Political Quotes

“I rise to comment on the economic espionage bill introduced by Senators Specter and Kohl. I was pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee passed this bill, which will strengthen current public law on crimes against our industries. It will protect our businesses by punishing those who steal vital proprietary information for the benefit of a foreign government or a corporation. Economic espionage is not a new crime. The success of many U.S. firms has made them a large target for the theft of trade secrets. It is much easier for a foreign firm to steal American trade secrets, with little or no penalty, than it is for a firm to spend a large amount of capital on research and development. Economic espionage may be the future of intelligence. Only recently have American firms begun to recognize the economic impact espionage has on U.S. firms. In 1992, a survey by the American Society for Industrial Security discovered that American firms lost roughly $597 million in product development and specification data and $110 million in manufacturing process information, due to espionage. These losses are likely to continue. I am pleased that the Chairman and ranking member have produced a bill that will for the first time penalize those who try to steal ideas that Americans have worked hard to develop. One problem not yet adequately addressed is how to collect necessary intelligence in an age when encryption protects computer communication.”