[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19713]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NO. 114-4

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask 
unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the 
following treaty transmitted to the Senate on December 8, 2015, by the 
President of the United States: Treaty with Jordan on Mutual Legal 
Assistance in Criminal Matters, Treaty Document No. 114-4. I further 
ask that the treaty be considered as having been read the first time; 
that it be referred, with accompanying papers, to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the President's 
message be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The message of the President is as follows:

To the Senate of the United States:
  With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to 
ratification, I transmit herewith the Treaty between the Government of 
the United States of America and the Government of the Hashemite 
Kingdom of Jordan on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, 
signed at Washington on October 1, 2013. I also transmit, for the 
information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with 
respect to the Treaty.
  The Treaty is one of a series of modern mutual legal assistance 
treaties negotiated by the United States to more effectively counter 
criminal activities. The Treaty should enhance our ability to 
investigate and prosecute a wide variety of crimes.
  The Treaty provides for a broad range of cooperation in criminal 
matters. Under the Treaty, the Parties agree to assist each other by, 
among other things: producing evidence (such as testimony, documents, 
or items) obtained voluntarily or, where necessary, by compulsion; 
arranging for persons, including persons in custody, to travel to 
another country to provide evidence; serving documents; executing 
searches and seizures; locating and identifying persons or items; and 
freezing and forfeiting assets or property that may be the proceeds or 
instrumentalities of crime.
  I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to 
the Treaty, and give its advice and consent to ratification.
                                                        Barack Obama.  
The White House, December 8, 2015.

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