Defense Production Act Extension and Reauthorization of 2008

Mr. President, today we are acting on House-passed legislation which contains a 1-year extension of the Defense Production Act, DPA, which I hope will be swiftly approved by the Senate. While I am delighted that this extension legislation was passed by the House Tuesday night, it is crucial to remember that many of this law's authorities, last renewed in 2003, expire on September 30. We have just a few legislative days to get this done. As the United Sates continues to fight two wars and respond to various natural disasters, it is important that we not allow key provisions to expire--provisions allowing our Government

agencies to ensure that American industry meets varying demands of national emergencies. Such measures involve mandates to keep industry producing critical resources for our military and first responders in times of crisis, and initiatives for maintaining crucial investments in strategic technologies.

During the Korean war, what was then the Senate Banking & Currency Committee--the precursor to today's Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs--authored the Defense Production Act to ensure the availability of key industrial resources for the Department of Defense, DOD. Over time, the Defense Production Act has been amended to include energy supply, emergency preparedness, and critical infrastructure protections, thereby allowing civilian agencies to respond rapidly to crises such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

In the last several months, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs received two reports mandated by law from the Government Accountability Office and Department of Homeland Security. These reports highlighted major shortfalls in the administration's application of DPA authorities. Furthermore, I have been informed that in 2004, FEMA and other Federal agencies conducted their own internal review of DPA authorities and made several recommendations to the White House's Homeland Security Council. The White House chose not to act on those recommendations, and Congress has still not been fully briefed on these findings.

In a perfect world, we would fully analyze and incorporate appropriate findings of pertinent reviews. Unfortunately, due to time constraints of the current legislative session, including our work on measures to address the crisis in our financial system, it is clear that a complete assessment now of their conclusions would be impossible. But we should not simply reauthorize this act for another 5 years. The recommendations gathered in these valuable reports should be reviewed, considered for legislation in a workable bill, and enacted into law in the near future; not 5 years from now.

Simply put, granting a 1-year extension would provide our agencies with the authorities they need in the short term, but will also maintain the expectation that in 2009 the Banking Committee and the U.S. Senate will conduct a thoughtful review of these recommendations in hearings, mark-up, and floor consideration. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate, as well as in a new administration, to see to it that the DPA is modernized to address the challenges of the 21st century. In the meantime, I thank my colleagues for working with me to approve this 2009 reauthorization.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6894, the Defense Production Act Extension and Reauthorization of 2008.

In 1950, at the outset of the Korean war and at the behest of President Truman, Congress acted to give the President the ability to meet a specific national security need should we have a shortfall in supplies.

The ability of this Nation to call on private industry to meet the demands of securing a nation are just as prominent today as they were over a half century ago when Congress first enacted this law. In an uncertain world where we face constantly changing threats and remain vulnerable to national disaster, the ability of military and civilian agencies to be given priority service to aid the American people is paramount.

Today, with American soldiers fighting so courageously abroad, we have the same imperative: they must have the resources and equipment they need when they need them.

Similarly, this country has seen the toll natural disasters can take on the Nation. Within the last weeks alone, we have seen Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike bring destruction to this Nation's shores. Responding to the needs of the families affected should be a priority, and this legislation reauthorizes the President's ability to effectively respond to those needs with priority purchases of supplies, be they water or equipment, to repair damaged railroad switches.

The authorities in this act are too important to be allowed to expire for any amount of time. Yet, Mr. Speaker, without the Congress acting today, these authorities will expire on September 30. The legislation before us would reauthorize the Defense Production Act in its current form, for 1 year, with no other changes to the DPA's powers. This 1- year extension will continue these authorities while providing the Congress a window to consider any need for updating this act. A recently issued GAO report on the authorities, as well as volumes of other information, will ensure engagement in an important dialogue on how to improve on this authority's taking place. Passing this law today ensures that that debate takes place without the impending pressure of adjournment.

I hope, Mr. Speaker, that we can undertake any needed updates of the act at the beginning of the first session of the next Congress and then extend the authorization for multiple years at that point so that these important authorities remain available to protect America, Americans and American interests, uninterrupted.

In closing, I would like to thank Chairman Luis Gutierrez and full committee Chairman Barney Frank for authoring this bipartisan legislation. Because of their leadership on this issue, Congress has before it today a bill to ensure the American people and their security interests are well served. With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 6894.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I have no further speakers.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6894) to extend and reauthorize the Defense Production Act of 1950, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 6894, the Defense Production Act Extension and Reauthorization of 2008, and urge my colleagues to support the bill's passage.

This legislation reauthorizes the Defense Production Act of 1950, which expires at the end of fiscal year 2008, through September 30 of 2009.

Although the act is due for a comprehensive review, we did not have adequate time to conduct hearings and a markup in this Congress. Therefore, we are seeking this straight, 1-year extension that makes no substantive changes to the act.

Mr. Speaker, the Defense Production Act, or DPA, is a little known bill of great national significance. Put simply, the DPA gives the President a vital set of tools to ensure the constant readiness of those portions of our industrial base that support national security. These tools include production priorities and financial incentives, but they also extend to monitoring the increasing effects of globalization on the defense base.

Since it was enacted in 1950 during the Korean war, every administration since President Truman's has used the act carefully and prudently.

In addition to its national defense uses, the DPA holds the promise of helping to mitigate civil emergencies

during peacetime. For example, during the California energy crisis, former President Clinton authorized the U.S. Energy Secretary to use the act to compel a continuing supply of natural gas to Pacific Gas & Electric.

Mr. Speaker, the United States is currently fighting wars on two fronts--rebuilding from the damages caused by Hurricane Ike and, regrettably, still rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina. The DPA is a key component of our national security and civil emergency readiness, and we cannot let the act lapse.

I know that some of my colleagues have questions about how the act has been used, if at all, by the current administration during civil emergencies. I share these concerns, but I believe these oversight issues would be best addressed in the next Congress.

Next year, the Financial Services Committee will conduct a comprehensive review of the DPA, specifically looking at proposals to increase the amounts authorized in title III of the act. The 1-year extension will give the committee time to do its work in a thoughtful, bipartisan manner, and I urge the bill's passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I would ask the gentlelady if there are any requests for time on her side.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6894, which was received from the House.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.