Floyd Spence: “I rise in support of H.R. 361, the Omnibus Export Administration Act of 1996. This act would supersede the original…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 361, the Omnibus Export Administration Act of 1996. This act would supersede the original Export Administration Act, which expired in 1994, and is the result of many months of negotiation and hard work between the International Relations and National Security Committees. I believe it strikes a responsible balance between the desire to promote U.S. exports and the need to prevent sensitive technologies for falling into the wrong hands. I commend my colleagues, Mr. Gilman, the chairman of the International Relations Committee, and Mr. Roth, the chairman of the International Economic Policy and Trade Subcommittee, for their commitment to work cooperatively on this issue. Since the fall of 1994, the Clinton administration has been operating under emergency authorities contained in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This piecemeal approach to export control is neither satisfactory nor prudent and has resulted in poor decisions with detrimental impact on U.S. national security. The Export Administration Act accomplishes several important objectives.”