[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 20, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H4682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            LOS ALAMOS LEAKS

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the Founding Fathers saw a national security 
as the very first duty of government. First amongst the powers given to 
Congress is the power to provide for the common defense. The first duty 
listed for the President is to be Commander in Chief of the Army and 
Navy of the United States.
  National security is a very serious matter; and when nuclear secrets 
are lost, our national safety is threatened. Then why have we seen 
repeated security breaches at the Los Alamos National Laboratory?
  Dr. Wen Ho Lee is still in jail awaiting trial for mishandling secret 
data a year ago. When that happened, Energy Secretary Richardson 
opposed new security measures, insisting that he wanted to be in charge 
and that he could handle the security himself.
  Clearly, he has failed to do that. Some think we have better security 
at Wal-Mart than we do in Los Alamos. Richardson blamed the University 
of California, but even his director of counterintelligence says we 
cannot rule out espionage.
  If the Secretary of Energy cannot provide security for our Nation's 
top nuclear secrets, the President needs to find someone who can.

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