[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 146 (Monday, November 7, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S12450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SANTORUM:
  S. 972. A bill to require Members of Congress and legislative branch 
employees to report all contact with officials and representatives of 
countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism; to the Committee 
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to offer remarks about a 
bill I introduced earlier today, the Terrorist Lobby Disclosure Act of 
2005.
  My legislation is simple, straightforward and necessary. Because the 
United States is actively involved in the global war on terror, we must 
be vigilant in fighting this war on all fronts. This means supplying 
our men and women of the Armed Forces with equipment and materiel to 
conduct military operations. It means providing our intelligence 
community with the resources it needs to make inroads against terrorist 
organizations and to better safeguard Americans against nations and 
groups that hate our way of life. It means devoting the time and 
resources to ensure the safety of our borders, ports and airports. 
Finally, it means providing transparency in dealing with those nations 
defined by our government as ``state sponsors of terrorism.''
  According to the Department of State, Iran, Syria, Libya, Cuba, North 
Korea, and Sudan are the six governments that the U.S. Secretary of 
State has designated as state sponsors of international terrorism. 
These are governments that engage directly in terrorist activity 
themselves; support terrorist groups by providing funding, arms, or 
other material support; or provide training, logistical support, 
sanctuary, or diplomatic facilities. These states are the worst of the 
worst when it comes to fighting the global war on terror.
  My bill requires Members of Congress and employees of the legislative 
branch to disclose, on a quarterly basis, any contacts with 
representatives or officials of governments that have been designated 
as state sponsors of international terrorism. The contacts must be 
reported to the U.S. Department of State, Secretary of the Senate, and 
Clerk of the House of Representatives. My bill makes sure that the 
congressional committees of oversight are also duly informed of these 
contacts. Let me be clear, my bill does not prohibit these contacts. 
Rather, with men and women serving in harm's way in the global war on 
terror, it simply requires disclosure and transparency in the conduct 
of their official duties.
  As we commit final resources and valuable human capital to prosecute 
the global war on terror, we ought to know if members of our own 
government are meeting with individuals who are representatives of 
terrorist nations. The American people deserve to know if there are 
contacts happening with representatives of these regimes--regimes that 
are actively opposed to America.

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