[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 17, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               ENCRYPTION

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                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 17, 1996

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the House of Representatives passed 
the Omnibus Export Administration Act of 1995 to improve export 
opportunities for American businesses.
  Unfortunately, this legislation did not address the limits placed on 
overseas sales of encryption products.
  Encryption technology can make electronic information indecipherable 
to anyone lacking the mathematical formula, or key, to unlock the data. 
It offers companies the promise of protection against hackers, the 
Government the promise of protection from terrorists, and for e-mail 
users the promise of privacy against prying eyes.
  It also offers the promise of $60 billion in potential export sales 
for American high tech companies by the year 2000. But these sales will 
remain out of reach unless the U.S. Government loosens restrictions on 
encryption exports to reflect the ready availability of powerful 
encryption products on the foreign market and through the Internet.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress needs to pass the Security and Freedom through 
Encryption Act. It's a bipartisan, commonsense approach to resolving a 
trade problem that's costing the high tech industry billions of 
dollars, and costing American citizens their right to privacy.

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