Opponents foil U.S. Senate's dual-use export bill

WASHINGTON -- U.S. security officials and their supporters in Congress appear to have foiled passage of a Senate bill that would have significantly relaxed controls on dual-use exports in a struggle between trade proponents and national security experts.

Senator Michael Enzi, the sponsor of the Export Administration Act, said the bill will probably not be considered in the current session of Congress. He said he is still lobbying his colleagues to support the legislation.

The bill would authorize the Commerce Department to control exports of advanced technology on such dual-use items as computers and machine tools. Dual use equipment has both military and civilian applications.

Since 1994, when the last export act expired, Congress has failed in 11 attempts to pass a new bill. Each time, the effort pitted business interests against those of national security.

The export-control system has been maintained by executive order.

Enzi's bill cleared the Senate Banking Committee in September. But it has been stalled by opposition from the Republican leadership.

In testimony, Enzi criticized the failure to pass the export controls bill. as "It has created an increasingly dangerous situation," he said. "The U.S. has difficulty convincing other countries, even our strongest allies, of the importance of multilateral controls when the Congress has not passed a law authorizing the use of export controls."

But Senator Fred Thompson, chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, pointed out that the bill would decontrol items available from foreign suppliers or from the U.S. mass market. He said this would make huge amounts of dual-use equipment available to rogue nations.

"The fact is, dual-use items can be controlled," Thompson said. "The keys to an effective export control system are simple: clear rules, trained staff, state of the art resources, intensive background checks, rigorous post-shipment verifications, and tough enforcement."

The Clinton administration has been cautious. Commerce Department Undersecretary William Reinsch said the administration leans toward supporting Enzi's bill but has withheld lobbying for it.