News



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          AG
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 1995                            (202) 616-2777


    ADMINISTRATION COUNTERTERRORISM LEGISLATION PASSES SENATE 

        Administration Wins on Critical Amendment Votes

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Senate today passed the
Administration's counterterrorism legislation by a vote of 91-8,
sending virtually all of the President's proposals to the House of
Representatives for consideration.

     President Clinton said, "This legislation will help us
prevent, prosecute and punish terrorists more effectively."

     "By working together to pass the Administration's legislation,
we are doing what is right for America," said Attorney General
Janet Reno.  "Many terrorists are becoming more sophisticated, even
as others are killing with simple tools like fertilizer and fuel
oil.  This legislation helps us fight back, and keep up with
terrorism in the 1990s." 

     President Clinton called for anti-terrorism legislation in his
January State of the Union address and introduced it in February. 
The Administration added more proposals after the April 19 Oklahoma
City bombing.

     Several key proposals were inserted this week at the
Administration's urging:

þ    By a vote of 90-0, the Senate voted Monday to require that
     explosives be manufactured with detectable "taggants," which
     will permit investigators to trace their source after an
     explosion;

þ    By voice vote, the Senate Tuesday voted to amend the National
     Firearms Act by extending the statutes of limitations for
     crimes involving explosives to five years;

þ    On Tuesday, the Senate also voted 77-19 to permit federal law
     enforcement to continue wiretaps when suspects switch
     telephones (often to evade detection) -- known as "multi-point
     wiretaps"; and

þ    Also on a Tuesday voice vote, the Senate acted to permit the
     military -- which can now assist law enforcement in dealing
     with nuclear terrorist threats -- to provide similar
     assistance in the event of chemical or biological threats.

     The legislation also contains eight other features that the
Administration insisted be in any counterterrorism bill: 

þ    authorization of $300 million for initiatives such as funding
     for Federal investigative agencies, an FBI domestic
     counterterrorism center and the FBI's digital telephony
     initiative;
þ    jurisdiction to hear cases involving terrorist acts committed
     against Americans abroad;
þ    special expedited procedures for removing criminal aliens and
     alien terrorists from the United States;
þ    special procedures which limit the ability of terrorist groups
     to raise funds in the United States;
þ    a mechanism for federal law enforcement to obtain important
     financial and other records in foreign counterintelligence
     investigations;
þ    increased authority for the Attorney General to offer rewards
     in both foreign and domestic terrorism cases;
þ    authority for federal judges to order a wiretap to include
     more offenses closely connected to terrorism; and
þ    authority for federal law enforcement to order the
     preservation of important records until a court order can be
     obtained.

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