The computer industry is uniquely American. We created it. Now we dominate it. Our leadership is recognized worldwide.
Today, our commanding position is under assault. Not by foreign competitors, but by our very own administration that touts itself as the darling of the high tech community.
The administration's misguided proposal on encryption amounts to a pair of cement shoes for Silicon Valley. It seems to me that a new pair of track shoes might be a better answer. And as Senator Burns has pointed out, that's exactly what we intend to give them with our legislation.
This measure has strong bi-partisan support and Senator Leahy has pushed this issue for some time. Strong encryption allows businesses and individuals worldwide to choose strong security features they need to protect information transmitted electronically. In simple terms, encryption amounts to nothing more than a modern day padlock. That's why Internet grassroots groups call our bill "My lock, My key."
The administration apparently thinks very little of the right to privacy -- it presumes the government is entitled to all the so-called "keys" or secret passwords which protect computer generated information from prying eyes -- like hackers. The problem is President Clinton would only take the "keys" of U.S. products, not foreign ones.
This would hobble our companies in the world market. After all, why would anyone buy U.S. computer products if they aren't secure? And they won't be once the government gets hold of the keys.
Now many of you may be asking, "what's the big deal?" The administration's big brother proposal will literally destroy America's computer industry. The administration proposal will force American companies to surrender to foreign competitors, or force our companies to move off-shore in order to remain competitive.
In short, our bill is pro-American. It bolsters our competitiveness. It creates jobs. It protects our right to privacy. And defends our national security.