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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