[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 113 (Wednesday, August 4, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S10226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID (for himself and Mr. Kerry):
  S. 1483. A bill to amend the National Defense Authorization Act for 
fiscal Year 1998 with respect to export controls on high performance 
computers; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.


    ADJUSTMENT OF COMPOSITE THEORETICAL PERFORMANCE LEVELS OF HIGH 
                         PERFORMANCE COMPUTERS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, on July 1, 1999, President Clinton announced 
that the Commerce Department would implement changes to the United 
States export controls on high performance computers. By changing the 
limits on high performance computers, we will be increasing our 
national security and easing outdated regulations that are currently 
imposed on the thriving high tech industry and on government itself.
  Mr. President, as you may know, I have followed this issue closely 
for the last eight months since the inception of the high-tech working 
group that I chair. I have met with many company leaders, both large 
and small, to discuss the issue of export controls on computers. I am 
convinced that if we don't immediately act to ease export controls, 
many American jobs may be at risk. Each day that our nations's 
companies can't compete in foreign markets, we are losing market share 
and eventually will be giving up our world dominance in the high-tech 
sector.
  The bill that I am offering today reduces the review period from 180 
days to 30 days to complement the Administration's easing of export 
restrictions by amending the National Defense Authorization Act of 
1998.
  Mr. President. In closing, I would like to share with you an example 
of how outdated today's restrictions are. I was recently at a meeting 
where Michael Dell, President of Dell Computers, stood up and pulled 
his pager from his hip holster. He held it up and said that under 
current export controls, his little pager that is smaller than a 
computer mouse, cannot be exported to many countries because it is 
considered a ``super computer.''
  Mr. President. These controls need to be changed as the 
Administration has made clear, but it needs to be done sooner rather 
than later. In short, these controls need to be eased yesterday.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1483

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ADJUSTMENT OF COMPOSITE THEORETICAL PERFORMANCE 
                   LEVELS OF HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTERS.

       Section 1211(d) of the National Defense Authorization Act 
     for Fiscal Year 1998 (50 U.S.C. App. 2404 note) is amended in 
     the second sentence by striking ``180'' and inserting ``30''.
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