Orrin Hatch: “I would note that carrier compliance under the Communications for Law Enforcement Assistance Act, which we call CLEAA…”

“I would note that carrier compliance under the Communications for Law Enforcement Assistance Act, which we call CLEAA, does not obligate Congress to appropriate any funds in excess of the amounts authorized. I emphasize that we are losing ground in a important area. We passed a bill last Congress that satisfied the various interests and constituencies involved in this important issue. Now we need to move forward with funding. In my view, the creation of this fund will not obligate my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to appropriate funds beyond what the Congress has already promised for this worthy purpose. Specifically, I am prepared to ask for a commitment between now and the time we take up the fiscal year 1997 Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill that we will try to work this out. I hope that our staffs will establish a series of meetings, the purpose of which would be to reach a resolution of this matter by fiscal year 1997. It is important; with digital coming into being, we have got to be able to handle this aspect of law enforcement.”