor, 56.
Luther Treanor, 61.
Larry L. Turner, 43.
Jules A. Valdez, 51.
John K. VanEss, 67.
Johnny A. Wade, 42.
David J. Walker, 54.
Robert N. Walker, 52.
Wanda L. Watkins, 49.
Michael Weaver, 45.
Julie Welch, 23.
Robert Westberry, 57.
Alan Whicher, 40.
Jo Ann Whittenberg, 35.
Frances A. Williams, 48.
Scott Williams, 24.
William Stephen Williams, 42.
Clarence Wilson, 49.
Sharon L. Wood-Chestnut, 47.
Ronota A. Woodbridge, 31.
killed in rescue effort
Rebecca Anderson, 37.
Mr. HATCH. These were folks who were working for our country or
standing in the street at the time. Many of them have been heroes for
years, and they are all heroes today. These ribbons I am wearing
represent these people of the State of Oklahoma--those missing and
those killed.
These people are crying out for us to get this bill passed and to do
what should be done. There were a number of children who were killed. I
would just like to read their names into the Record:
Almon, Baylee, 1; Bell, Danielle, 1\1/2\; Bradley,
Peachlyn, 3; Bruce, Gabreon, 4 months; Chavez, Zackary, 3;
Cooper, Anthony C., II, 2; Cooper, Antonio A., Jr., 6 months;
Coverdale, Elijan, 2; Coverdale, Aaron, 5; Coyne, Jaci, 14
months; Eaves, Tylor, 8 months; Eckles, Ashley, 4; Garrett,
Tevin, 1; Gottshall, Kevin Lee, 6 months; Johnson, Domonique
London, 2; Kennedy, Blake R., 1\1/2\; Smith, Chase, 3; Smith,
Colton, 2; and Titsworth, Kayla M., 3.
These people are crying out in having been killed. These children and
their families are crying out for us to do what should be done here. I
intend to see that it is done.
Let us get our amendments here and get this bill done. If it can be
improved, fine. The people who have amendments, we would like to get
them here.
Baylee Almon turned 1 year old on Tuesday, April 18, 1995. That day
her family threw her a birthday party. Her aunts, uncles, and cousins--
along with her 22-year-old, single mother Aren--celebrated what was to
be her first of many birthdays. Horribly, however, her lifeless body
was pulled from the rubble of the Alfred Murrah building in Oklahoma
City less than 24 hours later.
By now, we are too familiar with the unforgettable image of Baylee
being carried away from the wreckage by firefighter Capt. Chris Fields.
This image of Baylee's lifeless body being tenderly cradled by a
firefighter was called by Governor Frank Keating ``a metaphor for
what's happened here.'' Baylee was 1 of 19 children murdered by the
terrorist bomb blast on April 19, 1995.
When some suggest that our decision to include habeas corpus reform
in this bill is unrelated to the murder of children like Baylee or that
our efforts are politically motivated, we mock the memory of Baylee
Almon. Habeas corpus policies and procedures directly and forcefully
impact victims. Our debate about habeas reform has traditionally
focused on such issues as the rights of petitioning prisoners,
federalism, and competency of counsel. But, for those who have buried
murder victims, the continued, protracted appeals mean something else.
John Collins, the father of a 19-year-old young woman who was brutally
murdered in 1985, may have put it best when he testified before the
Judiciary Committee in 1991:
Extended habeas corpus proceedings mean no closure to our
grief, no end to our mental and emotional suffering, no end
to nightmares, and no relief from the leaden weights that
remain lodged in our hearts. It means we continue to bleed.
Due to our current system of habeas corpus litigation, April 19, will
not be the end of the victimization of those [[Page S7673]] who died in
Oklahoma City. Long after the media stops covering the tragedy and
elected officials stop meeting with the victims, those responsible for
this cowardly act will probably be flaunting justice unless we act to
pass habeas reform. The families of those who died will agonize for
many, many years to come unless we act to pass true, meaningful habeas
corpus reform.
For too long, the interests of the convicted murdered have
outweighted the interests of the families of murder victims. For too
long, habeas corpus has been viewed as a tangential issue to the more
alluring issues of gun control and enhanced mandatory penalties. What
is ironic is that for many of my colleagues on the other side of the
aisle, it never seems to be the right time to pass habeas corpus
reform.
The time has come to return some balance in the criminal justice
system and nowhere is this more urgently needed than in the capital
litigation area. We must recognize that the true concerns of justice,
in the final analysis, must lie with those who support society and
genuinely strive to uphold its law and not those who tear away at
society, mock its laws, and murder innocent children like Baylee.
I am concerned about it, and I just think it is time to act. We
should quit playing around with these problems. We have a chance of
making a difference right now.
Let me just take a second here and read a letter from a woman who was
at the press conference this morning. This is dated June 4, 1995.
Re: Dole-Specter-Hatch bill S. 735.
My husband of 34 years and the father of our three
children, Tim, 24, Todd 22, and Kristi, 19, was a Director of
Housing and Urban Development in Oklahoma City. We had only
been in Oklahoma for 4 months, had purchased our home only 3
weeks before he was killed on April 19. Our lives were
literally ``blown" apart. He was a wonderful husband, father,
son, brother, and human being, kind and caring to everyone
and truly a person who believed in observing the laws of our
land and also never forgetting how blessed we as Americans
are to be Americans and to enjoy the many wonderful freedoms
and opportunities available to us when we abide by our laws.
That is what I am asking for now: Swift and severe
punishment of those responsible for this horrible act. Our
President assured the people of Oklahoma and America this
would be done. There should not be more consideration for the
criminals than the victims. Under our Constitution, the
rights of criminals have to be protected in deciding if they
are guilty or innocent, but so do the rights of the victims
need to be protected. Protecting criminals' rights does not
give them the right of 20 years of appeals.
I am certain that if any one of you were in my shoes, (and
I sincerely hope you never are) you would want nothing less
than the death penalty--now--not years from now.
I pray with all my heart you will do whatever is necessary
to enact legislation that will not allow continuous appeals.
Joyce McCarthy, widow of James A. McCarthy, Edmond, OK.
That letter says it more poignantly than anything I could say. It is
time to do habeas corpus reform. We tried for years. We did pass this
bill through the Senate on the Hatch amendment a number of years ago.
It passed overwhelmingly. There is no reason not to face this issue
today.
Now, I have to say that I do believe that there are those who very
sincerely oppose habeas corpus reform in this body. I think they are a
distinct minority, and I think they oppose it mainly because they
oppose the death penalty. They are deathly afraid that maybe somebody
will be executed who was innocent.
They have no information to back them up on that. These cases are
very carefully tried. Any person accused of murder and sentenced to
death after this bill is enacted will have every one of that person's
constitutional rights and privileges and liberties protected. We will
still protect the civil liberties of the people. But the game is over
on multiple frivolous vehicles. They have one trip up and it is
extensive through the State court, and one through the Federal courts.
Unless they can show new evidence, or the Supreme Court has made a case
retroactive in nature, then that is the end of the appeals.
That is as it should be. It is time to face this problem. Is time to
stand up and do what has to be done. There is a lot more to be said
about it.
I was moved this morning in meeting these families and these people
who lost their loved ones in Oklahoma City. I am proud to wear a set of
ribbons which represents the State of Oklahoma, those who are missing
and those who are dead, as a result of this terrible, horrific bomb.
I hope we can move ahead on this bill. We made some headway here
today, but I would like to make a lot more before the day is over.
I yield the floor.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, the majority leader today opened the
session by criticizing the President and criticizing the Democrats for
what he says are a flood of amendments that are holding up this bill.
He said that if the Senate is not finished by tomorrow, we will pull
the bill and go on to further matters.
Let me point out that in all the years that I have been here--and the
Senator from Utah has been over here a few years less than I have--one
of the things delaying action on the bill today is we are coming off of
a recess of a week and half and the Members are not back in town yet.
That is one of the reasons there is delay.
Let me first say, contrary to the majority leader's representations,
we are not trying to delay this bill. Indeed, on the very same day we
received the final version of the Republican bill--and we had started
off, by the way, with the President's bill. The President introduced a
bill, or had 3 Members introduce the bill on his behalf.
Senators Kohl, Specter, and myself met with the President at the
White House. This was a bipartisan group, including the Republican
leadership. We were under the impression that the President's bill
would be the bill from which we worked.
The Republicans, as is their right, introduced their own bill. One of
the problems is that we did not see that bill until toward the middle
of the afternoon the day that we went out of here, I think, or maybe
the day before we went out. People had not had a chance to read the
bill.
Notwithstanding that, the very same day we received the bill, we
agreed to a finite list of amendments. We did not wait around. Once we
calmed everyone's concerns--we heard about terrorism, civil liberties,
new actions, and everyone from folks who view the interests of the NRA
as paramount, to folks who view the interests of the civil liberties
community as paramount--everyone wanted to make sure they knew what was
in that bill.
Notwithstanding that, we ended up with a finite list of amendments
which we have now. No doubt that list would have been shorter from the
beginning had the Democrats had any reasonable opportunity to review
the Republican bill before it was brought to the floor.
Now, having worked hard over the recess, our staffs having worked
hard, primarily, we have limited the number of amendments we need to
offer from our side of the aisle, and effectively cut the list by more
than half.
There is no evidence of any intent to delay the bill. And while talk
of delay and the need for cloture motions may be good politics, it has
nothing to do with the reality of the work before the Senate. The
reality is that we are addressing an important topic that deserves
serious--not token, but serious--consideration by this body.
That is, the threat of terrorism from both at home and abroad. That
threat is real. Bombings at the World Trade Center 2 years ago and in
Oklahoma City 2 months ago are proof positive of the need to strengthen
our responses to this threat.
Does not this threat deserve more than 2 days of the Senate's time?
It seems to me that while we all want to move forward, we should also
want to make sure that we do the job right. The President has sent two
strong terrorism proposals to the Congress this year in responding to
two terrible bombings on American soil. His proposals contain many
needed reforms to enable law enforcement to better investigate and
prosecute terrorist acts.
The Judiciary Committee and its Terrorism Subcommittee held a number
of extensive hearings on the President's proposal over the last 6
weeks. Many issues have been discussed, debated, and drafted into
legislative language. The Republicans have put a bill together, drawn
in large measure from the administration's proposal, and much of which
is supported by both sides of the aisle.
Unfortunately, the Republicans fail to include in their bills several
proposals to give law enforcement modest but [[Page S7674]] needed new
authority to fight terrorism in the areas of wiretaps, taggants, and
military assistance in cases of biological and chemical terrorist acts,
just to name three.
There will be amendments to address these subjects, and the
amendments are needed to make this bill a truly effective tool to
fighting terrorism. Several of the amendments have been identified, and
several of them have already been offered.
The suggestion that they are meant to delay this bill is an obvious
attempt to shift focus from the fact that Republicans oppose
strengthening the hand of law enforcement against terrorists, the way
the President's proposal is opposed to any attempt to delay.
In addition, the Republicans included several provisions in their
bill that some of Members believe are ill-drafted and are inappropriate
as part of this bill. We have several amendments to modify these
provisions, but this is a Republican bill.
Again, the amendments are identified and they have not and will not
be offered to delay. They will be shortly offered. They will be voted
on. They are not vehicles for delay.
Moreover, I note that the Republicans have identified a number of
amendments as well. As I understood from the list before we went out
last week, the Republican Members of the Republican Party suggested
they had 32 amendments--32 amendments. Now, maybe some of those were in
response to what they anticipate to be amendments from Democrats.
Democrats have amendments that were put forward in anticipation of what
they thought the Republicans were doing. Much of this, I think, will
fall away.
Putting this in perspective, if there is delay going on--and there is
not delay going on--32 out of 40-some amendments or 70, whatever the
number was that were listed last week, are Republican amendments.
In all the talk of delay by Democrats over habeas corpus reform, the
unanimous-consent agreement under which we are operating identifies 4
Democrat amendments on habeas corpus and 4 Republican amendments on
habeas corpus.
We have all been around here long enough to know Senators do not
agree to a unanimous consent agreement limiting the number of
amendments that can be offered on a subject that is allegedly the
reason for the delay on the bill.
There are four amendments offered by Democrats, four amendments
offered by Republicans. I am sure we can get time agreements on all
those amendments at some point along the way when they are proposed.
That is it.
I might add, by the way, if my Republican friends had wanted to move
on this terrorism bill quickly, all they had to do was leave habeas
corpus off this. It would not have attracted all these other
amendments. We could have put it on their crime bill. They have a crime
bill they want to push. We have plenty of time for that, instead of
dealing with this issue.
It is true that delay on death penalties being imposed could have a
perverse effect, once we identify and convict the people responsible
for the bombing in Oklahoma City. That is prospective, way down the
road.
We will have Democrats--not me, but other Democrats--who will stand
up here on the floor and argue that because we have not done more to
deal with the ability of people to get explosives, because we have not
dealt more restrictively with the people and the ability of people to
get ahold of weapons, because we cannot deal with certain bullets that
can penetrate vests, that kill police officers, because they have not
done that, they hamper our ability to deal with terrorist acts. That is
true.
I plead with my Democrat and Republican friends, keep that stuff off
this bill. Move forward on the essential elements of what the President
said and what we all agree is needed to enable the FBI and the law
enforcement agencies, federally, to be able to have the manpower as
well as additional legal authority to both infiltrate, identify,
arrest, prevent--hopefully--prevent future terrorist acts, whether they
are domestic or foreign inspired.
That is not where we are. No matter how much it made sense to do it
that way, it does not make a lot of sense for me to spend much more
time talking about it other than to put in perspective what has
happened here. We could have finished this bill a long time ago.
The fact of the matter is that a clear decision was made to take a
very important part of the Republican crime bill, their essential
elimination of Federal habeas corpus, and drop it on this bill.
We could probably settle this whole habeas corpus matter very
quickly, the Senator from Utah and I. The only effect habeas corpus can
possibly have in this bill is Federal habeas corpus. We have an
amendment to limit their proposal to Federal habeas corpus cases. Let
us go ahead and do that and drop all Federal habeas corpus amendments,
vote on that one.
That is the only thing that is arguably related to Oklahoma City.
Nothing else has anything to do with Oklahoma City, zero, zero. Nothing
else has anything to do with this legislation. This is Federal
legislation dealing with terrorist acts. That is Federal court. That is
Federal prosecutors. That is a Federal conviction. So let us deal with
Federal habeas corpus, not State habeas corpus.
This is a sham. I think we should change habeas corpus. I have been
trying to change habeas corpus, differently than my friend from Utah
has, for the last 8 years. We have battled over it, and it is a
legitimate and serious, intellectual, political, and criminal justice
issue but it has not a darned thing to do with this. So if we want to
end all the delay--and there is no delay in terms other than time
consuming on each of the amendments--let us just have the debate on
that issue. That applies to this legislation. None of the rest does.
The point I want to make here, and I am probably overmaking it, is
that there is no delay. There is no delay. We have agreed to the
amendment. We have limited the number of amendments that can be brought
up. We could further eliminate a lot of those amendments, I am sure, if
we could agree on focusing on international and domestic terrorism and
we could move on. But one thing for certain, this issue warrants
serious consideration--serious consideration. I note the Republicans do
not think their 32 amendments are frivolous. Now I doubt any of these
amendments, Democrat or Republican, are designed as delaying tactics. I
expect we can work many of them out and we can proceed on the rest. But
I believe very strongly that our job involves offering relevant
amendments to make the bill better and debating them fully and
reasonably. Again, terrorism is not a trivial matter, as we all know.
The issue is as vital as it is complicated.
Let me just give one example how complicated it is. I will bet that
90 percent of the American people would have guessed that when Joe
Lieberman, Senator Lieberman of Connecticut, and I brought
an amendment to the floor at the request of the President last week
that said we want to give the FBI the same power to use wiretapping
devices and wiretapping under the circumstances that we presently allow
them to investigate organized crime to organized terrorist threats, I
will bet 90 percent of the American people would have thought everybody
in this floor would vote for that--especially the Republicans. They
talk about law and order all the time, like Democrats do these days.
And what happened? We voted on it and it lost. I offer that as a simple
example of what is so complicated about this issue. People are
beginning to understand when we deal with people's constitutional
rights and the fourth amendment that maybe it is better to err on the
side of being very cautious in the power we give the police.
I have always been one to be very cautious. But I thought, since we
had the ability to do to organized crime what was proposed by Senator
Lieberman and in the President's bill, we ought to be able to do that
with terrorists. But, guess what, an overwhelming majority of my
Republicans friends did not think that made sense. I do not criticize
them for that point of view. I just offer it to point out how
complicated it is. I bet they have trouble explaining that back home. I
do not suggest that their action was wrong or had any motivation other
than they have a heightened sense of concern about the use of wiretaps.
I respect that. [[Page S7675]]
But guess what, this is not as simple as the majority leader makes it
sound. If it were simple, that would have passed like a hot knife
through butter here. But it did not. If we could understand how a
majority of Republicans do not think we should be able to go after
terrorists like we do the mob, then we ought to be able to understand
that this is a complicated issue. It is important to get the bill
right. Again, terrorism is not a trivial matter. It is vital, as vital
as it is complicated. And we have to give law enforcement the tools it
needs, even while we maintain protecting our constitutional rights.
Now, look, just to give an example, we are going to have an amendment
here shortly that is another wiretap amendment. I will give this as
just one example. That wiretap amendment, if it passes, will allow the
Attorney General, the Federal Government, to be able to do roving
wiretaps. That is the second amendment. That says, if you go to a judge
and say, ``Judge, we have probable cause to believe John Doe is
committing or committed a felony under the existing title 18 of the
United States Code that allows us to ask for a wiretap and we want to
tap John Doe's phone,'' if the court concludes there is probable cause,
then in fact what we do is we go along and we say: All right, the judge
says that he will allow a wiretap. Generally what happens is you get a
wiretap for a specific phone in John Doe's office or John Doe's home.
But lots of times what has happened is that John Doe may figure he may
be being tapped because he knows he is doing something wrong. He knows
he is trying to avoid detection. So he may walk to the corner phone
booth and use the corner phone booth all the time. Or he may go use the
phone in his sister's home.
Right now the current authority for what are known as roving or
multipoint wiretaps, or wiretap orders--a provision was proposed by the
President, but not included in the Republican substitute, that would
allow this kind of multipoint order, multipoint wiretap to be used.
Multipoint wiretaps allow law enforcement officers to obtain a judicial
order to intercept the communications of a particular person, not just
for one specific phone as with most wiretap orders, but on any phone
that a person may use.
A recent prosecution will help illustrate how the multipoint wiretaps
work. In this particular case involving one of the world's biggest
international drug traffickers, agents determined that a courier was
contacting his bosses by using a number of randomly chosen public
phones around his home, public phones outside his home. A multipoint
wiretap was obtained and up to 25 phones were identified to prepare for
the chance that the target would use one of these phones. Any time he
used one of those phones the agents were able to initiate a wiretap.
Interceptions obtained in this way led to 53 Federal indictments and 19
tons of cocaine that were seized.
The wiretap on his phone would not have yielded much at all, but they
identified all the phones around this guy's neighborhood because they
watched him. They watched the pattern. He would walk out of his house
and go to a telephone and use that phone. The next time he would use
one two streets down from his home, and then four streets, and across
the street, and in the drug store across the street. So they got an
order for a multipoint wiretap. And they were right. They got the order
through a judge.
Under the current law the Government can get a multipoint wiretap
order only if it can show that the defendant is intending to thwart
surveillance, usually by switching from phone to phone. The amendment
the President wants, and Senator Lieberman will propose on his behalf,
would allow a multipoint wiretap where the defendant's conduct has the
effect of thwarting surveillance regardless of whether or not the
Government can prove the defendant's intent. Keep in mind they already
have a guy they identified as the subject of a legitimate wiretap in
his own home. And there is probable cause to believe this guy is doing
something bad that exists as a crime under the law that you can get a
wiretap for.
Mr. HATCH. Will the Senator yield on that point?
Mr. BIDEN. I will be happy to.
Mr. HATCH. Actually, I think the amendment the Senator is talking
about is a good amendment. We have some on our side who have some
troubles with it, but I probably am going to support this amendment
because, let us be honest about it, all they are saying is they are
going to follow the criminal. That is all this amendment means. The
President is right on this, in my opinion, in that sense.
The original amendment written in the President's bill is not as good
as this one, as I understand. We have even worked with my colleague on
the language on it. I am going to talk to our side and see if there is
some way we can get them to accept that amendment. But there are people
who are so afraid of the Government right now--polls show somewhere
around 40 percent of the people are afraid of their Government. That is
pathetic. And part of the reason is because of what happened in Waco,
because of what happened at Ruby Ridge, and a whole variety of other
reasons, because the Federal Government has been too intrusive in all
of our lives.
But I think the distinguished Senator from Delaware and I, working
together, might be able to get this done because I think he makes a
tremendous point. So did the President. With what the President wants
to do, the problem was the roving ban semantically had implications
that frightened people even more. But all the distinguished Senator
from Delaware, as I understand it, is trying to do for and on behalf of
the President and others is say that, if you have a criminal who is
going from phone to phone, you can follow the criminal. I personally do
not see anything wrong with that. I see some great value in doing
exactly that.
Once again, I give the Senator from Delaware credit for being one of
the astute leaders in criminal law. We agree on a lot more than we
disagree on. Frankly, where we disagree--and there are acceptable and
good arguments on both sides. I appreciate the way he is approaching
this. I want to read the language. But I personally feel pretty
strongly that this amendment ought to be supported by both sides. I did
not mean to take so much of the time.
Mr. BIDEN. That is fine. Mr. President, I am delighted for the
intervention. As I said at the outset of my discussion of this, the
chairman was occupied with the staff for a moment. At the time, I said
that I was confident he and I could work this out. I am confident we
can work out most of this. The reason I raise this is an illustration
of the larger point I am making; that is, there is no attempt to delay
anything here. This provision was not included in the Republican bill.
I think it is a very important provision.
Mr. HATCH. Will the Senator yield?
Mr. BIDEN. Yes.
Mr. HATCH. I do not think there is any attempt on the part of my
friend and colleague from Delaware to delay. But by his own comments
today he indicated that if we could get right off the habeas problem,
we would not have the problems, we probably would not have 68 Democrat
amendments. My personal belief is that we have to face that problem one
way or the other.
The distinguished Senator from Delaware has some well-intentioned
amendments in this area. I have to fight against them. But at least he
is willing to face this issue. It is always easier to take
controversial matters and not deal with them. But in this case, I think
we have to do it. It is the only thing that really will make a
difference with regard to Oklahoma City.
I call my colleague's attention, because of his comments earlier in
the day where he said, if we did Federal habeas, that is all that needs
to be done here. I call his attention to Robert H. Mason's letter dated
May 24, 1995. He is district attorney for Oklahoma County, the district
in which this occurred, where he points out that if you did just
Federal habeas, it would not solve the problem because there were
people who were not Federal workers, who were not in the building at
the time, who were also killed and maimed. He intends to bring
prosecutions in the State courts and to have swift justice in those
cases also, which would require full habeas corpus reform like we have.
I respect my colleague. He knows that. We have been together on too
many occasions. We have fought battles together, and we have fought
them against each other. There are very few [[Page S7676]] people who
understand these criminal law ramifications as well as my friend from
Delaware. But I would really urge him to help us on this habeas corpus
reform because I really believe it is something that has to be faced,
it is something we need to do, and I think we can do it the way it is
written in a way that protects the civil liberties and rights of those
who are accused.
I apologize for again interrupting and taking time.
Mr. BIDEN. Not at all. Mr. President, I welcome--not interruptions--I
welcome this colloquy and conversation. I know that there is an
understanding that there will be no votes until 5 o'clock. So the
likelihood of anybody other than the most stalwart of the Members of
the Senate--I see the distinguished Senator from West Virginia and the
distinguished Senator from North Carolina here--other than a few, there
are going to be a lot of folks making their way back from the west
coast and the Midwest on airplanes. So the likelihood of anything
happening of consequence between now and the time that it was announced
there would be a vote is de minimis. So I welcome the discussion.
Let me just again, not by way of argumentation but illustration of
the confusion surrounding the legislation--understandable confusion.
Even if the Republican bill had not been introduced, had the
President's bill been introduced and nothing else, there would be
confusion surrounding it. I do not mean this in a pejorative way.
The letter from the district attorney, as I understand it, from
Oklahoma County, the county in which Oklahoma City is--I have not read
it yet, but the fact of his rationale of why they need full habeas
corpus, to have State habeas corpus included, is because there were
non-Federal workers killed--understandably, he misunderstands the bill.
It does not matter who is killed in the building. It is a Federal
crime. That is what we are establishing. It is a Federal crime. A
foreign national could be killed in the building, anyone, under current
law, killed in a Federal building that is blown up, it is a Federal
crime. It is also a State crime as well. It can be a State crime as
well. But it is a Federal crime.
So the point raised by the distinguished--again, I am not criticizing
the district attorney or the prosecutor in that county. I doubt whether
he has had a chance to review the existing Federal law. But at any
rate, the larger point here is this: I am ready, willing, anxious and,
hopefully will be able to demonstrate, ``able'' to debate this habeas
corpus issue. The reason why I did not want habeas corpus introduced
into this issue is because I did not want to also get into a debate on
guns in this issue. I did not want to debate militia and NRA and ACLU
and all of these things.
Look, I am fearful that, although things have calmed down a little
bit, if you listen to the rhetoric from Democrats and Republicans on
these issues, you would assume that everyone who joined a militia--by
the way, we should not use that phrase. They are not militia. There is
no militia under the Constitution. But anyone who joins these groups
who organize themselves and call themselves militia, on the one hand
you have everybody making them patriots; on the other hand, all a bunch
of thugs, depending on who speaks to it. The same with the NRA--the NRA
puts out an ill-advised letter, and all of sudden everyone in the NRA
is a ``thug'', a ``bum.'' The vast majority of NRA members in my State,
the overwhelming number of NRA members are honest, decent citizens.
They join the NRA because that is the outfit that taught them how to
use a gun when they were a Boy Scout, how to fire their first rifle,
took them to the firing range.
I am going to oppose the amendment of Senator Lautenberg. I support
the use of that $25 million in funds allowing ammunition to be made
available to teach people how to learn to use weapons. That is a
healthy thing. That is not a bad thing. Half of the people who join the
NRA in my State join for the insurance that is offered by the NRA. The
NRA, the members of the NRA, are good, God-fearing people; some of them
probably good atheists; they are good everything. The fact they join
the NRA is not because it is a bad organization.
But what is going to happen here before this debate is over is we
start talking about guns. They are either all going to be superpatriots
or they are all going to be a bunch of thugs. I think that is a useless
debate to have now when what the President says he needs, we all know
he needs, is he needs more agents. He needs more money. He needs more
authority.
So to finish the point--and I will be happy to yield--before I finish
my statement, my reluctance about getting into a debate on habeas
corpus is that we who have been around here even a year all know that
is what we refer to in the jargon as a ``hot-button issue.'' Once you
mention habeas corpus, you bring out everything, left and right and
center. It engages almost a religious debate. It takes on proportions
like striker replacement. I mean it brings out everyone's deeply-held
feelings.
I predicted as soon as habeas corpus was put on this bill that there
would be 1, 2, 5, 10 amendments on guns. I suspect my friends would
acknowledge that, if the Democrats had decided to introduce a terrorism
bill that was loaded up with gun amendments, they would say, ``Wait a
minute. What are you doing that for? You are just trying to delay
action on this thing. Are you just trying to raise everyone's hackles?
Are you just trying to get into sort of a debate that has nothing to do
with the added responsibility and authority that the President wants
and has?''
That is the only point I am making about habeas corpus. But it is
done. The reason I even mentioned it now is to explain what I think has
been already demonstrated by the short colloquy we have had thus far
that Senator Dole is wrong. This has nothing to do with the intent to
delay.
The introduction of habeas complicated--did not delay--complicated
action on this bill. Deletion of more intrusive authority on the part
of the FBI complicated what already was a difficult debate requiring
additional amendments. Additions of some legislation I support, and
some I do not relative to firearms complicated consideration of this
core legislation.
That is the only broad point I wish to make. That does not add up to
delay. That adds up to an additional consumption of time out of
necessity. It is necessary to use more time to resolve those
complicated problems.
I daresay that if, in fact, my Republican colleagues thought that any
one of these gun amendments was likely to pass, there would be, as
there was in the past, extended debate. Just like I worried and
thought--but is not going to happen now--that, if they raised habeas
corpus, there would be extended debate. Neither is going to happen. I
presume the reason it is not going to happen is because they have the
votes. It always makes things go quicker when you have the votes. I
remember the good old days when we used to have the votes. We do not
have the votes anymore, my team. So we understand the likely outcome on
most of this.
But this is not an attempt to delay. That is the only point I wish to
make again to my distinguished friend, the Republican leader from
Kansas, who on the Sunday talk show--I think it was Meet the Press, I
am not certain which one it was--and today directly stated that this
was a Democratic effort to delay.
The other side of this is that I am going to have, as we say, ``clean
hands'' in this matter. The administration is putting pressure on the
Republican leader asking, ``Why did you not get my bill?''
Why did you not get it done? Why do we not have this done? I think
part of that also is done for political reasons.
And so I just hope that we in this body, once folks fly back into
town here and we start debating on the amendments, can agree where we
can agree, as the Senator from Utah and I at least think we can agree
on the so-called multipoint wiretapping that the President wants made
available to him, or made available to Federal agencies, and I hope we
can even go back and revisit the, I think, ill-advised vote defeating
the Lieberman amendment on wiretapping because I think once people took
a closer look at it and took off our sort of political blinders here,
they would see what was being asked for had nothing to do with anything
other than what we now allow under our law and have to deal with the
Mafia. Why [[Page S7677]] should the terrorist organizations have any
more protection than the Mafia? I do not understand that. And I do not
think, in fairness to those who voted against it, they fully understood
what the amendment meant.
Again, terrorism is no trivial matter. If it takes a week, then it is
time well spent, in my view, to arrive at a serious, significant piece
of legislation that gives additional tools to the Government without
infringing upon any of the civil liberties of the American people and
diminishes the prospects that domestic or foreign terrorists will be
able to succeed in repeating what was done at the World Trade Center
and what was done in Oklahoma City.
So I do not consider this a waste of time. The telecommunications
bill is an important bill, but I imagine, if you said to the American
people, we can do one of two things for you: We can pass a bill that
will enhance and make better the way in which the telecommunications
industry functions in America and we can do that right away, or we can
pass a bill that significantly strengthens the United States ability to
deal with terrorists and to prevent terrorist acts, which do you want?
My guess is they would pick--I do not know what they would pick. I
would pick doing something about terrorism.
So in my view, even if it takes the remainder of the week to work our
way through these amendments--and I predict it will not, but even if it
did, it would not be wrong nor unreasonable. The goal here is we must
get the best possible bill that we can. We owe no less to the American
people. We owe no less to the people in Oklahoma City. We owe no less
to ourselves. We owe more, much more, to the memory of those who have
lost their lives at the hands of a madman or mad men and women in the
unthinkable moment of insanity that we witnessed now well over a month
ago.
And so I look forward, once we have a quorum assembled here in
Washington--and again, I am not being critical of anyone who is not
here now. If you represent the State of Utah or the State of California
or the State of Washington and you went home over the recess, it is
difficult to get back here early in the day and still meet your
commitments without leaving a day earlier.
And so I am confident we can move with some dispatch once we get
underway. I just plead with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle
and on both sides of the various issues that will be raised here that
we should not make the same mistake the authors of the NRA letter made.
They figured out they made a mistake and they retracted what they said.
We are going to have a tendency, as this debate heats up, to say some
fairly outrageous things, some of which may even be true. But I do not
think this is the circumstance under which we should do it.
I say to the Presiding Officer, I really do believe that we owe it to
the people who have been victimized thus far by a foreign and a
domestic terrorist act to act with dispatch, in a slightly
dispassionate way, to come up with hardnosed, serious efforts to enable
the Federal Government to legitimately fulfill its primary role of
protecting the American people under these circumstances from these
kinds of actions. So I will try my best to follow my own advice as this
debate goes forward and suggest that to vilify any organization, right
or left, to vilify individuals will not get us very far. What we should
be doing is vindicating, vindicating those who have already suffered
greatly in an attempt to make sure that we do not have to stand on the
floor of the Senate again and deal with a similar circumstance.
The President has basically asked for two things. The first thing he
said was give me more people. Give me more FBI agents. Give me more
people to do this job. We should do that. We should do that, A, because
he is right and, B, because even those who might want to point out that
the last President and this President cut people for a while, they did
not add as rapidly as they should have--well, for whatever the reason,
let us not argue about that. He wants more people. We should give him
more people--him and whomever follow-on Presidents will be.
Second, he said I need some additional authority. The authority I
would like to have as the chief law enforcement officer for the United
States of America, as the Chief Executive to give to the law
enforcement agencies in this country the ability to do some things
other nations have done with great success, that have diminished the
ability to make these god-awful bombs, give the authority to tag the
elements of these explosives so that when they blow up, you can
identify from whence they came, where they were purchased and,
hopefully, who purchased them to solve the crime. They are called
taggants. We will debate that. There are legitimate reasons to debate
it. But I think it is a legitimate request on the part of the
President.
The President also says I need some additional authority to deal with
this new emerging problem of terrorism on American soil, and it is
authority that I want expanded for wiretapping in certain circumstances
under which they are expanded. I think he should be given that
authority, or at least we should debate it and make that decision as a
body.
I think we should focus on the expanded authority he says he needs,
and we should focus on the expanded resources he is requesting, and do
our job for the American people and do it, as I said, hopefully--
hopefully--by demonstrating to them that we can do something of
consequence that is not rooted in political motivation, something of
consequence on which we can agree. And, my Lord, if we cannot agree as
a body, Democrats and Republicans, that we should give more authority
to deal with terrorists in this country, then I am not sure on what we
are likely to agree.
So I look forward to a reasoned, a serious, and hopefully an
unemotional debate on these issues, and a resolution in the near term
so that we can send to the President of the United States, after a
conference with the House, a piece of legislation that is worthy of his
signature.
I thank the Senate for listening, and I see that Senator Exon and
others are in the Chamber. I would be happy to yield the floor for the
time being.
Mr. EXON addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown). The Senator from Nebraska is
recognized.
Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I congratulate the managers of this bill,
the Senator from Delaware and the Senator from Utah, both very good
friends of mine. I have the utmost faith and confidence in their
abilities. I recognize they do not always agree. But I believe that
under the leadership of these two individuals, who have been foremost
in the Judiciary Committee for a long, long time, we certainly should
be able to come up with some workable arrangement to dispose of the
terrorist bill which the President sent us.
As I brought out when we last met here 10 days ago, when the majority
leader and the minority leader were debating the fact of how fast we
could move this bill ahead--we were going to take it up today, and the
majority leader said he wanted to complete work on it on Tuesday--for
the life of me, I do not know why Tuesday is such a magical date. I
simply say there were supposedly some 50 or 60 amendments that were
going to be offered, or proposed to be offered by Members on both sides
of the aisle. We also remember that in the last week we met here, we
had some 55 or 60 amendments to the budget bill. We finally got down to
work and completed our deliberations and had our votes in a matter of,
I believe, 3 days.
As important as I think the budget debate was, as important as I
think the ever-increasing deficit is, as alarmed as I am about the
ever-increasing national debt and the cost to the taxpayers for the
interest on that national debt, I do not believe there is anything more
important to the people of United States of America today than
terrorism.
Terrorism is not like the balanced budget that I hoped we could get
to a few years ago down the road. It is with us today. It was
demonstrated in Oklahoma City very vividly most recently. I would
simply like to ask my colleagues, if I could get their attention, to
explain to this Senator why is it that we cannot make some kind of a
good-faith effort by the two leaders of the Judiciary Committee,
supported by the majority leader and the minority leader, to come to
some kind of an understanding about how many amendments we are going to
have, and about [[Page S7678]] how long that is going to take. I would
think that if we would try to stay away from the filibuster and
eventually limit debate to 15 minutes a side for most of these
amendments, clearly that would give us an opportunity, in this
Senator's opinion, to come forth and let the Senate express its will by
majority vote on this tremendously important amendment that has to do
with terrorism. And I assure all of my colleagues--and they know it
full well--that terrorism is unfortunately alive and well in America
today. I believe that the people of the United States expect us to
stand up and do something about it, not in a foot race fashion, but in
an expedited process of some kind, to have everyone have a chance, as
is customary in the Senate, to work their will and maybe offer
amendments.
This Senator has no amendments to the bill. That cuts us down to 99
other Senators that may have amendments. I simply say to the managers
that this Senator wishes to cooperate with them, and if they would put
out an appeal and if the majority leader and minority leader would join
in that, I would think that maybe we can focus on this important piece
of legislation that the President has set up. We do not have to approve
it exactly like the President wanted it. We can change it dramatically
in any fashion we see fit by a majority vote here.
I simply feel if we can put out this appeal, certainly the majority
party, the Republicans, have demonstrated that they march basically in
lockstep on most of these matters. The Republicans, it seems to me,
have the majority and have the responsibility to either vote up or down
on any amendments that could be offered from either side. I am simply
appealing for some expeditious action on this tremendously important
piece of legislation. If we have to take until Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, or even into next week, and if that is necessary, I
do not think there is anything more important right now than this bill
that is before us.
I salute the President for addressing terrorism. A failure of respect
for law and order is rampant in our society today. Certainly, the
police, the prosecutors, the judicial system we depend on to handle
these matters for us, need strengthening, they need additional tools. I
believe that the bill suggested to us by the President of the United
States goes a long way into helping these people that need help today
with the ever-increasing threat of terrorism.
So I simply pose a question for the managers of the bill. At their
first opportunity, I ask them to respond as to whether there have been
efforts made and are efforts being made now before the vote--as I
understand it, there is a vote scheduled for 6 p.m. this evening. I
would certainly be willing to remain here until midnight or 2 or 3
o'clock in the morning to take up or debate the reason or lack thereof
of many of the amendments that I understand are to be offered.
I hope that we will not do what the majority leader had indicated
over the weekend--that he would pull the bill down on Tuesday--
tomorrow--unless we complete action. I feel, though, that the majority
leader is not irresponsible in asking for some time agreements, some
way to limit the number of amendments that I think could be
constructively moved forward, if it is the will of the majority of this
body.
I have posed a question, and I will await the response of the
managers of the bill at their first opportunity.
Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HATCH. 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. HATCH. Mr. President, I have listened to my distinguished
colleague from Delaware and my distinguished colleague from Nebraska,
and I appreciate both of their remarks.
With all due respect, I have to point out to my distinguished friend
from Delaware that most all of the language in this bill was found in
the substitute and it came from S. 3, introduced the first day of this
session and S. 390, introduced several months ago. We have had several
hearings in the full committee and two in the subcommittee. Thus, the
language in this bill is well known.
Second, of the 32 Republican amendments, 12 have either been offered
or have gone away. I suspect most of the others will as well. I fully
expect that many of the remaining Republican amendments will also
disappear in short order, once we move pretty quickly here.
What I find troubling, however, is the suggestion that habeas corpus
should be dropped from the bill. The President--a Democrat, I might
add--called for habeas corpus reform in his ``60 Minutes'' interview.
His instincts were right. He knows this is the time to try to get
habeas corpus reform and that it will make some difference to the
victims and survivors of the Oklahoma City incident. In fact, it is the
only thing we can do in this bill that will really make any difference
to them. They have called for this.
As I wear this ribbon in their honor symbolizing the four strands--
Oklahoma, hope, those who could not be found, and those who are dead--I
have to say that I feel very deeply that we need to do this.
So in addition to the President, who has called for habeas corpus
reform--but, of course, he has been riddled by those on the liberal
side of his fence for having called for it, and has thus been somewhat
muted ever since. I might mention there are other Democrats that are
very strong for this habeas corpus provision of the bill. The
Democratic attorney general of the State of Oklahoma is one of our
strongest supporters. He has called for habeas corpus reform in the
form this bill has it. The Democratic district attorney of Oklahoma,
Robert H. Macy, has called for habeas corpus reform. Add to this a
bipartisan letter from the State attorneys general and the State
district attorneys.
Mr. President, they also have called for habeas corpus reform. You
have a pretty good idea that this is a bipartisan appeal. It is a
bipartisan reform.
I just wish that my distinguished friend from Delaware had been with
me 2 weeks ago when I talked to these survivors and victims and family
members. Just this morning, I have met those people whose lives have
been shattered by the Oklahoma City bombing. Interestingly enough, they
have all called for habeas corpus reform in the form that this bill has
it.
I think it is important that we continue to fight for this aspect of
the bill. It is about time. We have argued about it for years. We have
a chance of debating it at this particular time, and we should do so.
I have to say that I was also interested in Senator Biden's comments
that these are Federal crimes. Well, I am not so sure they are with
regard to the State citizens who were not Federal employees who were
outside of the building at the time. This bill will not apply
retroactively and could not be applied retroactively. So those
murderers are going to have to be prosecuted in State court. If there
is no habeas corpus reform applying to the State courts, we will
continue to live with the long, incessant delays and appeals that have
gummed up this system for years.
If we just enact a law that expands Federal jurisdiction over only
Federal employees, that would not cover those nonfederal employees who
were killed outside of the building. It could not be applied to those
cases against the Oklahoma killers. To do so would be a clear
violation. If we tried to apply Federal law to this, it would be a
clear violation of the constitutional provision of the ex post facto
laws. That is the way it appears to me.
This body needs to understand that habeas corpus reform, both State
and Federal, is the only thing we can enact that will directly affect
the Oklahoma case.
I might mention, also, that rather than exploiting the devastation of
Oklahoma City, I believe that we are protecting the families of the
victims from additional unwarranted victimization.
Comprehensive habeas corpus reform, as I have said before, is the
only legislation Congress can pass as part of a terrorism bill that
will have a direct affect on the Oklahoma City bombing. It is the one
thing Congress can pass to ensure President Clinton's promise that
swift justice will be kept. [[Page S7679]]
President Clinton, recognizing this fact during his April 23, 1995,
``60 Minutes'' appearance, showed that he understood this. His
instincts were right when, in response to a question about whether
those responsible would actually be executed without the adoption of
habeas reform, he said:
It may not . . . happen but the Congress has the
opportunity this year to reform the habeas corpus
proceedings, and I hope they will do so.
The claim that habeas corpus reform is tangential or unrelated to
fighting terrorism is ludicrous. Indeed, habeas corpus reform has far
more to do with combating terrorism than many of the proposals
contained in the administration's own antiterrorism package, such as
the proposals to enhancing FBI access to telephone billing records, and
to loosen standards for use of wiretaps in felony cases.
Although most capital cases are State cases and the State of Oklahoma
could still prosecute this case, our habeas reform proposal would apply
to Federal death penalty cases as well. It would directly affect the
Government's prosecution of the Oklahoma bombing case.
Indeed, several people were killed just outside the Oklahoma Federal
building. The terrorists who destroyed the Federal building could thus
be tried in State court for the murder of those citizens.
The district attorney for Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County is
planning those prosecutions. The progress of this bill demonstrates the
relationship of habeas reform to the terrorist bombing.
No. 1, it would place a 1-year limit for the filing of a habeas
petition on all death row inmates, State and Federal inmates. No. 2, it
would limit condemned killers convicted in State and Federal courts to
one habeas corpus petition where, under current law, there is currently
no limit to the number of petitions he or she may file. No. 3, it
requires the Federal courts, once a petition is filed, to complete the
judicial action within a required specified time period.
Clearly, by passing these provisions, we ensure that those
responsible for killing scores of U.S. citizens will be given the swift
penalty that we in society exact upon them.
Now, one last thing. One reason we brought habeas corpus reform here
is not just because it is the right thing to do. It is the right thing
to do with regard to keeping off gun amendments. We have asked people
on our side to not get involved in any gun fights today. If there has
to be a gun fight, we should do it over the crime bill that we will
bring up in the future. We should keep this bill clean and decent. I
would caution my colleagues on the other side, we should not try to
make this a gun issue.
There is no reason to get into that debate, when we are trying to
pass basically what the President has said he must have, what the
Justice Department has said it must have, what the FBI Director has
said he must have; that is, legislation that could really give some
teeth to law enforcement in the area of antiterrorist activities.
I think we should concentrate on that goal. We should not get
involved in extraneous debates. We ought to pass this bill as quickly
and as promptly as we can. If we have to fight it out over habeas
corpus reform, we should do it.
I think the distinguished Senator from Delaware has 67 amendments on
that. Fine, bring them up. We will fight them out and see what happens.
I can live with almost anything if we can get a bill passed that will
really make a difference in not only all of our lives, but the people
specifically in Oklahoma City whose lives have been devastated by what
happened there. I think passing this bill will be as good a
memorialization for those who have died as anything we in the U.S.
Congress can do.
I cannot imagine why any Member would fight this bill when we have
worked our guts out to work with our President, to work with the
Justice Department, the FBI, and others. And this will beef up law
enforcement as it should be beefed up, not only from the law
enforceability standpoint, but from a law enforcement personnel
standpoint. It is long overdue. I agree with the distinguished Senator
from Delaware.
In the last 2 years, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have
been cut back rather than beefed up. Now the President realizes that we
have to change course and beef them up. There is about $1.8 billion in
this bill that will take care of strengthening our law enforcement with
regard to antiterrorist activities and other activities that are long
overdue, in my eyes.
I have been complaining about this for quite a while. I have to
admit, I think during the Reagan and Bush years, we could have done a
better job of beefing up the FBI and other law enforcement agencies
ourselves. Now is the time to face these issues. I think we should do
so.
We have a number of stacked amendments. The bill is currently open
for any other amendments that any Member might file. I hope that our
colleagues will bring their amendments to the floor and debate them. We
still have 2\1/2\ hours before we begin voting. I would like to resolve
as many of them as we can, and stack as many amendments as we can for
voting.
I am hopeful that we can get colleagues to withdraw amendments that
really do not belong on this bill, and to reduce the number of
amendments we can have so that we can pass this bill by tomorrow
evening, if we can, or at least within a relatively short time.
I understand the majority leader's pressures. There are all kinds of
important pieces of legislation that must be brought before the U.S.
Senate over the next few weeks and months. He has not had the time to
devote excessively to any particular bill. This is one bill that has to
pass. We will pass it. I hope that all Members will cooperate in the
process.
I hope our Senators will bring their amendments to the floor and we
can move from there. 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. CRAIG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Senator from Idaho is recognized.
Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I came to the floor this afternoon to stand
in support of the Dole-Hatch substitute to Senate bill 735 that deals
with necessary and appropriate redefining of our laws in relation to
terrorist activities or terrorist type activities in this country.
But in coming to the floor this afternoon to speak, I also wanted to
speak very briefly on the amendment that is pending and will be voted
on this afternoon offered by the Senator from California on the issue
of taggants.
The legislation before us deals with taggants, and the question is
then, if it does and does so appropriately, why will the Senator from
California offer something that is considerably different? Is it a new
idea? Not at all. In fact, it is really quite an old idea that the
Congress has looked into before over the years to attempt to identify
or cause to be identified explosive material so that when they are
inappropriately used or misused they can be identified and traced. To
my knowledge no one in this country has objection to that concept. But
the word ``concept'' is what is key in this debate.
It is a concept. And there have been studies produced that would
argue that, while it is well intended, it may be at least at this point
in time scientifically and technologically impossible to get to the
point of putting in explosive materials, that are so designed to
develop to do certain things, an identifiable marker that would still
cause them to perform as they were tested and manufactured to perform.
In fact, the concern is that it might cause them to perform in an
inappropriate way and cause harm to the individual who was using them
in a legitimate, legal, and responsible fashion.
That is, of course, exactly what the Senate bill 735 substitute
recognizes when it proposes that we study this issue and try to bring
the community of science and technology together to see whether in fact
we can produce an identifiable marker, if you will, within an explosive
material that tags it, that identifies it, and that would allow it to
be used. [[Page S7680]]
There was something else said by the Senator from California this
morning, that at least frustrated me, which was her very open and
direct statement that the NRA opposed it, the National Rifle
Association. I thought it was important that the record be straight,
that, in fact, the record be factual.
The NRA does not oppose this provision of Senate bill 735. What the
NRA, as a responsible representative of a variety of people who use
gunpowders for legitimate reasons, is suggesting is that, if you do not
do it right and you do it wrong, you could cause damage to a lot of
innocent people and produce unaffordable costs that do not make a lot
of sense.
Let me read to you on the record testimony given before the Judiciary
Committee in April of 2 years ago on this issue. Point one proves that
is an old idea whose time may not have come yet because we do not have
the science and technology to allow it to come; and, second, the NRA
never did nor does it now have an official position on the issue.
Let me quote from that testimony.
``The National Rifle Association does not take an official position
concerning the licensing, manufacture and restrictions placed upon
commercial high explosives, for that is not an area within our field of
interest. However, we would be derelict in our responsibilities to
America's gun owners and as citizens if we did not point out to this
committee''--meaning the Judiciary Committee of the Senate--``the basic
flaws and fallacies of the taggants technology.''
``An important point that must be made to the committee is that
tagging explosives is not a new idea. In fact, the Congress studied and
rejected the concepts involving identification and detection taggants
in the latter 1970's and early 1980's. The premise behind that
experience has been restricted in the aftermath of the bombing''--this
was the World Trade Center hearings that emanated out of that horrible
explosion--``that law enforcement officers should be assisted in their
investigation of tagging explosives. But the facilitation that was to
be realized is not available.''
In other words, the technology, the availability of the science to do
what might be the right thing to do simply does not exist. I ask
unanimous consent that the entirety of that testimony be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Testimony of the Institute for Legislative Action of the National Rifle
Association
submitted to the judiciary committee of the u.s. senate, april 22, 1993
The Institute for Legislative Action of the National Rifle
Association (NRA) would like to thank the Senate Judiciary
Committee for the opportunity to submit testimony regarding
the issue of explosives tagging.
It may surprise the Committee to see the NRA testify on
what many consider purely an explosives matter. The fact is,
however, that tagging affects not only explosives, but also
propellant powders used by the over three million members of
the National Rifle Association and millions of sportsmen
throughout the country.
Current legislative proposals would affect all powder,
whether it be blackpowder used by antique and reproduction
firearms enthusiasts, or smokeless powder used in modern
firearms ammunition and by shooters who reload their own
ammunition. While section 845 (a)(5) of Chapter 40 exempts
commercial sporting grade blackpowder in quantities of fifty
pounds or less, all sporting grade blackpowder would have to
be tagged, since blackpowder is manufactured in larger
quantity lots. If propellant powders are going to be covered
in any legislative mandate that requires taggants be
utilized, then this becomes more than an explosives control
matter. It is a matter of concern to all gunowners.
Explosives tagging to register individual lots of
explosives is an idea that sounds wonderful, but like so many
wonderful-sounding ideas, it will not work. From a practical
perspective, explosives taggants simply will have no
significant effect upon terrorist bombers. The only major
effect of such a proposal will be to increase the paperwork
required by manufacturers and dealers in explosives and
propellants; increase the control exercised by BATF over
their activities; and to significantly increase the cost to
taxpayers and consumers.
The National Rifle Association does not take an official
position concerning the licensing, manufacture, and
restrictions placed upon commercial high explosives, for that
is not an area within our field of interest. However, we
would be derelict in our responsibilities to America's gun
owners and as citizens if we did not point out to this
Committee the basic flaws and fallacies of taggants
technology.
An important point that must be made to the Committee is
that tagging explosives is not a new idea. In fact, the
Congress studied and rejected the concepts involving
identification and detection taggants in the latter 1970s and
early 1980s. The premise behind that experience has been
resurrected in the aftermath of the bombing of the World
Trade Center--that law enforcement officials could be
assisted in their investigations by tagging explosives. But
the facilitation that was to be realized is now available to
BATF and other law enforcement agencies without the use of
taggants.
Identification taggants were first proposed as a means of
pinpointing exactly what type of explosive had been used in a
bombing. Detection taggants were intended to provide a means
of ``sniffing'' explosives that may be contained in a package
prior to detonation. But technology has surpassed those
premises. We now possess, and the federal government now
uses, machinery that can detect, or ``sniff'' the nitrates in
explosives. Additionally, other technologies allow law
enforcement officials to ``sniff'' a bomb scene and determine
what explosives were employed.
If it be the intent of Congress to place additional
controls upon commercial explosives, so be it; but Congress
should realize that explosives used in terrorist bombings are
not necessarily commercial explosives. Any objective analysis
would have to conclude, as they have in the past, that
terrorist bombings are quite unlikely to be significantly
affected by any proposed new requirements of this nature. Let
us examine the facts surrounding the incident that served as
an impetus for these hearings, the bombing of the World Trade
Center in New York City, and what is perhaps the greatest
fallacy behind proposal of explosives tagging--that
investigations would have been facilitated by the inclusion
of taggants in explosives materials.
According to the New York Times, the bomb was constructed
using urea, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid, all chemicals
that are ``inexpensive and widely available at chemical
companies,
laboratory supply stores or even garden centers. They can be
bought in bulk for less than $210 a ton.'' (March 11,
1993) Yet there has been no suggestion by BATF or any
other government agency to place taggants in these
products, or more importantly, in prilled ammonium nitrate
for the simple reason that there is no difference between
commercial ammonium nitrate used for blasting and the far
greater amounts of ammonium nitrate used as a fertilizer.
The fact is that there are no components of the bomb used
in the World Trade Center bombing that would have been
detected or identified had this proposal been in force.
One of the most easily made explosive devices is the mixing
of ammonium nitrate, or fertilizer, with a fuel oil, even
though it is currently prohibited by law. The resulting
explosive, commonly known as ANFO, would require a high
explosive booster charge, and that booster charge, if
obtained commercially, would be tagged under this concept.
But, ammonium nitrate may be illegally mixed with a fuel
which is itself an explosive, such as gasoline, or
nitromethane, the choice among high performance race car
drivers as a ``speed fuel'', both of which are technically
classified as explosives in standard reference books. If
ammonium nitrate and gasoline are combined, the result is a
powerful and easily detonated explosive--an explosive that
does not require a tagged booster charge. In fact, ammonium
nitrate and gasoline may be easily and reliably detonated by
a booster charge consisting of the same ammonium nitrate/
gasoline ingredients inserted in a pipe or similar container
and initiated by nothing more exotic than a conventional
firecracker.
An explosive consists merely of an oxidizer, which may
either be a chemical which during burning produces large
amounts of oxygen, or simply oxygen in the air, combined with
a fuel. As a case in point, a standard U.S. Army manual lists
as a special charge for use in flattening large buildings an
explosive which every Member of the Committee has in his
home--household flour. The flour is the fuel; oxygen in the
air is the oxidizer. Even blackpowder can be manufactured
with relative ease using common ingredients in any kitchen in
the country.
Additional ``recipes'' can be found in other widely
available pamphlets and brochures.
The reason that it is difficult, if not altogether
impossible, to control terrorist bombers by controlling
commercial explosives is that the terrorist bomber is not
limited to the use of commercial explosives. It is certain
that most, if not all, terrorist groups have the ability to
make extremely damaging explosives, while easily
circumventing the provisions of any technologically feasible
legislation. There is no reason to assume that taggants in
smokeless and blackpowder would have any effect in
controlling terrorist attacks. Information concerning
explosives is readily available--and access to that
information is impossible to control.
There are five basic problems confronting the terrorist
bomber: he needs (1) a material which is easy to acquire, (2)
safe to prepare, (3) not easily detectable in case of search
by police, (4) capable of being detonated after he is well
clear of the area, and (5) capable of highly explosive
effect. One type of bomb which easily meets these criteria
consists of nothing but a container of butane, such as
[[Page S7681]] used to fuel home workshop torches, gas lights
and similar devices, or even a small container used for
filling butane cigarette lighters, and an ordinary candle.
A bomber can, with relatively complete impunity, carry
those ingredients almost anywhere. And upon obtaining egress
to his chosen target site, he can enter an interior restroom
or storeroom and quickly produce a time bomb by lighting the
candle in one corner of the room, then venting the butane
bottle in another corner. The gas-air ratio is so broad, that
an explosion is certain to result when the gas reaches the
candle's flame. If such a bomb were placed in a central room
without windows, thereby confining the explosive force, a
large building could be destroyed. In effect, this type of
gas bomb duplicates the horrendous damage caused by an
explosion of leaking natural gas, with which all of us are
familiar.
Certainly, a bomb of sorts may be fashioned using either
smokeless or blackpowder propellant. However, to make an
effective bomb with these substances is far more difficult
and requires a more sophisticated knowledge of the
intricacies of explosive mechanics. Anyone
possessing such knowledge could, with equal ease, make a
cheaper, far more efficient, bomb from a myriad of other
substances.
According to the BATF, black and smokeless powders each
comprised 16 percent of criminal bombings in 1991. More than
fifteen years ago, in BATF's own testimony before the
Subcommittee on Criminal Laws and Procedures of this
Committee on September 12, 1977, Mr. Atley Peterson stated,
``because they (black and smokeless powders) produce a low-
order explosion, loss of life, injuries and property damage
are small.''
Using BATF's statistics, it seems apparent that black and
smokeless powder are not a major part of the bombing problem.
And, looking again to the issue of the relative ease and
rudimentary knowledge required to make ``kitchen counter''
blackpowder, it is unlikely that all incidents involve
commercially manufactured sporting grade blackpowder.
Undoubtedly, many blackpowder incidents could be traced to
homemade powder or non-sporting grade powder such as
fireworks or blasting powder, or even kitchen matches, when
simply cutting off the heads. Interestingly enough, much
blasting grade blackpowder is manufactured for military use.
Military explosives were in the past exempt from legislative
measures, although there are frequent reports of military
explosive thefts.
An important aspect of this concept is its feasibility.
According to the report ``Taggants in Explosives'' (OTA-ISC-
116), produced as a result of the Congressional interest in
taggants in the latter 1970s, no reliable method for tagging
smokeless powder has been developed, and blackpowder tagging
has only been tested with regard to its effects on the grade
of blackpowder used for blasting. There is no documented
evidence that a single round of tagged powder has been fired
from a muzzle-loading firearm. A problem with the
compatibility of smokeless powder and taggants was also
identified, calling into question the safety of taggants for
the thousands of handloaders using powder in \1/2\, 1 or 2
lb. cans and the millions of people owning modern ammunition
for their firearms.
An estimated five million pounds of smokeless and
blackpowder propellants are sold to shooters each year,
representing perhaps six million individual cans of powder.
Giving BATF every conceivable benefit of the doubt, we are
talking about a negligible amount of legally manufactured and
obtained smokeless and blackpowder being involved in an
``explosives incident'' in which tagging might be of some
benefit to the investigators.
The FY 1991 arrest figures for explosives incidents as
provided by BATF is 177, and the number of actual and
attempted explosives incentives was 1,965, giving an arrest
rate of 9%. A 1978 BATF cost/benefit analysis projects a 1.5
fold increase in arrests if tagging is mandated, then arrest
rates would go to 13.5%--a 4.5% increase. Out of the 589
black and smokeless powder devices recorded in 1991, current
arrests must total 53 cases. Tagging would, according to BATF
projections, increase this to 80 total arrests. This is an
increase of only 27 cases a year.
The same study estimated that the then annual taxpayer cost
of identification tagging at $10 million dollars, and
detection tagging at $9.4 million dollars. Using Bureau of
Labor Statistics calculations of the Consumer Price Index to
account for inflation, the same estimates today would be
$22.65 million and $21.29 million respectively. Using these
figures, taxpayers would pay $43.94 million dollars just to
arrest 27 more persons. With a projected $22.65 million
dollar annual cost, again from the fifteen year old
estimations and accounting for inflation, to be absorbed by
ammunition and powder consumers, the estimated total cost of
the program would be some $66.59 million. For that additional
taxpayer and consumer burden, the projected 27 additional
arrests would cost an average of $2.5 million dollars each.
In fact, BATF's own cost/benefit analysis indicated that this
program cannot be justified. BATF stated in the 1970s, with
reference to the detection tagging program, ``at present it
is impossible to estimate the effectiveness of tagged or
untagged detection with any degree of accuracy. Within this
large uncertainty, both tagged and untagged detection appear
to be, at best, of borderline economic viability.''
The BATF-commissioned study succinctly stated that,
``Ideally, the problem of control would be greatly simplified
if every ounce of explosive, legally manufactured and legally
used, could be completely accounted for.'' But, the study's
determination in favor of identification tagging is based
upon mere hypothesis, nothing more. Quite simply, BATF does
not know if taggants would be effective in apprehending or
deterring bombers.
Even ignoring the concerns now before this Committee--the
illegal manufacture and use of explosives--the sheer burden
of tracing every ounce of legal explosives to the purchaser,
and the minutely detailed records which would have to be kept
by the manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers
is staggering. If propellant powders are tagged, this will
drastically increase, and in many cases duplicate, the
paperwork and records already being kept by federal firearms
licensees. And how are we to trace explosives beyond the
first non-dealer purchase?
In the past, BATF has stated that ammunition recordkeeping
was a waste of resources, as ammunition tracing has never
solved a crime--the volume of records is just too large. If
propellant powders are tagged, every packaged quantity, no
matter how small, whether one can of black or smokeless
powder, or one box of ammunition, would have to be referenced
to manufacturer and lot number. But this recordkeeping would
simply do no good at all. One numbered lot of powder can
yield several thousand individual cans of powder and
literally thousands of boxes of ammunition. Even with
detailed records, tracing the end user would be like looking
for the proverbial ``needle in a haystack.''
Obviously, what the Congress and the American people really
want is a means to apprehend and punish those who use
explosives in an illegal fashion. It is assumed that this
threat of punishment will serve as an effective deterrent,
thereby decreasing the number of bombings. Yet, in view of
the flimsy evidence presented by the supporters of the
tagging program in the past, Congress is considering an
unknown quantity, which will have a questionable impact on
bombings and an undetermined ballistic effect on propellant
powders, not to mention the suspect safety of taggants on
handlers and end users. In fact, the only thing that seems
sure about this program is that if black and smokeless powder
are tagged, it will impose a mammoth recordkeeping burden on
small businessmen and drive up the cost of supplies for
sportsmen. As usual, the terrorist will blithely ignore the
law and the criminal circumvent it--for they are, by
definition, people who disobey the law. The law-abiding
citizen will once again be the only one affected by the
implementation of this concept. That is why the National
Rifle Association oppose the concept of tagging, specifically
propellant powders, and urges the Committee to reject this
concept as ill-conceived. The benefits of doing otherwise are
dubious at best, but the costs, in dollars and to the small
businessman handler are all too real.
We thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony to
this Committee.
Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, so why the amendment? Why not stay with the
substitute bill? If this Congress wants to get the industry that
manufactures explosives to a point in science and technology where we
could identify the explosive itself, why not pursue it in the way that
Senate bill 735 suggested? Or is there another reason to pursue it in a
way that the Senator from California has pursued it; that is, do it now
and study it later? That is a bit of a strange way to approach
something that, if done wrong or if caused by Government and forced to
be done without the proper basis of understanding to be done wrong,
could create the kind of damage that could occur if this were the case.
So let us today vote to table the amendment of the Senator from
California and stay with the substitute bill which does recognize the
importance of developing the science and technology for taggants. I
support that. And I hope we can get there.
But the record now shows that the National Rifle Association does not
oppose taggants, and it never has. It most assuredly supports the
science and the technology that could lead us to that. What it is
officially on the record as opposing is the amendment of the Senator
from California because it simply believes it is too premature. It
might well be risky to the science and the technology involved.
This Senate I think in a responsible way wants to do it right. The
right way is the Senate bill that has been appropriately heard with the
appropriate technology, or the record for technology built into it.
With that in mind, I hope as we vote this afternoon on the tabling
motion that we would support the committee and the chairman, and the
text of Senate bill 735.
I yield the remainder of my time. [[Page S7682]]
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. CRAIG assumed the chair.)
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Amendment No. 1207 to Amendment No. 1199
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, earlier today, the distinguished Senator
from Utah was kind enough to propose for me an amendment to the bill.
That particular amendment was designed to extend the sanctions that we
now have in place against Iran to all countries designated as terrorist
countries by our Secretary of State.
Let me add that it is not my intention with this legislation to
restrict the President or the Secretary of State. And included in the
amendment is a very extensive waiver provision so that while we would
have on our books a provision for adding these sanctions against other
countries that have been designated as terrorist countries, it would
not necessarily require the implementation of these sanctions, but it
would require the waiver of them in the event a terrorist country is so
designated. That waiver is quite broad and gives the President a great
deal of discretion. The President, if he so determines for national
security interests or even humanitarian reasons, may waive the action.
But what it does do, Mr. President, it gives some consistency to our
action. It puts countries that would contemplate using state terrorism
on notice that this country is serious, that there are sanctions, that
those sanctions are broad and significant, as in the sanctions the
President has applied against Iran.
It also will put them on notice that while these sanctions come with
being designated a terrorist country, it is possible, if they work with
our President and with the Secretary of State, they can work their way
out of it.
Mr. President, I think this is an important amendment because what it
says is we are going to be consistent. If a country chooses to adopt
these kinds of terrorist policies, we ought to at least make sure that
when we designate a nation as a terrorist country there are some
sanctions involved.
The final version of the amendment differs slightly from the
provision that was introduced earlier today. The waiver provision, to
be specific, is different in the final version of the amendment. It
simply makes clear that there are very wide discretions on the part of
the President. And I would ask unanimous consent that the final version
of the Brown amendment be entered into the Record at this point and
substituted for the original amendment.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, does the
Senator have a copy of that so I can take a quick look at it?
Mr. BROWN. I do. I would be glad to----
Mr. BIDEN. I would like to suggest maybe we could have a short quorum
call. I do not want to object. I do not think I will object, but if the
Senator would allow----
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I will withhold my unanimous consent
request until the distinguished Senator from Delaware has had an
opportunity to review the amendment, and I would at this point note the
absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The absence of a quorum having been suggested,
the clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Amendment No. 1209 to Amendment No. 1199
(Purpose: To prohibit the distribution of information on the making of
explosive materials with intent or knowledge that such information will
be used for a criminal purpose)
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I would like to send an amendment to
the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from California [Mrs. Feinstein] proposes an
amendment numbered 1209 to amendment No. 1199:
At the appropriate place in the amendment, insert the
following section:
SEC. ------. PROHIBITION ON DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION
RELATING TO EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS FOR A CRIMINAL
PURPOSE.
(a) Section 842 of title 18, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following new section:
``(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to teach or
demonstrate the making of explosive materials, or to
distribute by any means information pertaining to, in whole
or in part, the manufacture of explosive materials, if the
person intends, or knows that such explosive materials or
information will likely be used for, or in furtherance of, an
activity that constitutes a Federal criminal offense or a
criminal purpose affecting interstate commerce.''
(b) Section 844 of title 18, United States Code, is amended
by designating section (a) as subsection (a)(1) and by adding
the following new subsection:
``(a)(2) Any person who violates subsection (1) of section
842 of this chapter shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.''
Mr. BIDEN. Will the Senator yield for 30 seconds?
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Yes.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I had asked that a quorum call be put into
effect to determine whether or not I could agree with the unanimous
consent request by the Senator from Colorado. I would just ask the
Senator from California, when we conclude that, if I would be able to
interrupt her to allow the Senator from Colorado to amend his
amendment.
I do not seek that now, but I would like that so the Senator from
Colorado does not think I have put this off for a couple hours.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I am happy to, or I am happy to wait.
I am trying to use the time usefully.
Mr. BIDEN. I would encourage the Senator to proceed. I would ask her
permission, when we work this out, whether I could interrupt her at
that point.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Absolutely. I would be delighted. I thank the
Senator.
Mr. BIDEN. I thank the Chair and I thank the Senator.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to offer an amendment to
address what I believe is a rather surprising problem in our society,
and that is the distribution of bombmaking information for criminal
purposes. This amendment is simple, and I think this cartoon in USA
Today really describes what the situation is.
Here is a youngster sitting in front of his computer learning how to
put together a bomb. Here is the mother on the phone saying, ``History,
astronomy, science, Bobby is learning so much on the internet.''
This amendment would prohibit the teaching of how to make a bomb if a
person intends or knows that the bomb will be used for a criminal
purpose. Additionally, the amendment would prohibit the distribution of
information on how to put together a bomb if a person intends or knows
that the bomb will be used for a criminal purpose.
The penalty for violation of this law would be a maximum of 20 years
in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Now, you might ask, how is that possible? How would anybody do this?
I think the next chart I will put up will show clearly how it is
possible and what people today are doing.
Let me show you this. This is from the internet, entitled ``Stuff You
Are Not Supposed to Know About.'' It advertises the Terrorist Handbook.
It says,
Whether you are planning to blow up the World Trade Center,
or merely explode a few small devices on the White House
lawn, the Terrorist Handbook is an invaluable guide to having
a good time. Where else can you get such wonderful ideas
about how to use up all that extra ammonium triiodide left
over from last year's revolution?
Well, that is just part of it. What that then leads to is a whole
series of recipes on how to put together a bomb aimed at killing,
injuring, or destroying property. The handbook goes on to give a step-
by-step instruction on what to do. Let me quote from a section on
acquiring chemicals:
The best place to steal chemicals is a college. Many State
schools have all of their chemicals out on the shelves in the
labs and more in their chemical stockrooms. Evening is the
best time to enter a lab building, as there are the least
number of people in the building. Of course, if none of these
methods are successful, there is always section 2.11.
[[Page S7683]] And it then tells how to pick a lock to get into the
chem lab. It tells how to dress to look like a student. It tells where
the shelves are that the chemicals are on. The handbook lists various
explosive recipes, using black powders, nitroglycerin, dynamite, TNT,
and ammonium nitrate. It provides explicit instructions for making pipe
bombs, book bombs, light bulb bombs, glass container bombs and phone
bombs, just to name a few.
Now, I have heard people say, oh, but the Encyclopedia Britannica has
eight pages on explosives, and nobody criticizes that. Well, I have
read the eight pages on explosives, and it does not say how to make a
toilet paper roll booby trap. What legitimate purpose is there for a
toilet paper roll booby trap other than to kill somebody? You do not
blast out the stump of a tree. You do not need it for mining. You need
it for no civilian or military purpose other than to kill. Or a vacuum
cleaner booby trap. Again, no civilian or military purpose, no blasting
out of tree trunks, no mining use. A traffic cone booby trap. A video
alarm booby trap. A washing powder box booby trap. How to develop this
thing in a bottle or a box of soap powder.
Light bulb bombs. The Terrorist Handbook describes, ``an automatic
reaction to walking into a dark room is to turn on the light. This can
be fatal if a light bulb bomb has been placed in the overhead light
socket. A light bulb bomb is surprisingly easy to make. It also comes
with its own initiator, an electric ignition system.'' And then it goes
into detailed instructions and diagrams of how to put one together.
I am not going to repeat those on the floor of the U.S. Senate. But I
can assure you that the Terrorist Handbook provides these step-by-step
instructions.
One of the more appalling descriptions of bombmaking involves a baby
food bomb. The following information was taken from the bulletin board,
computer bulletin board off the internet. Baby food bombs. ``These
simple, powerful bombs are not very well known, even though all of the
material can be easily obtained by anyone, including minors. These
things are so''--and then there is a four-letter word--``powerful, that
they can destroy a car. Here is how they work.''
Then it tells how they work. It says,
Go to the Sports Authority or Herman's sports shop and buy
shotgun shells. At the Sports Authority that I go to, you can
actually buy shotgun shells without a parent or adult. They
do not keep it behind a little glass counter or anything like
that. It is $2.96 for 25 shells.
The computer bulletin board posting then provides instructions on how
to assemble and detonate the bomb. It concludes with these words:
If the explosion doesn't get them, the glass will. If the
glass doesn't get them, then the nails will.
I do not think our first amendment, or the framers of the
Constitution, want to protect the freedom of speech for criminal
purposes. Clearly, these bombs are there for one reason and one reason
only and that is a criminal purpose.
Let me give you another example that came through on April 23 of this
year on the internet.
Are you interested in receiving information detailing the
components and materials needed to construct a bomb identical
to the one used in Oklahoma? The information specifically
details the construction, deployment and detonation of high-
powered explosives. It also includes complete details of the
bomb used in Oklahoma City, how it was used and it could have
been better.
Another examples comes from April 25 on the internet. I will quote
it:
I want to make bombs and kill evil Zionist people in the
Government. Teach me, give me test files. Feed my wisdom, O
Great One.
That was April 25 on the internet.
The forward to the book ``Death by Deception: Advanced Improvised
Booby Traps'' states:
Terrorists, IEDs [improvised explosive devices] come in
many shapes and forms, but these bombs, mines, and booby
traps all have one thing in common: they will cripple or kill
you if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
In this sequel to his best-selling book ``Deathtrap,'' Jo
Jo Gonzales reveals more improvised booby-trap designs.
Discover how these death-dealing devices can be constructed
from such outwardly innocuous objects as computer modems,
hand-held radios, toilet-paper dispensers, shower heads,
talking teddy bears, and traffic cones. Detailed
instructions, schematic diagrams, and typical deployment
techniques for dozens of such contraptions are provided.
Now, none of this is for use in any constructive civilian or military
project. All of them are used for criminal purposes.
Other titles of books that teach people how to make bombs include:
``The Guerrilla's Arsenal: Advanced Techniques for Making Explosives
and Time-Delay Bombs''; ``The Advanced Anarchist Arsenal: Recipes for
Improvised Incendiaries and Explosives.''
Well, there are those who would say this is just a simple first
amendment exploration. Do not worry about it. People are just curious.
Well, let me tell you that on Friday, Orange County bomb squad Sgt.
Charlie Stump told me that a 14-year-old was in his garage making a
pipe bomb with an 11- and 12-year-old watching him do it. The
information to make this pipe bomb came from the Improvised Munitions
Black Book, which can be obtained in any gunshop through the Paladin
Press mail order outlets. So this youngster blew himself up, and right
next to him was the handbook that he used.
Another example. In Mission Viejo, a 20-year-old junior college
student went into the so-called survivalist movement and accidentally
set off his own bomb and killed himself. Again, the manual was sitting
right next to him.
So, according to the sergeant, these books tell you in vivid detail
how to make bombs, how to kill people, how to destroy cars, how to
destroy trains--whatever type of destruction you want to do, these
books will tell you how to do it.
The purpose of this amendment is to say that if you know or intend
this will be used in a criminal way, you have committed a Federal
criminal offense by putting out this information.
Other examples include the following:
One of the 1993 World Trade Center bombers was arrested with manuals
in hand.
In 1989, four Bethesda teenage boys were killed when a homemade pipe
bomb subsequently went off. They were following instructions from
another manual.
In 1987, a California teenager blew himself up with homemade bombs.
The ``Improvised Munitions Black Book'' was found nearby.
Enough is enough. Common sense should tell us that the first
amendment does not give someone the right to teach others how to kill
people. The right to free speech in the first amendment is not
absolute, and there are several well-known exceptions to the first
amendment which limit free speech.
These include obscenity; child pornography; clear and present
dangers; commercial speech; defamation; speech harmful to children;
time, place, and manner restrictions; incidental restrictions; and
radio and television broadcasting.
I do not for 1 minute believe that anyone writing the Constitution of
the United States some 200 years ago wanted to see the first amendment
used to directly aid one in how to learn to injure and kill others.
I believe that the distribution of information on bombmaking, if we
know that information will be used for a criminal purpose, should be
illegal.
At a recent hearing of the Judiciary Committee, I asked FBI Director
Louis Freeh if anyone has a first amendment right to teach someone how
to build a bomb in this country. He replied that it is a very important
debate that very few people have reviewed. He suggested that it is a
question that should be taken up by Congress. That is what we are doing
this very day.
My amendment is specifically aimed at preventing and punishing the
distribution of material that will be used to commit serious crimes
external to the distribution itself, and only when there is intent or
knowledge that the information will be used for a criminal purpose.
In other words, it is not aimed at suppressing contents per se, or
fashioned as a prior restraint. Its purpose is addressing the
facilitation of unlawful criminal conduct.
Now, we will talk for a moment about current law. There currently is
a Federal law on the books that is similar to my proposed amendment.
Title 18, section 231(a)(1) of the Criminal Code states:
Whoever teaches or demonstrates to any other person the
use, application, or making [[Page S7684]] of any firearm or
explosive or incendiary device . . . knowing or having reason
to know or intending that the same will be unlawfully
employed for use in, or in furtherance of, a civil disorder .
. . shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more
than 5 years, or both.
At least 18 States have similar bombmaking laws on the books,
including Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia,
Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North
Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
and Virginia.
I know that concerns have been raised by some civil libertarians and
others about the constitutionality of my amendment, because it in
essence takes this section which I have just read of the code and says
if you, additionally, distribute that information with the knowledge or
intent that it will be used for a criminal act, then you are guilty of
a Federal violation.
So if you read information that is within a terrorist handbook, where
the beginning page of the handbook says, ``Whether you are planning to
blow up the World Trade Center, or merely explode a few small devices
on the White House lawn, this is the information you should have,''
that clearly sets, in my view, the purpose and intent of providing the
information.
The current law, section 231 of title 18, has already been used to
prosecute several criminals. It has been constitutionally upheld by the
courts. In the United States versus Featherston, 1972, the Fifth
Circuit Court of Appeals held that the statute ``is not
unconstitutionally vague'' and affirmed the convictions of two
defendants who were prosecuted under the law.
The fifth circuit wrote:
. . . the statute does not cover mere inadvertent conduct.
It requires those prosecuted to have acted with intent or
knowledge that the information disseminated would be used in
the furtherance of a civil disorder.
I know, though, that the true test of the amendment's
constitutionality will be if and when it comes before the courts. And,
I welcome that opportunity.
The last time the Supreme Court directly dealt with the issue of
freedom of speech restrictions was over 20 years ago, in Brandenburg
versus Ohio, 1969. As I understand it, this case involved a Ku Klux
Klan leader's right to advocate destruction of property and other
violence as a means of obtaining political reform. I think it may be
time, especially in light of Oklahoma City and the World Trade Center
bombings, for the Supreme Court to deal with this issue again.
In today's day and age, when violent crimes, bombings, and terrorist
attacks are becoming too frequent--2,900 bombings a year, 541 in
California alone in the year 1993--and when technology allows for the
distribution of bombmaking material over computers to millions of
people across the country in a matter of seconds, I believe that some
restrictions on speech are appropriate.
Specifically, I believe that restricting the availability of
bombmaking information for criminal purposes, if there is intent or
knowledge that the information will be used for a criminal purpose, is
both appropriate and required in today's day and age.
As Wisconsin District Judge Robert Warren wrote in the Progressive
case dealing with the publication of information on how to build an
atomic bomb:
What is involved here is information dealing with the most
destructive weapon in the history of mankind, information of
sufficient destructive potential to nullify the right to free
speech and to endanger the right to life itself . . . . While
it may be true in the long run, as Patrick Henry instructs
us, that one would prefer death to life without liberty,
nonetheless, in the short run, one cannot enjoy the freedom
of speech or the freedom of the press unless one first enjoys
the freedom to live.
I could not agree more with Judge Warren.
Enough is enough. I do not believe the first amendment gives anyone
the right to teach someone how to kill other people or provide certain
information that will be used to commit a crime. Even our most precious
rights must pass the test of common sense.
I thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BIDEN. 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. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise to speak to the Feinstein amendment
and suggest that what the Senator from California has raised here,
paraphrasing director Freeh, is a debate that we should be having.
I do not think there are many people, and I do not think there are
any people here in this body, who would suggest that the examples the
Senator has given are examples we should not be concerned with. As
evidenced by the Senator's comments, she also is mindful that although
there are exceptions to the first amendment they are few, and we
should, in drafting legislation, keep the first amendment in mind.
It is in that regard that I rise to discuss very briefly, the case of
the United States versus Featherston, the fifth circuit case that the
Senator mentioned. In that case, the court upheld a conviction of two
leaders of a militia group who showed their followers how to make
explosives. The purpose of the demonstration they put on was to prepare
the group for the coming revolution.
Now, the statute at issue makes it a crime to teach someone how to
make a bomb, knowing, intending or having reason to know that the bomb
will be unlawfully used in a civil disorder as defined as a public act
of violence involving three or more people.
In upholding the statute's constitutionality, however, the court read
the language in the statute more narrowly than the language appears on
its face. The court found the statute requires--this
is the fifth circuit speaking--that those prosecuted have acted with
``intent or knowledge'' that the information would be used to further a
civil disorder.
Now, the Senator has adjusted the language in her amendment in order
to strike a much broader intent standard that she had originally
proposed. The original language she had said, ``a person intends, knows
or reasonably should know that such explosive material or information
will be used. . . .'' She has amended that to say that if the person
``intends or knows''--let me get the exact language here. I beg the
Chair's pardon. The language now reads, ``intends or knows that such
explosive material or information will likely be used for. . . .''
I would respectfully suggest that language does not meet the fifth
circuit standard requiring intent or knowledge.
I see the Senator is understandably occupied at the moment with the
chairman of the committee, discussing this amendment, but at an
appropriate point I am going to ask the Senator whether she would be
willing to further amend her language to comport with what at least I
believe the fifth circuit's minimal requirements are, and that is to
say that if the person ``intends or knows that such explosive material
or information will be used.'' Put it another way, drop the word
``likely.''
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. May I respond?
Mr. BIDEN. Please.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. The answer to the question is yes. I was just talking
to the committee chairman, the floor manager on this subject.
Mr. BIDEN. I compliment the Senator for that.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I will be happy to.
Mr. BIDEN. I suggest that would put it in line with what she intends
and what the court found.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, may I move to amend?
Mr. HATCH. May I ask the Senator to withhold for 1 minute?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
Mr. HATCH. I appreciate the Senator's willingness to take out the
prior notification and the word ``likely'' in her response to the
distinguished Senator from Delaware. But if she would also modify and
take out ``or knows,'' in other words if such person ``intends'' and
take out ``or knows.'' I will tell her why that is important.
There are a lot of explosives manufacturers and personnel who do
teach others how to make explosives and how to use them legitimately,
for legitimate purposes, mining and others. There are a lot of slurry
manufacturers [[Page S7685]] in my State. In fact, the chief for slurry
underground explosives happens to be the founder of the IRECO Chemical
Corp. in my home State. If you put ``or knows'' in there, what we are
concerned about is if they teach a university class or teach other
people in their business or teach other people, in seminars, about how
to do slurry explosives or some other type of explosives, they could,
under this provision, be indicted or prosecuted.
I really believe the distinguished Senator does a great favor if she
says that the person ``intends that such explosive materials or
information will be used for. . . .'' I think that is the fair way to
do it. It is one way of alleviating these difficult legal questions
that really make it very difficult for people who are in the explosives
business to even talk about the business.
If the Senator could do that, I will be willing to accept this
amendment.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. If I may respond, and perhaps the Senator from
Delaware, because I think this is a useful discussion. I would like to
respond to the Senator from Utah.
What concerns me is somebody writes a terrorist handbook. We have
that case. And they tell somebody how to steal; how, in detail, to put
together, let us say, a light bulb bomb.
You come to them and say, ``You violated a criminal law.''
They say, ``I did not intend this to be used for crime.''
Then the comeback is, ``You should know it is going to be used for
crime because that is the only purpose for a light bulb bomb. It is the
only purpose for a toilet paper bomb, for a candy box bomb.''
Mr. BIDEN. Will the Senator yield?
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I will right away, in just 1 second.
What the Senator from Utah is saying is the explosive company that
makes the explosive does not intend--that is clear--that it be used for
criminal purposes. I agree. The intention of this is not to get at the
explosive company. The intention is to get at the person who misuses or
mispackages, and who does it all for the purposes of committing a
criminal act.
Mr. BIDEN addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, if I may--and I thank the Senator for her
invitation for me to speak to this as well--we have three slightly
different points of view here. Let me make clear what I would like to
see avoided and what I would like to see accomplished. Using specific
examples and hypotheticals is not always the best way to do it, but it
seems to be the only way I have available to me to do it at this
moment.
None of us wants to have the publishers of World Book Encyclopedia
indicted because they, in their World Book, tell you how you can make a
bomb. You can go to a public library and you can find out how to build
a nuclear device. It is a lot more complicated than building a light
bulb bomb, but you can find that out.
The purpose, the knowledge or intention of the publisher of World
Book Encyclopedia or any other publication is in all probability not
the same purpose as that of the publisher of the Terrorist Handbook.
But for the purpose of Lady Justice, blindfolded, weighing her scales,
it is hard to tell the difference sometimes, other than looking at the
person or the organization that is publishing the material, to
determine their intent. And we do not want courts getting into that
kind of business. I do not think the presiding officer wants that to
happen, nor do I, nor do I think anyone does, although I sure would
like to be able to capture those folks who issued that handbook.
So the Senator has narrowed her language, I think appropriately, to
say ``know or intends.''
Let me tell you why I think ``know'' makes sense to be in there. If,
for example, that gruesome example that the Senator gave from the
internet, where somebody puts on a bulletin board how to make a
terrorist device, a bomb, and then someone writes back and says, ``O
Great One,'' I am paraphrasing, ``I want to kill Zionists in the
Government. Tell me more. Feed me.'' Or whatever the terminology was.
The original publication of that information on the bulletin board on
the internet may or may not meet the standard of having known the
information was going to be used for a criminal purpose, or may or may
not meet the standard of having intended that it be used. But it seems
to me it is pretty clear that when that idiot writes back or punches in
his code and name and says, ``O Great One, I want to kill people, tell
me more,'' if the original person who put the information up on the
bulletin board said, ``All right, Swami, here it comes. If you really
want to get Zionists, here is how to do it,'' it seems to me at that
point the person knows that the information he or she is disseminating
is intended for a criminal purpose.
The Senator from California said there are some stores, some retail
outlets that sell the handbook. Or you can write away to get the
handbook. If I walk in to you and you are selling the handbook, you
have the handbook and I say, ``Ma'am, I would like to buy a handbook
that would teach me how to--do you see the cop down there in the
corner? I want to put a pipe bomb in that trash can where he stands
every morning from 8:30 to 9. I want to blow that SOB up.''
And you say, ``I have just the thing for you,'' and you walk over and
you hand him the handbook, it seems to me you knew the information that
is available to you to do something terrible, kill that policeman
standing at the corner. It would be awfully hard to prove, though,
that, if you sold that handbook to me, you intended for me to kill that
policeman. You could know I was going to use it to kill someone without
having intended for me to kill someone. Are you with me?
So my concern is, if it gets even narrowed further to say only
``intends the information to be used in a criminal enterprise or
criminal act,'' then it is so narrow that you are not going to catch in
that net people who I think we should catch.
I have been, for the last 23 years, always listed as one of the two
or three or four people most protective of the first amendment. You
know, all these rating organizations that rate us whether we are
conservative, liberal, good, bad, or indifferent? I am always, along
with Senator Leahy and a few others, listed here as one of the
staunchest defenders of the first amendment.
So I am not looking to broaden the net the Senator wishes to cast.
But it seems to me if you narrow it so much so that you only use the
word ``intend,'' you do not get the circumstance where I know that the
information I have at my disposal as to how to build a light bulb bomb
or any other kind of bomb, I know why you are seeking the information.
You have told me. You tell me, ``I want to know how to make a bomb out
of Gerber's baby peaches. I want to know how to do that. Teach me, oh
Great One.'' You say, ``I've got just the answer for you. Here is how
you do it.''
It seems to me that does fall beyond the purview of first amendment
protection. It seems to me it is narrow enough and specific enough that
it warrants to be made unlawful. And it seems to me that it is not at
all inconsistent with what the fifth circuit and other courts have said
relative to the standard required on the part of the person
disseminating the information.
So in truth, you might also be able to get that very person on a
conspiracy charge. You might not even need this statute. My friend, who
is truly--we use this phrase too frequently around here, and it does
not always apply, but in this case it does. My friend, who is learned
in the law could stand and say, ``Well, all right, Joe. I am not trying
to eliminate the ability to nail the person who is knowingly
participating in an unlawful activity. We can already do that under a
conspiracy statute.'' Practically, that is true. But I would argue that
including the word ``knows'' as well as ``intends'' here does no damage
to the first amendment, and makes the case if not easier, equally as
able to be pursued as a conspiracy theory would be. This is more
direct.
So my friend from Utah and I have been, the first 15 years of our
working together, not always on the same side of these civil liberties
arguments. And it is truly--I mean this sincerely--a pleasure to be on
the same side of these arguments with him these days. I do not by that
in any way imply a change in his motivation at all. I think things have
changed, and as the troubles in society, the maturation process, has
[[Page S7686]] taken place, and we all are seeing different
applications of old principles to new problems. So I am not being
facetious when I say I welcome it. But I respectfully disagree with him
here.
I will not object to the Senator from California taking out the word
``knows.'' But I would suggest that her test, her intended purpose, is
best served by saying if the person intends or knows that such
explosive material or information will be used for or in furtherance of
an activity that constitutes a criminal, a Federal criminal offense, or
a criminal purpose affecting interstate commerce, I think keeping only
two words ``intends'' or ``knows'' is totally appropriate, and I would
support that.
But it is obviously her amendment. If she is persuaded by the
reasoning of the Senator from Utah, I will not object to it.
I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. If I may, Mr. President, I would like to amend the
amendment by removing the word ``likely.'' So that the amendment reads:
Information pertaining to, in whole or in part, the
manufacture of explosive materials, if the person intends and
knows that such explosive materials or information will be
used for, or in furtherance of, an activity that constitutes
a Federal criminal offense or a criminal purpose affecting
interstate commerce.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Will the Senator send her modification to the
desk?
Is there objection to the modification?
Mr. HATCH. May I see the modification?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
Mr. HATCH. If I could have the attention of the distinguished Senator
from California, the way she has written it is different than the way
she read it. It says if the person ``intends or knows.'' But if the
Senator will read it ``intends and knows,'' I will go along with it.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I meant ``or.'' I beg your pardon.
Mr. HATCH. Could the Senator change the ``or'' to an ``and''?
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I did not mean to. Did I?
Mr. HATCH. Yes.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I will change it to ``intends or knows.''
Mr. HATCH. If I can just respond to the distinguished Senator from
California, I would prefer ``intends and knows'' rather than ``intends
or knows'' because I believe that can lead to some mischief in the
criminal law. On the other hand, this was a narrow interpretation. I
agree with the distinguished Senator from Delaware. I am not sure that
you can catch them on a conspiracy statute in this area. I do not
remember the law with regard to the explosives. But whether that is so
or not, as I understand it, the word likely will be stricken in the
amendment.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. That is correct.
Mr. HATCH. Then I am prepared to accept the amendment.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. BIDEN. Reserving the right to object, is the language ``and'' or
is it ``or''? If it is ``or,'' I have no objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the modification?
Mr. HATCH. I have no objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the amendment is so
modified.
The amendment (No. 1209), as modified, is as follows:
At the appropriate place in the bill, insert the following
new section:
SEC. . PROHIBITION ON DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION RELATING
TO EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS FOR A CRIMINAL PURPOSE.
(a) Section 842 of title 18, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following new section:
``(l) It shall be unlawful for any person to teach or
demonstrate the making of explosive materials, or to
distribute by any means information pertaining to, in whole
or in part, the manufacture of explosive materials, if the
person intends or knows, that such explosive materials or
information will be used for, or in furtherance of, an
activity that constitutes a Federal criminal offense or a
criminal purpose affecting interstate commerce.''
(b) Section 844 of title 18, United States Code, is amended
by designating section (a) as subsection (a)(1) and by adding
the following new subsection:
``(a)(2) Any person who violates subsection (l) of section
842 of this chapter shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.''
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, with that modification, I am prepared to
accept the amendment, if the distinguished Senator from Delaware is
likewise.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate on the amendment?
Mr. BIDEN addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
Mr. BIDEN. For clarification purposes, and I think I will accept it,
I want to read the entire amendment. It will take me one moment. It
says:
Section (a) reads, ``Section 842 of title 18, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
Subsection 1.
It shall be unlawful for any person to teach or demonstrate
the making of explosive materials, or to distribute by any
means information pertaining to, in whole or in part, the
manufacture of explosive materials, if the person intends or
knows that such explosive material or information will be
used for, or in furtherance of, an activity that constitutes
a Federal criminal offense or a criminal purpose affecting
interstate commerce.
Subsection B.
Section 844 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by
designating section (a) as subsection (a)(1), and by adding
the following new subsection:
(a)(1), any person who violates subsection (1) of section
842 of this chapter shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
That is the end of the amendment. Is that correct?
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. The ``1'' is an ``l''. It is a lower case.
Mr. BIDEN. I beg your pardon. In the last paragraph?
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. In the first paragraph and the last.
Mr. BIDEN. I beg your pardon. It is ``l'', and not ``1.''
So it will read, the following new section ``l'', ``It shall be
unlawful for any person to teach or demonstrate the making of explosive
material or to distribute by any means information pertaining to'', et
cetera. Then at the bottom paragraph, it reads ``Any person who
violates subsection l of this section.'' Then that is how it reads, Mr.
President?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I am sorry to do this to you. But also in
the third paragraph, it reads:
Section (a) as subsection (a)(l) and by adding the
following new subsection.
So, in other words, the three places where I thought it was a ``1''
it is not a ``1.'' It is an ``l.''
So that being the case, that is the only correction of me, not of the
amendment, I have no objection. We accept the amendment as well.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
The amendment (No. 1209), as modified, was agreed to.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, let me say that the Senator from California
never ceases to amaze me. I say that with genuine respect. When she
zeroed in on this problem when Senator Kennedy came to the hearing and
presented a
60-, 70-, 80-page document--I forget how long it was--of information
that the staff had pulled off the Internet for him on how to do these
things, one of the things that I admire most about her is her
incredible common sense.
I remember her sitting there looking at us and saying, ``You mean you
can do this? I mean, why are we allowing this?'' All of us who were
supposedly hopefully good lawyers all looked and said, ``First
amendment problem, Senator.'' And we all did say that. We all knew
because of our reverence for the first amendment. Those of us who are
conservative, liberal, and moderate alike all said, ``First amendment
problem.'' We all kind of went on to other things.
As she always does, she went back to her office, and I am sure she
turned to that able staff member next to her and said, ``Wait a minute,
there has to be a way to do this. There has to be an answer to this.''
As usual, her instinct is almost always right. And when I have dealt
with her, it has been unerring. Not being a lawyer, she went out and
got some fine lawyers and said, ``How can I write this thing because I,
Dianne Feinstein, don't want to amend the first amendment either, but I
do want to deal with this foolishness.'' [[Page S7687]]
She did it. I compliment her. And remind me, if I ever forget, never
to underestimate her. She always gets it done. We are all better for
it. I again congratulate her.
We have no other amendment on the floor at the moment. What I would
like to do, unless someone wishes to bring up an amendment, I would
like to because I was not here when the Senator from California spoke
on her first amendment, the taggants amendment, and I would like to
take a moment.
Amendment No. 1202
If anyone has any other thing to bring up, I would be happy to yield.
I rise at this moment to support the amendment of my friend from
California on taggants, if I may, because we are going to be voting on
that I think around 6 o'clock.
One area we did not address in the legislation before us was the
issue of taggants. The President wanted to see it addressed, and I did
as well and spoke very briefly with my friend from California and
encouraged her to move the amendment on taggants.
I feel it is very important in the battle against terrorism to
enhance our ability to identify, following detonation, the source or
origin of the explosives used in an act of violence against our fellow
Americans. Key Federal law enforcement officials recognize that to
provide for enhanced tracing capabilities is a logical and, I would
argue, overdue response. The administration included a tracing
provision in their antiterrorism proposal, and it was section 803 of S.
761.
Now, I want to make it clear to those of our colleagues who may be
listening in their offices, I am not inadvertently substituting the
word ``tracing'' for ``taggant'' because that is what this is all
about. We want to be able to trace the manufacture of the material
used, not for purposes of prosecuting the manufacturer, unless the
manufacturer violated the law intentionally in to whom they sold the
material, but in order to be able to trace the person who purchased the
material which would enhance our ability to find out who detonated the
bomb.
The provision authorizes the Secretary of Treasury to promulgate
regulations requiring taggants to be added to explosive materials. Now,
the Republican bill, however, omits this key provision. Instead, the
Republican bill calls for no action, only more study. I would also note
that not only does the Republican bill choose study over action but,
even worse, their bill calls on the Justice Department to study this
issue.
Now, we all know that jurisdiction over these issues and the real
expertise related thereto is in the Treasury Department. Let us not
duplicate effort. Let us not duplicate bureaucracy. Let us think of the
taxpayers, not the pet peeves of some special interest group because
they do not like the Treasury Department. The Treasury Department is
the outfit that has been dealing with this issue and explosives for
time immemorial. The Justice Department is not. It does not have the
expertise. So I would suggest that is not the place we should look.
Now, taggants are tiny plastic, as they are referred, sandwiches with
different color stripes that are added to explosives during the
manufacturing process. Because these taggants are left after the
explosion, they can be used to identify the source of an explosion. And
that is the source of the material--where it was purchased. In other
words, these identifiers, these little plastic sandwiches, as they are
called, different colored stripes are put into the explosive when it is
being manufactured, legitimately manufactured. We are not talking about
some back-room operation. These are legitimate explosives. These are
legitimate materials made by legitimate companies for legitimate
purposes. You add at the time of their manufacture these little colored
strips so that when the explosion goes off, you are able to go into the
area where the explosion took place and by use of detection means find
these taggants.
These taggants--this is my phrase; I have never heard anyone else use
this--are a little bit like that little bar code on the bottom of
everything you buy in the grocery store. The checker just runs it
through a scanner. They can identify what stock it was, what date it
was made, where it came from, what part of the store it was in, how
much it cost.
It is the same principle here. We want to be able to essentially run
the residue of that explosive material through a scanner, in effect.
And you are able to say OK, the material used in this bomb was
manufactured at such and such a time, such and such a batch, et cetera,
and work your way back with the intention of not going after the
manufacturer but going after the person who purchased it.
Now, it may be the person legitimately purchased it, and we find out
it was purchased for a construction operation and it was put in,
properly stored in a locked vault and that you find out the vault was
not broken into but that on the job it turned out a couple pieces were
missing. Well, then you have the investigative tool to narrow it down.
Maybe then you look at the people who took the explosive out and were
legitimately working on the job. Maybe it turns out to be one of them.
It was not them. They may say, well, it was only 20 minutes it was not
here. And there was a guy wearing a red cap that came by. It is
investigative work. It merely gives, but significantly gives, an
opportunity to law enforcement agencies to begin to trace, backtrack,
until hopefully you find the person who was the person who purchased
and used this material.
Now, to use a practical example of how even small pieces of evidence
are vital, consider that the vehicle identification number on the
exploded remains of a rental truck that was used to blow up the Federal
Building in Oklahoma City was the critical piece of evidence that gave
Federal law enforcement a critical lead on the bombing suspects.
There was a taggant in effect on that vehicle in an ID number on it.
Where would we be if we had not required an ID number on that vehicle?
We would be nowhere. You would not have been able to go back to find
out from where that vehicle was rented, who walked in and rented it,
what they looked like, what their description was and then trace it
back to the guy who gets arrested almost incidentally on a highway
going out of Oklahoma City the day of the bombing.
Very important material, a tiny little thing. You would say, well,
wait a minute. That truck was blown to smithereens. This just goes to
show you the investigative capability of the people there. The axle--I
believe it was an axle--on which this identification number existed was
found. They knew to go and look at that ID number.
Once they found it, they could begin the tracing process. In fact, it
was the employees of the rental agency they traced this back to who
provided much of the information necessary to create the composite
sketch of the suspect initially known as John Doe 1, whom we now know
as Timothy McVeigh.
Now, taggants work much in the same way. The taggants would give an
indication where the explosives were purchased. Not only does that lead
law enforcement to a sales clerk who might have provided a description
of the terrorist, but this information may also be key, and perhaps the
only physical evidence that a prosecutor can use, to nail the defendant
to the crime. If there were taggants in the explosives that were used,
you would be able to do the same thing--and they were recovered. You
might be able to go back and find where the material that blew up the--
and that was fertilizer added with some chemicals and the like. You may
be able to go back and find out where that fertilizer was sold and you
may find the very same thing. The clerk says I remember selling that
fertilizer to the following person, and you do a composite sketch.
Again, it is a strong piece of evidence.
Now, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will argue that we
should study this issue more closely. But that means only one thing:
More needless delay. The potential effect of taggants has been
highlighted in a study that was conducted in the late 1970's when the
ATF seeded a very small portion of explosives, 10,000 pounds, with
taggants.
We had this debate, I might add, when I first came to the Senate in
the 1970's, and we were told, no, it may be a destabilizing element in
the manufacture of the material; it may be used for purposes on the
part of law enforcement to do bad things, et cetera. But we agreed that
Alcohol, Tobacco, and [[Page S7688]] Firearms could do an experiment.
So they went to a manufacturing site, and they tagged 10,000 pounds of
explosives. They put in one of these little colored strips, these
sandwiches.
Now, despite this relatively small amount--and that probably
represented less than--I will not even guess--one one-hundredth percent
of all the explosives sold that year. It was infinitesimally small in
this little experiment compared to the universe of all explosives sold
that year. For example, my staff is telling me 4 billion pounds of
explosives are sold per year--4 billion pounds.
This was 10,000 pounds that was tagged as an experiment. Now,
notwithstanding that, that one experiment back in 1978--and the Senator
from California knows this--was very instrumental and effective in
helping solve a bombing incident in the State of Maryland. Now, the
idea that we did this one experiment--and it was just pure luck, I
suspect, that that 10,000 pounds was purchased. But what happened was
there was a car bombing, and but for the fact that the explosive used
was part of that 10,000-pound batch that was the only batch out of four
billion pounds sold that year, the perpetrator of the act was unlucky
enough to purchase something from that batch. And that was the thing
that led to the identification and conviction of that individual, with
little or no possibility of their ever having found him but for the
taggants.
I suggest that the study by the Office of Technology Assessment on
taggants is also a key source of the safety and efficacy of taggants.
There was this experiment and the study by the Office of Technology
Assessment. The Office of Technology Assessment found that
``identification taggants would facilitate the investigation of almost
all significant criminal bombings in which commercial explosives were
used.''
Now, safety tests performed by the Office of Technology Assessment
found taggants to be compatible with the explosives covered by this
amendment. By compatible, I mean they did not diminish the efficacy of
the explosives, No. 1. So it blew up just as big as it would have blown
up without the taggant. It did not diminish its capacity.
Second, it did nothing to destabilize the explosive. It made it no
more or less dangerous to deal with that explosive. One of the
arguments we will hear used is that if you add these taggants, they
will have the effect of destabilizing this explosive material, making
it more dangerous to handle. There is no evidence of that, according to
the Office of Technology Assessment.
Third, they also found that it did not, in any way, affect the
manufacturer of that material. That is, placing the taggants in the
material as it is manufactured did not diminish safety in the
production of that material.
For 15 years, law enforcement in Switzerland have recognized taggants
as an important piece of the puzzle in solving crimes involving
illegally used explosives. Under this amendment, the Secretary of the
Treasury will determine how we can best utilize this technology. Then
we will move forward and use the taggants after that assessment has
been made by the Secretary of the Treasury. And that is key. We should
move forward in this area now, and we should do so without further
delay.
Now, a study on common and precursor chemicals, another aspect of the
amendment I want to touch on briefly, is the requirement that the
Secretary of the Treasury study and make recommendations regarding:
First, the ability and feasibility of rendering inert those common
chemicals used to manufacture explosive materials and, second, the
ability to impose controls on those precursor chemicals used to
manufacture explosive materials.
Let me make it clear, this is a separate issue. There are two issues
here that the Senator from California has pursued that were in the
President's legislation. One, this notion of, in effect, seeding an
explosive with a color-stripped material so that when the explosive
goes off, you can find the material and trace back the place where it
was manufactured and sold. That is the taggant.
Now, there is a second issue, and that is chemicals which are sold--I
will use this phrase--over the counter. These are chemicals you can go
and buy, but they can be used for destructive purposes, although their
intention is for constructive purposes. Fertilizer is to help things
grow, not kill things or kill people.
Now, I said this before, and I say it to my friend from California
here. I was at a conference with a group of U.S. Senators,
Congresspersons, and officials from the United Nations the day this
god-awful explosion in Oklahoma occurred, and we literally interrupted
the conference. One of the conferees was Gen. Michael Rose, a general
in the British Army, who was the UNPROFOR Commander of Forces in Bosnia
up until about 3 months ago. General Rose and I were sitting next to
one another discussing the situation in Bosnia. What happened was that
we adjourned when we heard this horrible news and went to the nearest
television. The first scene all of us saw--a dozen of us Congressmen,
Senators and generals--was a visual image of the Federal building and
the confusion surrounding it. You could see how the Federal building
was not only blown up, but it looked like it was cut away in the front.
I was sitting next to General Rose. I could not hear what was on the
television in this hotel lobby. We just saw the picture. He looked at
me and he said, ``That bomb is a fertilizer bomb. That is what
destroyed that building.'' My staffer reminded me that he looked and he
said, ``That is an ANFO bomb.'' I wondered, what in the devil is he
talking about? How does he know this? All we can see is this picture on
television. He had not heard any more about this than I did. We just
walked out of this conference. He went on to explain to me how when
ammonium nitrate is added to fertilizer in a certain formula and way,
it produces an explosion whose fingerprints or characteristics are like
the one we saw. I was amazed. I was complimenting him, because about 3
minutes later a reporter comes on and says, ``We have just learned that
this was a fertilizer bomb.'' I did not know how he knew this. He went
on to explain to us that it was his experience when he was a commander
in Northern Ireland with the use of fertilizer bombs by the IRA. He
went on to point out that England had changed the law relative to the
sale of fertilizer to Ireland and the type of fertilizer and the amount
of nitrate that could be in the fertilizer, and he went on and on about
it. And he said something fascinating. He said that it has had three
interesting effects. First, the environment is cleaner. There is not as
much nitrates left over in the environment when it is applied to the
soil. The water is cleaner and the bombs are fewer.
So that is when I became interested in how do you take these
materials that seem to me to be totally innocent in terms of the
ability to cause damage and render them inert--inert in the sense that
they can only do the thing for which they were manufactured, which is
to help things grow, as opposed to kill people. One of the ways to do
that is to look at it and study it and make recommendations regarding
the feasibility of adding materials to the manufacture of these
chemicals and precursor chemicals that will not diminish the
effectiveness of the chemical but render them incapable of generating
the explosion.
The purpose of this provision is very simple, and it should be clear
to every American in the wake of the Oklahoma City tragedy. What has
become evident in the past weeks is that in America today, nearly
anyone, as our friend from California has pointed out, can acquire the
ingredients, all of which have other legitimate uses, and build a bomb.
The bomb in Oklahoma was a mixture of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and
diesel fuel. Ammonium nitrate can be purchased at almost any garden
supply or hardware store, and when mixed with a fuel, it can be
classified as a high explosive. One way to desensitize ammonium nitrate
while still preserving its effectiveness for its intended use would be
to mix a nonexplosive chemical such as lime, calcium carbonate, into
the product, to render it inefficient for use as an explosive.
Now, I think it makes overwhelming sense to suggest that a
feasibility study be done and recommendations made as to whether or
not, for example, lime can be added to ammonium nitrate, allowing the
fertilizer to be as potent as it was before for the purposes of
encouraging growth in the soil, yet rendering it incapable of being
used as [[Page S7689]] a bomb when mixed with a fuel supply. This type
of desensitizing is currently employed in England, as I said.
Let me be clear, all this amendment does with regard to this point,
all it does is require the Secretary to study the feasibility of such a
policy being implemented in the United States.
It is an unfortunate reality that individuals would take seemingly
harmless--I might add, legal--products and devices and turn them into
weapons capable of exacting the devastation and loss of life that we
all saw in Oklahoma City. However unfortunate that may be, it is a
reality nonetheless. The amendment of my friend from California is an
effort to curtail the availability of products which can be used in
this manner.
Mr. President, I would like to make as a concluding point that I
understand negotiations between Senator Feinstein and other interested
parties on the other side are proceeding. Of course, I hope these
discussions will be successful, but I strongly urge that the Senator
from California not relent on the two essential aspects of her
amendment.
One, the taggants be able to be placed, by recommendation from the
Secretary of Treasury, in explosives; and, two, that the study be
undertaken that would determine whether there are ways that we can
feasibly render inert the destructive capability of otherwise totally
constructive precursor chemicals.
I see the Senator from California is on the floor and seeking
recognition. I yield the floor.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Grams). The Senator from California.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I want to thank the Senator from
Delaware for that very eloquent exposition on taggants.
I must say that it never ceases to amaze me, because outside people
are saying they are for legislation to begin to tag explosives where
safe and not adding to the volatility. Yet once again, I must tell the
Senator, the lobbying of those special interests is starting up again
to, one by one, move Senators off of this legislation.
This led me to get a little bit of the history of taggants before
this body. While the Senator has been here for a long time, I am a
relative newcomer, 2\1/2\ years, and I did not realize this issue has
been raised now for 22 years before this body. It might be interesting
to go back into a little bit of the history.
It actually began in 1973 when Congress asked ATF to look into
possible methods of fighting terrorists in criminal bombings. That
year, ATF and the FAA established an ad hoc committee on explosives
seeding. That same year, ATF formed an inner agency advisory committee
on explosives tagging.
Also in 1973, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, which we
knew as LEAA, sponsored a study by Lawrence Livermore Lab, managed by
Aerospace Corporation, to study the feasibility of identification
tagging of explosives.
Several companies, including 3M and Westinghouse, began taggant
development. By 1976, this was far enough advanced to be the subject of
the pilot tagging program developed by aerospace under the contract
with the Bureau of Mines. The results seemed positive, in 1977, with
the Omnibus Antiterrorism Act.
Mr. President, was the Senator here in 1977?
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, yes, I was here. I was also here in 1973,
unfortunately. I have been here, and I have been interested in this
issue since then. That is why I am so happy the Senator is pushing it.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, it is interesting to see, because in
1977 Senators Abe Ribicoff and Jake Javits presented language mandating
the introduction of explosive tagging over a period of time.
During consideration of the bill, the National Rifle Association--who
somebody has just said is for taggants--opposed the inclusion in the
program of black and smokeless powders used by some hunters to hand-
load antique rifles. The National Rifle Association was successful at
the committee level at deleting the requirement that these powders be
tagged.
Nonetheless, the requirement that other types of explosives be tagged
was left intact. The bill never reached the Senate floor.
In the 96th Congress, the antiterrorism legislation was reintroduced
with provisions for gradually phasing in identification tagging over a
2\1/2\-year period. The legislation was considered in the House by the
Aviation Subcommittee of the Commerce Committee.
It was supported by the Airline Pilots Association and the Airline
Transport Association. The House Members and Glenn Anderson, the
subcommittee chair, wanted to wait for action on the subject in the
Senate before taking the issue up in the House.
The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee marked it up on May 7,
1979. The only controversial aspect of this Omnibus Antiterrorism Act,
Senate bill 333, was explosive tagging. Again, the NRA and the
Institute of Makers of Explosives lobbied hard to kill the entire
program and made wild accusations about the cost, safety, utility, and
burdensomeness of taggants.
So the principal supporters, Ribicoff and Javits, and the principal
opponent, who was Senator Stevens at the time, agreed to postpone
committee consideration pending an examination of taggants by the
congressional Office of Technology Assessments.
That was the report I held up this morning. OTA was not to conduct
original research, but rather was supposed to review existing data and
report its findings back to the Governmental Affairs Committee no later
than August 6, 1979.
OTA went out. They established a staff drawn from science
foundations, Lawrence Livermore Lab, to carry out the proposal. They
also formed an advisory committee composed of representatives from the
law enforcement community, the explosives industry, and the gun lobby
to provide input. It is my understanding that one of the explosive
industry members was later indicted for selling explosive materials to
Libyan terrorists.
Despite the efforts on the part of OTA to comply with the August 6
deadline, it soon became apparent that the deadline could not be met.
So a new deadline was set for Thanksgiving. In the interim, American
hostages were seized in Iran and the Senate decided to postpone
consideration of the underlying bill until the situation was clarified.
This gave OTA more time to develop its report, which was finally
released on April 28, 1980. That is the report I mentioned this
morning.
At this point, the National Rifle Association, I am told, hired
lobbyists to lobby against the bill. I am told that the people hired
were paid more than $250,000 for the effort to defeat this. They were
successful in getting several trade associations in the construction
industry, including the Crushed Stone Association, to launch campaigns
against the bill on the theory that taggants would increase the cost of
explosives by more than 100 percent. In fact, the estimate is less than
10 percent. I read those figures into the Record this morning.
By the date of the markup, it became clear that the Javits-Ribicoff
approach would not win. Senator Glenn offered a compromise. That did
not go ahead. The committee vote was 8-7 in favor of an Eagleton
motion, who was an opponent of taggants. And on and on and on it goes.
Now here we are with a massive incident in the United States--two of
them--the World Trade Center and the building in Oklahoma City. And
now, today, this afternoon, the phones are heating up. Senators that I
thought would be for this are calling. They are now getting the
agriculture communities involved, saying they do not want a study. Just
the study on ammonium nitrate, the fertilizer that blew up the building
and killed 168 people, we were being told we should not study it.
I cannot believe it. It is unbelievable to me that anyone could
oppose a study to see if fertilizers can be made inert so they will not
detonate it.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, will the Senator yield for a moment?
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I will yield.
Mr. BIDEN. I do not mean yield to the issue, but yield temporarily on
the floor.
Let me ask the Senator somewhat of a rhetorical question. She points
out
[[Page S7690]] accurately, my recollection, because I was here during
the entirety of what she spoke of. From my perspective, her historical
analysis is accurate. I remember at the time being dumbfounded, quite
frankly, that the chemical industry, a large chemical industry in
Delaware, and others would not push hard for these actions to be taken.
I mean, I just assumed, naively, that this would be something
everybody would be for.
There is one argument that can be made in opposition to what we are
trying to do and I think we should state it. That OTA study, Office of
Technology Assessment study, said that there was only one possible
exception to the circumstance under which adding a taggant might
diminish the safety, and that was with regard to smokeless powder.
The Senator pointed out that back as early as 1973, the NRA pointed
out that they were concerned about people who were muzzle loading
antique guns and using smokeless powder to put them in a position to be
able to use the guns. Probably we could have settled that matter then
but it turned out that, whether the NRA was concerned about that or
not--and I will not make a judgment about that--it ended up being the
initial device used, the wedge used to block anything from happening.
It is my understanding from my discussions with the White House, with
the Justice Department, my staff and others, that when I introduced the
President's bill, when Senators Kohl and Specter and I introduced the
President's bill containing this provision, that we did not intend--the
White House did not intend, the Justice Department did not intend--to
include within the definition of explosive, smokeless powder. The ATF
indicates that they do not include that in their definition of
explosives. And I would think that--I would like to ask the Senator
whether this is not her understanding as well, that we would be willing
to make it very clear in the record that our definition--your
definition of explosives does not include smokeless powder.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I would be prepared to do that, Senator. It is my
understanding this affects gels, slurries, dynamite, emulsions and cast
boosters, and black powder. But it does not include smokeless powder.
Mr. BIDEN. As further evidence that we are not just arriving at this
as a means of a compromise, it was never our intention to include
smokeless powder. I would read from, as further evidence of that
although we did not make it absolutely clear, I would read page 2 of
the amendment, subsection (e), the bottom, second-to-the-last-line of
the page.
Tracer elements to be added to explosive materials under
provisions of this subsection shall be of such character and
in such quantity as the Secretary may authorize or require,
and such as will not substantially impair the quality of the
explosive material for their intended lawful use, adversely
affect the safety of the explosives, or have substantially
adverse effects on the environment.
So we thought that we were dealing with this red herring by having
the section requiring that the decision would have to be made that the
tracer elements, the taggants, would not adversely affect the safety of
the explosives.
Since OTA indicated that there was a possibility of that with regard
to smokeless powder, we did not intend that to be covered. But I would
suggest--I know my friend from California who is leading this effort
has probably had some discussions already with the majority staff and
others about this. I hope we can reach a resolution on it. And I
sincerely hope, coming from a State where agriculture is our single
largest industry in terms of dollars and effect on the economy, and
where fertilizers are used a good deal--hope no one would be fearful of
explaining to the agricultural community that they supported a study to
determine this. I cannot imagine the farmers in my State, very
conservative, hard-working folks, would be opposed to a study being
conducted to determine whether or not ammonium nitrate could have an
element added to it that would not in any way diminish its efficacy on
the land but would diminish its efficacy as an explosive component.
I might point out--I might ask it, actually, in terms of a question.
Is it the sponsor's intention that this merely be a study relative to
means to render inert these components, precursors that can be used as
bombs? And that if the study concludes that the only way it could be
done would be to diminish the capacity of ammonium nitrate to do its
job on the field, that we would not move forward? This is merely a
study, is it not?
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. The Senator from Delaware is 100 percent correct.
I might say, coming from a State that has a $18 billion agricultural
industry, I called up to see if we have had any phone calls at all from
Agriculture, Farm Bureau, anybody else. The answer is no.
I would hazard a guess, knowing the agricultural community of
California, that they would not object to a study. So I think this is
probably a very targeted lobbying drive at the present time.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I hope we follow the advice of the Senator.
We know this is the right thing to do. We know this is the right thing
to do.
We know it is, as a minimum, worthy of scientific study to determine
whether this can be done with efficacy. And we also know--I do not
fully understand, frankly--we also know there are certain interests
that do not want that to happen. Because they are fearful--the only
thing I can conclude, Senator, is they are fearful that the study will
come forward and say, ``Guess what? You can do this without in any way
diminishing the effectiveness of fertilizers used for agriculture.''
Because, obviously, if the study is going to come back and say you
cannot do this without diminishing significantly the capacity of the
fertilizer to function, that cannot worry them because if that is the
case we are not going to do it. There is no way that would get done
here.
So I always am confused by this response. I was confused in 1973
about why people responded the way they did. I hope we will not let
interests that I do not fully understand sidetrack even a study. I
might point out, by the way, with regard to taggants, originally the
people who are now opposing the Senator's language and the President's
language were opposed to even a study before. Now they are for a study.
I hope we can just bypass--not have to go through another 10 years
before we get to the point where they see their way clear, suggesting
we can even look at a study.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. If the Senator will yield?
Mr. BIDEN. I will be happy to.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I have here an amended amendment that may solve the
problem. There are some technical amendments which I can read. But the
one that deals right now with the situation that my colleague is
referring to, smokeless or black powder would be as follows.
At the end of subsection (c)(1) insert the following:
For purposes of this subsection, explosive material does
not include smokeless or black powder manufactured for uses
set forth in section 845(a)(4)(5) of this chapter.
Which is ``Small Arms Ammunition and Components Thereof.'' That is
the exception, just for small arms ammunition and components thereof.
Mr. BIDEN. I say to the Senator from California that is probably
broader than we have to make it, but I would agree with her that that
is worth doing to allay the concerns and fears of our friends who think
somehow there is some nefarious objective here that is not obvious on
its face.
The Senator from----
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. If the Senator will yield? We believe it is already
exempted. This is a restatement of that.
Mr. BIDEN. Again, I would have no objection. But I suggest the
Senator withhold modifying that because the Senator from Utah was
required--he has been on the floor the whole day. He said he had to
leave for 15 minutes. And would I not take any action in his absence.
So I suggest, and maybe the Senator's staff has already done this, make
that language available to Senator Hatch's staff. Hopefully he can
agree to that.
But I ask her to withhold modifying her amendment which would require
unanimous consent until he returns to the floor and has had a chance to
look at it. [[Page S7691]]
Mr. President, while the Senator from California is doing that, I
will repeat that in both instances, in the instance of requiring
tracers and studying the capability of rendering products which do not
have a destructive purpose but are able to be used for destructive
purposes, to render them inert--that is incapable of being used for
destructive purposes--that in both instances we are very concerned
about safety. We do not want at any point here, in attempting to
create, eliminate, diminish the possibility of one bad thing happening,
to raise safety concerns. So for those explosives with potential--and I
want to stress potential--safety concerns, the Secretary of Treasury
can account for those concerns by establishing regulations. The point
of this amendment is to improve the safety of Americans. But it will
not be done by risking the safety of manufacturers or people who
lawfully use explosives. This amendment accounts for those concerns and
addresses the underlying concern with illicit use of explosives.
I stress again the action just suggested by the Senator from
California is further evidence of the fact that we are in no way
suggesting an amendment that would diminish the safety of anyone, the
manufacturer or the person who lawfully uses those materials. I further
note as it relates to precursor chemicals, we are not in any way
suggesting that any change be made prior to a full-blown study. And the
purpose of that study is to determine whether or not we can be assured
that we can render these precursor chemicals inert, without affecting
their ability to be used effectively as designed for the purpose for
which they are manufactured in the first instance.
So I hope that when we get to this amendment that no one will be
dissuaded from voting for it. And I say to representatives of the NRA
who are listening that it is not our intention in any way to make
anything unsafe for hunters, to in any way diminish or limit any right
of any gun owner in America, to in any way put any gun owner in America
in any jeopardy whatsoever. This is not a slippery slope. This is not
the camel's nose under the tent. This is not all those other things
that are always stated when in fact we do anything at all that impacts
in any way upon firearms, ammunition, or explosive material.
There is no subagenda here. It is very simple. We want to track down
the bad guys who use explosives the wrong way for criminal purposes,
and we want to take that material that is sold over the counter for
purposes totally unrelated to criminal activity or for explosive
capability and determine whether or not, after scientists study the
issue, we can safely render that explosive capability inert, render it
incapable being used in an explosive compound, and in doing so in no
way diminish the purpose, the efficacy of the material for which it was
manufactured in the first place.
Mr. KENNEDY. I urge the Senate to support the Feinstein amendment to
require that explosives be manufactured with identifying chemical
markers.
These markers, called taggants, are an essential tool for law
enforcement officials in the difficult effort to apprehend terrorists
who use bombs. The President has asked us to include this provision in
the pending bill, and we should comply with his request.
Explosives are the weapon of choice for any criminal who wishes to
kill and maim human beings indiscriminately. Nothing demonstrates this
more starkly than the tragedy in Oklahoma City, in which 168 people
were killed by a bomb in a parked truck outside the building. The
perpetrators of this atrocious crime caused more death and destruction
with an explosive device than they could ever have accomplished with
even the most lethal firearm.
But Oklahoma City is just the tip of the iceberg. Because of their
destructive capacity, explosive devices have been used repeatedly to
perpetrate terrorist acts:
On February 26, 1993, Islamic extremists used a 1,200-pound bomb to
devastate several levels of one of the World Trade Center Buildings in
New York City. Six people were killed, and over a thousand were
injured.
Explosives caused seven airline crashes between 1982 and 1989,
including Pan Am flight 103, in which 270 people, many of them
Americans, were killed over Lockerbie, Scotland. Seven Americans also
died in a 1989 plane crash in Africa caused by an explosive device.
In 1993, bomb attacks occurred in every one of the 50 States, as well
as in the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. In
Massachusetts, there were 16 illegal explosive incidents that year, and
11 of those bombs detonated before authorities could disable them. In
the decade between 1984 and 1993, Massachusetts had a total of 141
bombings and 27 attempted bombings. Four people were killed, and 28
were injured during that period.
Nationwide, 632 people were killed by bombs between 1989 and 1991.
Of course, bombings are not always intended to result in largescale
destruction. Explosives are sometimes employed in criminal attacks
against specific individuals, as in the case of the assassination of
Federal Judge Robert Vance several years ago. And since 1978, the so-
called Unabomber has killed 3 and injured 23 people with deadly letter
bombs delivered through the mail to his victims' homes and offices. In
1993 alone, the postal service detected 10 bombs in apparently
unrelated incidents.
The perpetrators of these crimes often evade capture and conviction,
in part because of the difficulty that law enforcement officials face
in tracing the origin of explosive devices and components. As the
Office of Technology Assessment has noted, ``bombings are particularly
difficult crimes for law enforcement agencies to handle as the bomber
is not usually near the scene of the crime, the physical evidence is
destroyed or damaged by the detonation, and the materials necessary to
fabricate even a quite catastrophic bomb are easily obtainable.''
But cutting-edge technology offers two ways to assist law enforcement
in the difficult task of apprehending terrorists. First, there are
means to detect explosives when they pass through airports and other
secure areas. And second, explosives can be manufactured with chemical
taggants that help investigators trace the source of the material after
the explosion has occurred.
The pending bill advances the first of these two technologies by
requiring that explosives be manufactured with detection agents that
will trigger detection devices at security checkpoints. This
requirement implements an international convention, and I commend the
chairman of the Judiciary Committee for including this provision in his
substitute.
But the pending bill does not include the second of these two
technologies, and the Feinstein amendment would include it. It would
give the Secretary of the Treasury needed authority to require
manufacturers of explosive materials to include taggants in their
products. Experts within Federal law enforcement say that the
technology is feasible and appropriate, and President Clinton has asked
Congress to give the Treasury Department this enhanced authority.
The use of taggants has proved to be a highly effective law
enforcement tool in Switzerland, where the government has already
implemented the requirement we are now debating. Swiss law enforcement
agencies credit taggants with helping them to identify the source of
the explosive in 566 bombing incidents over a 10-year period. The Swiss
were able to apprehend a greater number of bombing suspects over this
period by taking advantage of this new technology.
This amendment provides law enforcement with a needed technique to
trace the origin of bombs and arrest and convict the criminals who use
them.
I commend the Senator from California for her amendment and I urge
its adoption.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I support the Feinstein amendment to
require the tagging of explosive materials to help law enforcement
officials investigate and prevent terrorist bombings.
The Hatch substitute amendment contains a very narrow provision that
would require the use of taggants in only one narrow category of
explosive materials--plastic explosives. This is a mistake. I am
convinced that we have the technology available today to introduce
taggants in a wide range of explosive materials.
In fact, the Congressional Research Service has informed me that
Switzerland had required the inclusion of [[Page S7692]] taggants in
explosive materials since at least 1980, when that country's regulation
on explosives was enacted. That law provides, in relevant part:
[Each] explosive must contain a tagging substance that
permits the reliable tracing of the origin [of the explosive]
even after the explosion. The tagging substance requires the
approval of the Central Office [of the Federal Prosecutor]
which must consider changing circumstances.
The New York Times recently reported that a Minneapolis company is
already in the business of manufacturing taggants, which it sells
primarily to Switzerland. According to the New York Times, the Swiss
police have used these taggants to trace explosives in more than 500
bombings and explosives seizure cases over the last 12 years.
Mr. President, the technology needed to introduce taggants into
explosive materials is neither new nor experimental. We have had the
technology available to us for more than 15 years. As long ago as 1980,
the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee considered a provision to
require the use of taggants as part of the Omnibus Antiterrorism Act.
Unfortunately, the provision was dropped in committee, by an 8 to 7
vote.
At that time, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Richard Davis
testified that technology was already available or would soon be
available to tag a wide range of explosive materials. Mr. Davis
provided the following timetable: Black powder, October 1979; smokeless
powder, July 1981; dynamites, water gels and slurries, June 1979; fuse
and detonating cord, November 1979; detonators, June 1981, label
method, October 1981 (double plug method).
In fact, the use of taggants during the testing and research period
preceding action on the bill produced an arrest and conviction in
Maryland. As Senators Javits and Percy explained in the committee
report:
In a May 1979 bombing in Spring Point, Maryland in which
one man was killed and another injured, investigators
searched through the debris and found the explosive used
contained taggants as part of a pilot program. The taggants
led police to a West Virginia explosives retailer, where they
developed a list of suspects. One of those suspects knew the
victim, providing a direct link in the chain of evidence. In
December 1979, a Baltimore jury convicted James McFillin as
being guilty of manslaughter. It was the first time a court
had admitted the taggants as evidence. So, there should be no
question in anyone's mind that taggants work.
Mr. President, the opponents of this amendment claim that more study
is needed before taggants can be used. That is a needless delay.
Taggants have been tested in this country and--even in the limited
test--led to an arrest and conviction. They have been required in
Switzerland for more than 12 years, and have proved helpful in hundreds
of bombing and explosives cases over that period.
Taggants are a proven technology which can significantly assist law
enforcement officials in detecting and deterring terrorist acts. We
should not repeat the mistake we made when we deferred action on this
provision in 1980. We should act now, by adopting the Feinstein
amendment.
Mr. BIDEN. I note that no one else is seeking recognition. The hour
of 6 o'clock is approaching.
Parliamentary inquiry: Is there a time set for the first vote at this
moment?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Yes. By unanimous consent, the time has been
set for 6 o'clock.
Mr. BIDEN. The first vote will be on what issue, Mr. President?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The motion to table the amendment No. 1202.
Mr. BIDEN. Amendment 1202 is the taggant amendment of the Senator
from California.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The amendment of the Senator from California.
Mr. BIDEN. I thank the Chair.
Again, I sincerely hope we do not have to wait for another bombing,
another horrendous loss of life, even another day before this body will
act on an issue that we have debated and discussed since 1973, the
first year that I came here. There is no hidden purpose in this
amendment, none whatsoever.
For the life of me, I cannot understand how anyone would be against
this amendment.
I yield the floor at this time.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. If I may, Mr. President, say to the Senator from
Delaware, we are prepared to move a modification to the amendment. We
require unanimous consent to be able to do so. I am hopeful that will
be forthcoming.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, the majority staff tells me that they are
checking with Senator Hatch, who is just off the floor, occupied in
another matter at the moment. Also, there is a need in order to get
unanimous consent to amend the Senator's amendment. There are two other
individuals I am told on the Republican side who are being asked to
check off. If we are not able to get them prior to 6 o'clock, I will
ask unanimous consent the vote be postponed for 5 minutes. I will not
do that now. Hopefully we will find that out--to give us an opportunity
to determine whether or not there will be agreement. I hope there will
be no disagreement on the Senator's amendment because it makes crystal
clear we are not intending to deal with small arms, we are not
intending to deal with those folks who are the stated reason for
concern on the part of those who are opposing this amendment.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. If I might include in the Record at this time
perhaps, if the Senator will yield, the Federal Register, volume 60,
No. 80, Department of the Treasury. This is a listing of those
explosive materials that we are dealing with precisely. So that will be
in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Commerce in Explosives; List of Explosive Materials
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 841(d) of Title 18,
United States Code, and 27 CFR 55.23, the Director, Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, must publish and revise at
least annually in the Federal Register a list of explosives
determined to be within the coverage of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 40,
Importation, Manufacture, Distribution and Storage of
Explosive Materials. This chapter covers not only explosives,
but also blasting agents and detonators, all of which are
defined as explosive materials in section 841(c) of Title 18,
United States Code. Accordingly, the following is the 1995
List of Explosive Materials subject to regulation under 18
U.S.C. Chapter 40, which includes both the list of explosives
(including detonators) required to be published in the
Federal Register and blasting agents. The list is intended to
also include any and all mixtures containing any of the
materials in the list. Materials constituting blasting agents
are marked by an asterisk. While the list is comprehensive,
it is not all inclusive. The fact that an explosive material
may not be on the list does not mean that it is not within
the coverage of the law if it otherwise meets the statutory
definitions in section 841 of Title 18, United States Code.
Explosive materials are listed alphabetically by their common
names followed by chemical names and synonyms in brackets.
This revised list supersedes the List of Explosive Materials
dated January 7, 1994, (59 FR 1056) and will be effective as
of the date of publication in the Federal Register.
Acetylides of heavy metals.
Aluminum containing polymeric propellant.
Aluminum ophorite explosive.
Amatex.
Amatol.
Ammonal.
Ammonium nitrate explosive mixtures (cap sensitive).
*Ammonium nitrate explosive mixtures (non cap sensitive)
Aromatic nitro-compound explosive mixtures.
Ammonium perchlorate explosive mixtures.
Ammonium perchlorate composite propellant:
Ammonium picrate [picrate of ammonia, Explosive D].
Ammonium salt lattice with isomorphously substituted
inorganic salts.
*ANFO [ammonium nitrate-fuel oil].
Baratol.
Baronol.
BEAF [1,2-bis(2,2-difluoro-2-nitroacetoxy-
ethane)].
Black powder.
Black powder based explosive mixtures.
*Blasting agents, nitro-carbo-nitrates, including non cap
sensitive slurry and water-gel explosives.
Blasting caps.
Blasting gelatin.
Blasting powder.
BTNEC [(bis (trinitroethyl) carbonate].
Bulk salutes.
BTNEN [(bis (trinitroethyl) nitramine].
BTTN (1,2,4 butanetriol trinitrate.
Butyl tetryl.
Calcium nitrate explosive mixtures.
Cellulose hexanitrate explosive mixture.
Chlorate explosive mixtures.
Composition A and variations.
Composition B and variations.
Composition C and variations.
Copper acetylide.
Cyanuric triazide.
Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine [RDX].
Cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine [HMX].
Cyclonite [RDX].
Cyclotol. [[Page S7693]]
DATB [diaminotrinitrobenzene].
DDNP [diazodinitrophenol].
DEGDN [diethyleneglycol dinitrate].
Detonating cord.
Detonators.
Dimethylol dimethyl methane dinitrate composition.
Dinitroethyleneurea.
Dinitroglycerine [glycerol dinitrate].
Dinitrophenol.
Dinitrophenolates.
Dinitrophenyl hydrazine.
Dinitroresorcinol.
Dinitrotoluene-sodium nitrate explosive mixtures.
DIPAM.
Dipicryl sulfone.
Dipicrylamine.
Display fireworks.
DNDP [dinitropentano nitrile].
DNPA [2,2-dinitropropyl acrylate].
Dynamite.
EDDN [ethylene diamine dinitrate].
EDNA.
Ednatol.
EDNP [ethyl 4,4-dinitropeotanoate].
Erythritol tetranitrate explosives.
Esters of nitro-substituted alcohols.
EGDN [ethylene glycol dinitrate].
Ethyl-tetryl.
Explosive conitrates.
Explosive gelatins.
Explosive mixtures containing oxygen releasing inorganic
salts and hydrocarbons.
Explosive mixtures containing oxygen releasing inorganic
salts and nitro bodies.
Explosive mixtures containing oxygen releasing inorganic
salts and water insoluble fuels.
Explosive mixtures containing oxygen releasing inorganic
salts and water soluble fuels.
Explosive mixtures containing sensitized nitromethane.
Explosive mixtures containing tetranitromethane (nitroform).
Explosive nitro compounds of aromatic hydrocarbons.
Explosive organic nitrate mixtures.
Explosive liquids.
Explosive powders.
Flash powder.
Fulminate of mercury.
Fulminate of silver.
Fulminating gold.
Fulminating mercury.
Fulminating platinum.
Fulminating silver.
Gelatinized nitrocellulose.
Gem-dinitro aliphatic explosive mixtures.
Guanyl nitrosamino guanyl tetrazene.
Guanyl nitrosamino guanylidene hydrazine.
Guncotton.
Heavy metal azides.
Hexanite.
Hexanitrodiphenylamine.
Hexanitrostilbene.
Hexogen (RDX).
Hexogene or octogene and a nitrated N-methylaniline.
Hexolites.
HMX [cyclo-1,3,5,7-tetramethylene 2,4,6,8-tetranitramine;
Octogen]. Hydrazinium nitrate/hydrazine/aluminum
explosive system.
Hydrazoic acid.
Igniter cord.
Igniters.
Initiating tube systems.
KDNBF [potassium dinitrobenzo-furoxane].
Lead azide.
Lead mannite.
Lead mononitroresorcinate.
Lead picrate.
Lead salts, explosive.
Lead styphnate [styphnate of lead, lead trinitroresorcinate].
Liquid nitrated polyol and trimethyl- olethane.
Liquid oxygen explosives.
Magnesium ophorite explosives.
Mannitol hexanitrate.
MDNP [methyl 4,4-dinitropentanoate].
MEAN [monoethanolamine nitrate].
Mercuric fulminate.
Mercury occalate.
Mercury tartrate.
Metriol trinitrate.
Minol-Z [40% TNT, 40% ammonium nitrate, 20% aluminum].
MMAN [monomethylamine nitrate]; methylamine nitrate.
Mononitrotoluene-nitroglycerin mixture.
Monopropellants.
NIBTN [nitroisobutametriol trinitrate].
Nitrate sensitized with gelled nitroparaffin.
Nitrated carbohydrate explosive.
Nitrated glucoside explosive.
Nitrated polyhydric alcohol explosives.
Nitrates of soda explosive mixtures.
Nitric acid and a nitro aromatic compound explosive.
Nitric acid and carboxylic fuel explosive.
Nitric acid explosive mixtures.
Nitro aromatic explosive mixtures.
Nitro compounds of furane explosive mixtures.
Nitrocellulose explosive.
Nitroderivative of urea explosive mixture.
Nitrogelatin explosive.
Nitrogen trichloride.
Nitrogen tri-iodide.
Nitroglycerine [NG, RNG, nitro, glyceryl trinitrate,
trinitroglycerine].
Nitroglycide.
Nitroglycol (ethylene glycol dinitrate, EGDN).
Nitroguanidine explosives.
Nitroparaffins Explosive Grade and ammonium nitrate mixtures.
Nitronium perchlorate propellant mixtures.
Nitrostarch.
Nitro-substituted carboxylic acids.
Nitrourea.
Octogen [HMX].
Octol [75 percent HMX, 25 percent TNT].
Organic amine nitrates.
Organic nitramines.
PBX [RDX and plasticizer].
Pellet powder.
Penthrinite composition.
Pentolite.
Perchlorate explosive mixtures.
Peroxide based explosive mixtures.
PETN [nitropentaerythrite, pentaerythrite tetranitrate,
pentaerythritol tetrani- trate].
Picramic acid and its salts.
Picrainide.
Picrate of potassium explosive mixture.
Picratol.
Picric acid (manufactured as an explosive).
Picryl chloride.
Picryl fluoride.
PLX [95% nitromethane, 5% ethylenediamine].
Polynitro aliphatic compounds.
Polyolpolynitrate-nitrocellulose explosive gels.
Potassium chlorate and lead sulfocyanate explosive.
Potassium nitrate explosive mixtures.
Potassium nitroaminotetrazole.
Pyrotechnic compositions.
PYX (2,8-bis(picrylamino))-3,5-dinitropyridine.
RDX [cyclonite, hexogen, T4, cyclo-1,3,5,-trimethylene-
2,4,5,-trinitramine; hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro S-
triazine].
Safety fuse.
Salutes, (bulk).
Salts of organic amino sulfonic acid explosive mixture.
Silver acetylide.
Silver azide.
Silver fulminate.
Silver oxalate explosive mixtures.
Silver styphnate.
Silver tartrate explosive mixtures.
Silver tetrazene.
Slurried explosive mixtures of water, inorganic oxidizing
salt, gelling agent fuel and sensitizer (cap sensitive).
Smokeless powder.
Sodstol.
Sodium amatol.
Sodium azide explosive mixture.
Sodium dinitro-ortho-cresolate.
Sodium nitrate-potassium nitrate explosive mixture.
Sodium picramate.
Special fireworks.
Squibs.
Styphnic acid explosives.
Tacot (tetranitro-2-3,5,6-dibenzo-1,3a,4,6a-
tetrazapentalene).
TATB (triaminotrinitrobenzene).
TEGDN [triethylene glycol dinitrate].
Tetrazene [tetracene, tetrazine,] (5-tetrazolyl)-4-guanyl
tetrazene hydrate).
Tetranitrocarbazole.
Tetryl [2,4,6 tetranitro-N-methylaniline].
Tetrytol.
Thickened inorganic oxidizer, salt slurried explosive
mixture.
TMETN (trimethylolethane trinitrate).
TNEF [trinitroethyl formal].
TNEOC [trinitroethylothocarbonate].
TNEOF [trinitroethylothoformate].
TNT [trinitrotoluene, trotyl, trilte, triton].
Torpax.
Tridite.
Trimethylol ethyl methane trinitrate composition.
Trimethylolthane trinitrate-nitrocellulose.
Trimonite.
Trinitroanisole.
Trinitrobenzene.
Trinitrobenzoic acid.
Trinitrocresol.
Trinitro-meta-cresol.
Trinitronaphthalene.
Trinitrophenetol.
Trinitrophloroglucinol.
Trinitroresorcinol.
Tritonal.
Urea nitrate
Water bearing explosives having salts of oxidizing acids and
nitrogen bases, sulfates, or sulfamates (cap sensitive).
Water-in-oil emulsion explosive compositions.
Xanthamonas hydrophilic colloid explosive mixture.
Mr. BIDEN. 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. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Amendment No. 1202, as modified
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, it is my understanding, and I ask the
Senator from California if she desires to modify her amendment.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I do.
Mr. HATCH. I have no objection to modifying the amendment.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. May I proceed to do so?
Mr. HATCH. That would be fine.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Is the Senator from Delaware present?
Mr. BIDEN. I have no objection. [[Page S7694]]
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I send a modification to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the modification to the
amendment?
Without objection, the amendment is so modified.
The amendment (No. 1202), as modified, is as follows:
On page 152, strike line 6 through line 17 on page 153, and
insert the following:
SEC. . STUDY AND REQUIREMENTS FOR TAGGING OF EXPLOSIVE
MATERIALS, AND STUDY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
RENDERING EXPLOSIVE COMPONENTS INERT AND
IMPOSING CONTROLS ON PRECURSORS OF EXPLOSIVES.
(a) the Secretary of the Treasury shall conduct a study and
make recommendations concerning--
(1) the tagging of explosive materials for purposes of
detection and identification;
(2) whether common chemicals used to manufacture explosive
materials can be rendered inert and whether it is feasible to
require it; and
(3) whether controls can be imposed on certain precursor
chemicals used to manufacture explosive materials and whether
it is feasible and cost-effective to require it.
In conducting the study, the Secretary shall consult with
other Federal, State and local officials with expertise in
this area and such other individuals as shall be deemed
necessary. Such study shall be completed within twelve months
after the enactment of this Act and shall be submitted to the
Congress and made available to the public. Such study may
include, if appropriate, recommendations for legisation.
(b) There are authorized to be appropriated for the study
and recommendations contained in paragraph (a) such sums as
may be necessary.
(c) Section 842 of title 18, United States Code, is amended
by inserting after subsection (k), a new subsection (1) which
reads as follows:
``(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture,
import, ship, transport, receive, possess, transfer, or
distribute any explosive material that does not contain a
tracer element as prescribed by the Secretary pursuant to
regulation, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe
that the explosive material does not contain the required
tracer element.''.
``(2) For purposes of this subsection, explosive material
does not include smokeless or black powder manufactured for
uses set forth in section 845(a)(4)(5) of this chapter.''
(d) Section 844, of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after ``(a) through (i)'' the phrase
``and (1).''.
(e) Section 846 of title 18, United States Code, is amended
by designating the present section as ``(a),'' and by adding
a new subsection (b) reading as follows: ``(b) to facilitate
the enforcement of this chapter the Secretary shall, within 6
months after submission of the study required by subsection
(a), promulgate regulations for the addition of tracer
elements to explosive materials manufactured in or imported
into the United States. Tracer elements to be added to
explosive materials under provisions of this subsection shall
be of such character and in such quantity as the Secretary
may authorize or require, and such as will not substantially
impair the quality of the explosive materials for their
intended lawful use, adversely affect the safety of these
explosives, or have a substantially adverse effect on the
environment.''.
(f) The penalties provided herein shall not take effect
until ninety days after the date of promulgation of the
regulations provided for herein.
Mr. BIDEN. 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. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Inhofe). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. HATCH. I ask unanimous consent that my motion to table the
modified Feinstein amendment be vitiated.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is
so ordered.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the
Feinstein amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There is a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
Vote on Amendment No. 1202, as modified
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question occurs on agreeing to amendment
1202, as modified, offered by the Senator from California [Mrs.
Feinstein]. The yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call
the roll.
Mr. LOTT. I announce that the Senator from North Carolina [Mr.
Faircloth], the Senator from Texas [Mr. Gramm], the Senator from
Oregon, [Mr. Hatfield], the Senator from Vermont [Mr. Jeffords], the
Senator from Indiana [Mr. Lugar], and the Senator from Arkansas [Mr.
Murkowski] are necessarily absent.
Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey [Mr. Bradley],
the Senator from Nebraska [Mr. Kerrey], the Senator from Vermont [Mr.
Leahy], and the Senator from Washington [Mr. Murray] are necessarily
absent.
I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from New
Jersey, [Mr. Bradley] and the Senator from Vermont [Mr. Leahy] would
each vote ``aye.''
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
who desire to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 90, nays 0, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 234 Leg.]
YEAS--90
Abraham
Akaka
Ashcroft
Baucus
Bennett
Biden
Bingaman
Bond
Boxer
Breaux
Brown
Bryan
Bumpers
Burns
Byrd
Campbell
Chafee
Coats
Cochran
Cohen
Conrad
Coverdell
Craig
D'Amato
Daschle
DeWine
Dodd
Dole
Domenici
Dorgan
Exon
Feingold
Feinstein
Ford
Frist
Glenn
Gorton
Graham
Grams
Grassley
Gregg
Harkin
Hatch
Heflin
Helms
Hollings
Hutchison
Inhofe
Inouye
Johnston
Kassebaum
Kempthorne
Kennedy
Kerry
Kohl
Kyl
Lautenberg
Levin
Lieberman
Lott
Mack
McCain
McConnell
Mikulski
Moseley-Braun
Moynihan
Nickles
Nunn
Packwood
Pell
Pressler
Pryor
Reid
Robb
Rockefeller
Roth
Santorum
Sarbanes
Shelby
Simon
Simpson
Smith
Snowe
Specter
Stevens
Thomas
Thompson
Thurmond
Warner
Wellstone
NOT VOTING--10
Bradley
Faircloth
Gramm
Hatfield
Jeffords
Kerrey
Leahy
Lugar
Murkowski
Murray
So the amendment (No. 1202), as modified, was agreed to.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I move to lay that motion on the table.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Amendment No. 1207 Withdrawn
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my
amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
So the amendment (No. 1207) was withdrawn.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I understand we can accept a few of the
amendments. Senator Dole has informed Members that is the last vote of
the day.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, we are trying to clear additional
amendments.
We are prepared to accept the Pressler amendment, renaming a Federal
building in his State. We are seeing whether we can clear additional
amendments.
While I have the floor, let me ask, the Senator from California,
Senator Boxer, was prepared to go with her amendment tonight, but since
that was the last vote, I would like to ask whether or not the chairman
would object to her being the first amendment tomorrow?
Mr. HATCH. I have no objection to that. Why do we not schedule that
right before the caucus meetings tomorrow?
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, that is perfect.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I would be prepared to move Senator
Pressler's amendment regarding renaming the Federal building, if that
is appropriate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There are two Pressler amendments.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I was referring to the Pressler amendment
renaming a Federal building. It is amendment numbered 1204. However, I
have just been informed by the chairman of the committee of
jurisdiction that he would like an opportunity to look at that.
Therefore, I withdraw my request to act on Pressler amendment numbered
1204.
What I am saying is we do not have an amendment to clear at the
moment.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I do not have any authority to set a vote
on the [[Page S7695]] Boxer amendment. I think we have to look at the
amendment and go from there. Hopefully, that can be the first vote, if
we can work it out.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair would observe that the pending
amendment is No. 1206, offered by the Senator from Utah on behalf of
Senator Specter.
Mr. HATCH. As I understand it, maybe we can accept that amendment if
it is permissible on the part of the minority.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, there are two committee members that have a
hold on this amendment. I am not sure it will not be able to be
accepted, but I cannot clear it at this moment.
Amendment No. 1204
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, the Senator who had objected to moving to
consider Pressler amendment numbered 1204 has now withdrawn his
objection.
We, on the Democratic side, are prepared to accept Pressler amendment
numbered 1204.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
The amendment (No. 1204) was agreed to.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I move to lay that motion on the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I wonder if the distinguished Senator from
Delaware is prepared to accept the Smith amendment, which appears to be
a technical amendment.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, at this moment, we are trying to clear the
Smith amendment and several others. I am not in a position to clear any
amendment at this moment. We are running that down right now.
If the Senator could withhold for a few minutes.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask that the order for the quorum call be
rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, the managers have been accepting some of
these amendments. I would like to get some idea of how many are left.
We started off this morning with 99, and I do not know whether we are
down to 90, 85, 25, or 10. There will be a cloture vote. If we cannot
get consent to vote tomorrow, it will be early on Wednesday morning.
One way or the other, we are going to dispose of this bill. If people
are not willing to offer their amendments, we cannot work them out--it
is only 6:30 and we thought we would be here late tonight. Obviously,
no one wants to stay.
The President says he wants the bill passed. But this is all he says,
``I want the bill passed.'' We need some action. Tomorrow we will have
a full day. We are not going to dispose of the 99 amendments tomorrow
or 85 or 75 amendments. We would be prepared to exchange lists. We have
been able to eliminate many of ours. If the Democrats are willing to
give what they have, we will know if we have a chance of completing
this tomorrow. If not, I would like to move to the telecommunications
bill.
We have accepted four or five minor amendments. That is about all we
have gotten today. I am glad we accepted those rather than have 95-0
votes. Some of our colleagues returned today thinking there would be
multiple votes. I obviously cannot manufacture votes, unless we just
have Sergeant-at-Arms votes. I am not trying to punish anybody. We need
to finish this bill, the President says so. Everybody says so.
How many amendments do we have left: 80? 50? 60? 100?
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I say to the majority leader, I think we
have about 20 amendments left. I expect that by midday tomorrow we will
have fewer than that left.
I might point out to the majority leader that two of the four
amendments accepted, when we met last, there was no possibility of them
being accepted. They were two of the six major amendments that the
Democratic side felt were essential to be included in the Republican
core bill.
Although we did accept them and they turned out to be overwhelming
votes--taggants--when I spoke this time before we adjourned, I said the
taggant amendment and the amendment that the Senator from California
had regarding the distribution of material on how to build explosive
devices were two of the most contentious amendments,
and they were so advertised at the time. They had been worked out
through the cooperation of Senator Hatch and the Republican side. So I
do not want the Senator, the leader, to think we have only been dealing
with those things, with the easiest things on the list. The big items
left on the list are some gun-related amendments and the habeas corpus
amendments. We are ready to go at those starting first thing in the
morning. I imagine we will be joined, for example, by the Senator from
New Jersey, who has an amendment on doing away with the $25 million
program the Defense Department makes available for ammunition for
target practice. He is willing to agree to a half-hour on that
amendment. I do not think we are going to take very much time on the
remaining very controversial amendments.
I cannot say to the Senator what one or two people on either side may
do based on what the final outcome of the habeas corpus vote is, or a
gun vote is. I do not know. But I think disposing of the amendments
will go relatively quickly and I think we will be able to get time
agreements on almost all of them.
Several Senators addressed the Chair.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, let me just reply. We understand we have
maybe five amendments. The Senator is saying he has, still, 20 on that
side?
Mr. BIDEN. I ask my staff how many amendments we have on the
Democratic side left?
I am told we have 15 to 20. We can give a closer estimate, but I
suspect at least a third of those amendments are place holders that are
not likely to be moved at all. But one thing for sure, the list is
decreasing, not increasing.
I was asked by the Democratic leader if we thought we could finish
this bill by tomorrow night. I believe we can finish it by tomorrow
night, at least the amendments by tomorrow night. Hopefully we will not
move into Wednesday on this legislation. I certainly want to move it.
Thus far I have seen cooperation on both sides to move contentious
amendments.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, let me commend the ranking member and
chairman on the work they have done on the last couple of legislative
days we have been on this bill. This is really just the second day we
have been on the bill. As everyone recalls, this is not a piece of
legislation that went through committee. We did not have the
opportunity to review any of it in a committee. So even though the
issue was subject to hearings, there was no specific hearing on this
particular bill. We only had the opportunity to see it about a day
prior to the time we recessed. Everyone now has, clearly, read the bill
and had the opportunity to study it. So as a result, I think some of
the amendments that were anticipated may no longer be required.
But this is not a simple bill. This is not a small matter. This is a
far-reaching piece of legislation that deserves our consideration. I
think, given that, it is all the more remarkable that perhaps in a
period of the next 48 hours, maybe less than that, substantially less
than that, we will be able to complete our work.
Senators have legitimate concerns that have to be addressed in the
form of amendments. They will be addressed. They are cooperating on our
side. As the ranking member said, I think there is a reasonable
expectation we can bring that list down even more. People are
cooperating, and I think together we can work this thing through and be
finished certainly within the next couple of days at the latest.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I thank the Democratic leader. I hope that
is an accurate assessment. We would like to finish the bill tomorrow
night and start on telecommunications on [[Page S7696]] Wednesday. I
made promises, in effect, to Senators Pressler and Hollings that we
would take it up. I am not certain we will even have five amendments
offered. This is a bill the President wants very much. It would seem to
me, on the other side, if they have 20 amendments, maybe they would be
willing to forgo offering all those on this bill unless they relate to
this bill or toughen this bill or somehow strengthen this bill.
It is important legislation, there is no question about it. Nobody
knows how important it is any more than the Presiding Officer, Senator
Inhofe, and Senator Nickles, from Oklahoma. We want to look back on it
a year from now and say we did the right thing, we just did not do
something in the emotion of the moment that might infringe on
somebody's constitutional rights a year from now or 10 years from now.
But I think there is basic agreement. As I just listen to the two
managers here it seems to me Senator Biden and Senator Hatch have a
pretty good grip on what they would like to accomplish. Hopefully we
will work together tomorrow. Maybe we can get it done tomorrow night,
late.
We did not quite get it done on Memorial Day but at least we made the
effort. There is no way you can complete it with 97 amendments out
there, 67 on that side and 30-some on this side. So we have it down to
a total of 20. Maybe some of those are not--I do not say they are not
serious amendments--maybe what we call around here, place holders.
It seems to me if we start fairly early tomorrow morning we can
complete action on the bill tomorrow night.
Mr. BIDEN. I hope so.
Mr. DOLE. Is that possible?
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I think that is true. Again, I do not think
we are going to have trouble finishing the amendments. I think the
outcome of the amendments may affect what one or two people on your
side or one or two people on my side might end up doing. But my guess
there as well is if we finish these amendments we will go to final
passage and there will not be much in the way of that. But I cannot
make a promise to the leader on that.
Mr. DOLE. Is there anything else to do this evening? Any other
amendments that can be dealt with?
Mr. HATCH. I think it is better for us this evening to work on what
we are going to do tomorrow, come in early and do our very best to
finish this by tomorrow night. I really appreciate the good will on the
part of the minority here to work with us and get this done. But I
would like to finish it by tomorrow night if we can. If it means
getting into the habeas amendments pretty early tomorrow, it means
getting into the difficult amendments.
Hopefully, once we resolve those one way or the other, we can move
ahead to final passage.
Mrs. BOXER. Will the Senator yield for a question? Shall the Senator
be here prepared at 9:45 to offer the amendment? Can we perhaps
incorporate that into a unanimous consent so we can make sure it is the
business at hand?
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the first amendment
tomorrow be the amendment of the Senator from California, Senator
Boxer.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mrs. BOXER. I thank my colleague.
Mr. HATCH. I suggest to my distinguished colleague from California,
if she will work with us on the amendment it might not be as difficult
as it might be. So I would like to chat with her and see what we can
do.
Mrs. BOXER. I will be glad to do that.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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