[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 65 (Wednesday, May 20, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H3492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 NATIONAL SECURITY TOO IMPORTANT TO BE AUCTIONED OFF TO HIGHEST BIDDER

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, Americans awoke this morning with a number 
of new questions on their minds, beginning with why would the Clinton 
administration switch the responsibility for satellites from the 
Department of State to the Commerce Department?
  Both the State Department and Defense Department were against this 
move. They knew these communication satellites were one of America's 
most sensitive military and intelligence gathering technologies. Even 
the former Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, wrote to the 
President that these sophisticated communication satellites held 
technology secrets that could jeopardize, and I quote, ``significant 
military and intelligence interests of America.''
  Was Secretary Christopher reluctant because he understood the 
importance of the built-in encryption equipment that interprets the 
ground controller's instructions; or was it because he knew that 
similar encryption systems were used to communicate with America's spy 
satellites?
  Did the Commerce Department in any way understand that anyone who 
could crack these codes could take control of these satellites 
themselves? Did anyone care? Was there some other issue driving this 
change?
  America deserves to know the answers to these questions, Mr. Speaker.

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