DO SOMETHING ABOUT TERRORISM

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• Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing, along with the distinguished chairman of the Interior Committee, Mr. Udall, a bill, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989.

• Terrorism against the United States and our citizens is a cruel reality that must be addressed. The most recent act of terrorism we have witnessed is the bombing of a Pan American airliner which killed many of our citizens. According to the FBI, 50 percent of the international terrorist incidents since 1968 were directed at Americans.

• The spector of state-supported terrorism has risen in recent years. There are nations that support terrorism and the time has come for the United States to take direct action to force them to cease their support for terrorist activities. The United States is a nation of great economic power which should be used as a weapon against international terrorism.

• The legislation that we propose would widen the range of possible sanctions against nations that support terrorism. Most Americans would be disturbed to discover that some of these governments, such as Iran, Libya, and Syria, enjoy most-favored-nation [MFN] status with the United States. Recently we have witnessed the Ayatollah Khomeini demand the death of Salman Rushdie for publishing a book contrary to Iran's religion. We cannot support a country that would make such a threat.

• Our bill, the Anti-Terrorism Sanctions Act of 1989, would do three things: First, require the Secretary of State to maintain a list of countries that support terrorism and notify Congress whenever a country is removed from or added to the list--the Secretary already maintains such a list for other purposes; second, deny trade preferences to any country on this list; and third, grant the President authority to waive this proscription if he finds that it is not in the national interest.

• For the information of my colleagues, I am inserting into the Record at this point a copy of this legislation.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the `Anti-Terrorism Sanctions Act of 1989'.

Sec. 2. The Act entitled `An Act to prohibit the destruction, or injury to, certain property moving in interstate or foreign commerce, and for other purposes', approved September 13, 1961 (15 U.S.C. 1281 and 1282), is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section:

`Sec. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law with respect to any foreign country while it is listed pursuant to section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 as a country that repeatedly provides support for international terrorism--

`(1) the President shall terminate, withdraw, or suspend any portion of any trade agreement or treaty that relates to the provision of nondiscriminatory (most-favored-nation) trade treatment to such country;

`(2) such country shall be denied nondiscriminatory (most-favored-nation) trade treatment by the United States and the products of such country shall be subject to the rates and duty set forth in column number 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States;

`(3) the provisions of title V of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461, et seq.) shall not apply with respect to the products of such country;

`(4) the provisions of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2701, et seq.) shall not apply with respect to the products of such country, during the period in which such identification is in effect; and

`(5) the Secretary of Commerce may not consult with the government of that country under section 3(a)(9) of the International Travel Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2123(a)(9)) regarding international travel and tourism.

`(b)(1) The President may waive all, or any portion of, the provisions of subsection (a) with respect to any foreign country if the President determines that such a waiver would be in the best interests of the United States. The President shall submit to the Congress written notice of any waiver granted under this paragraph.

`(2) Any waiver granted under paragraph (1) may be revoked by the President at any time.

`(3)(A) Any waiver granted under paragraph (1) shall take effect only after the close of the thirty-day period that begins on the date on which the President submits to the Congress written notice of such waiver.

`(B) The following days shall be excluded in determining the thirty-day period described in subparagraph (A)--

`(i) the days on which either House of Congress is not in session because of an adjournment of more than three days to a day certain or an adjournment of the Congress sine die; and

`(ii) any Saturday and Sunday, not excluded under clause (i), when either House of Congress is not in session.'.

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