On the recordMay 20, 1998
Oversight or the primary review of the satellite transfers has now been taken away from the Department of Defense, who look at it from a national security standpoint, and given to the Department of Commerce, which arguably does not have the experts to understand exactly what is being transferred, and does not have probably the political will that the Department of Defense has to keep critical militarily strategic components from going to the hands of our potential adversaries. The Defense Department is tougher on these transfers.
Source
govinfo.gov
