Political Quotes

“2 years ago, I cosponsored with Senator Bob Kerrey an important amendment to the intelligence authorization bill for fiscal year 1993, directing the administration to update its policy for the domestic and overseas sales of satellite imagery and systems. The policy at that time allowed only for the sale of very low resolution imagery by the commercial sector. Due to reductions in our industrial base, the emergence of a global commercial imagery market, and the growth of foreign satellite imagery competition, this policy was sadly out-of-date. Today I am pleased to announce that the administration has announced a new policy. It will now allow U.S. aerospace companies to sell medium resolution imagery in the commercial marketplace. It will also allow firms to sell high resolution imagery in the future. This approach insures that U.S. companies are able to compete on an equal footing with foreign competitors in the international marketplace. At the same time, the policy allows the Secretary of Commerce, at the request of the Secretary of State or Defense, to limit the sale of imagery when National security interests may be seriously compromised.”