[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 49 (Monday, December 11, 1995)]
[Pages 2130-2131]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Congress on Administration of Export Controls

December 5, 1995

To the Congress of the United States:

    In order to take additional steps with respect to the national 
emergency described and declared in Executive Order No. 12924 of August 
19, 1994, and continued on August 15, 1995, necessitated by the 
expiration of the Export Administration Act on August 20, 1994, I hereby 
report to the Congress that pursuant to section 204(b) of the 
International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(b) (``the 
Act''), I have today exercised the authority granted by the Act to issue 
an Executive order (a copy of which is attached) to revise the existing 
procedures for processing export license applications submitted to the 
Department of Commerce.
    The Executive order establishes two basic principles for processing 
export license applications submitted to the Department of Commerce 
under the Act and the Regulations, or under any renewal of, or successor 
to, the Export Administration Act and the

[[Page 2131]]

Regulations. First, all such license applications must be resolved or 
referred to me for resolution no later than 90 calendar days after they 
are submitted to the Department of Commerce. Second, the Departments of 
State, Defense, and Energy, and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency 
will have the authority to review any such license application. In 
addition, the Executive order sets forth specific procedures including 
intermediate time frames, for review and resolution of such license 
applications.
    The Executive order is designed to make the licensing process more 
efficient and transparent for exporters while ensuring that our national 
security, foreign policy, and nonproliferation interests remain fully 
protected.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
December 5, 1995.

Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
December 6.