Two Orange County congressmen claimed victories Thursday when House and Senate committees approved two separate bills aimed at imposing the death penalty in spy cases and reforming the federal budget process.
In the wake of the recent arrest of CIA employee Aldrich H. Ames as an alleged spy for the former Soviet Union and Russia, the House Judiciary Committee approved an amendment drafted by Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) calling for the death penalty for espionage that results in the death of an individual acting on behalf of the United States.
The amendment, approved by a voice vote, was offered on behalf of Dornan by Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), a member of the Judiciary Committee. The legislation will be included as part of a comprehensive crime bill to be considered by the House.
Dornan, a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, said the Ames case demonstrated the need for the legislation since it is now suspected that as many as 10 Soviet citizens may have been executed as the result of disclosures allegedly made by Ames.
