    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
    [May 3, 1995]
    [Pages 633-634]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress Transmitting Proposed Legislation To Combat
    Terrorism
    May 3, 1995

    To the Congress of the United States:
        Today I am transmitting for your immediate consideration and
    enactment the ``Antiterrorism Amendments Act of 1995.'' This
    comprehensive Act, together with the ``Omnibus Counterterrorism Act of
    1995,'' which I transmitted to the Congress on February 9, 1995, are
    critically important components of my Administration's effort to combat
    domestic and international terrorism.
        The tragic bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City
    on April 19th stands as a challenge to all Americans to preserve a safe
    society. In the wake of this cowardly attack on innocent men, women, and
    children, following other terrorist incidents at home and abroad over
    the past several years, we must ensure that law enforcement authorities
    have the legal tools and resources they need to fight terrorism. The
    Antiterrorism Amendments Act of 1995 will help us to prevent terrorism
    through vigorous and effective investigation and prosecution. Major
    provisions of this Act would:
         Permit law enforcement agencies to gain access to financial
    and credit reports in antiterrorism cases, as is currently permitted
    with bank records. This would allow such agencies to track the source
    and use of funds by suspected terrorists.
         Apply the same legal standard in national security cases
    that is currently used in other criminal cases for obtaining permission
    to track telephone traffic with ``pen registers'' and ``trap and trace''
    devices.
         Enable law enforcement agencies to utilize the national
    security letter process to obtain records critical to terrorism
    investigations from hotels, motels, common carriers, storage facilities,
    and vehicle rental facilities.
         Expand the authority of law enforcement agencies to conduct
    electronic surveillance, within constitutional safeguards. Examples of
    this increased authority include additions to the list

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    of felonies that can be used as the basis for a surveillance order, and
    enhancement of law enforcement's ability to keep pace with
    telecommunications technology by obtaining multiple point wiretaps where
    it is impractical to specify the number of the phone to be tapped (such
    as the use of a series of cellular phones).
         Require the Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Alcohol,
    Tobacco, and Firearms to study the inclusion of taggants (microscopic
    particles) in standard explosive device raw materials to permit tracing
    the source of those materials after an explosion; whether common
    chemicals used to manufacture explosives can be rendered inert; and
    whether controls can be imposed on certain basic chemicals used to
    manufacture other explosives.
         Require the inclusion of taggants in standard explosive
    device raw materials after the publication of implementing regulations
    by the Secretary of the Treasury.
         Enable law enforcement agencies to call on the special
    expertise of the Department of Defense in addressing offenses involving
    chemical and biological weapons.
         Make mandatory at least a 10-year penalty for transferring
    firearms or explosives with knowledge that they will be used to commit a
    crime of violence and criminalize the possession of stolen explosives.
         Impose enhanced penalties for terrorist attacks against
    current and former Federal employees, and their families, when the crime
    is committed because of the employee's official duties.
         Provide a source of funds for the digital telephony bill,
    which I signed into law last year, ensuring court-authorized law
    enforcement access to electronic surveillance of digitized
    communications.
        These proposals are described in more detail in the enclosed
    section-by-section analysis.
        The Administration is prepared to work immediately with the Congress
    to enact antiterrorism legislation. My legislation will provide an
    effective and comprehensive response to the threat of terrorism, while
    also protecting our precious civil liberties. I urge the prompt and
    favorable consideration of the Administration's legislative proposals by
    the Congress.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    May 3, 1995.