PACTS Act

Mr. Speaker, we have a bill, but in our traditional, bipartisan way, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. King).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 884, Promoting Antiterrorism Cooperation through Technology and Science Act, a bill considered in one form or another since the 108th Congress.

There is an old saying we tell school children: if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Although these words of encouragement may have originally applied to the grade school study of algebra or Latin, they are equally motivational to those of us serving in the 110th Congress.

I first raised the idea of this bill in January of 2005, soon after I became the ranking member. I know my Democratic colleagues had pushed for it in the 108th Congress at well.

Well, after years of trying, this Congress will succeed in sending this legislation to the President's desk. I know the other body will be taking up a similar provision attached to their bill seeking to fulfill the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. I am very pleased that they will soon join the House in passing this legislation.

Why is this bill so important? The answer lies in the nature of the terrorist threat. Terrorism is an international threat to the democratic way of life. Though we have experienced terrible tragedies of our own, terrorist attacks occur all over the world.

Terrorists have attacked buses in London; hotels in Israel; trains in Mumbai; embassies in Indonesia; resorts in Bali; and schools in Russia. As the global threat of terrorism is evident, so too is the solution to limiting those attacks. By promoting international cooperation, we will defeat the efforts of our enemies. Cooperation in developing antiterrorism technologies should be a top priority. The different challenges faced by our friends around the world have resulted in new approaches that the United

States should leverage to protect our citizens.

International cooperation is nothing new for our country. In fact, the United States has a history of productive scientific and technical collaborations with Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and others.

The Department of Homeland Security has participated in some of these partnerships with foreign governments and other entities.

This legislation will encourage and strengthen those efforts and direct the Department to look for new partners beyond those we already have. This includes working with folks in the small business community who can bring exciting technologies to the table.

I am especially heartened that the bill will strengthen the means for protecting our Nation from exotic diseases. Active collaborations with scientists in Africa, where many of these diseases originate, should be promoted. This bill encourages that collaboration.

Too often, the United States presents a posture of unilateralism to the world. I hope that through programs like the ones authorized in this legislation, we encourage a more cooperative approach to fighting terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 884. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I would like to basically thank the gentleman from New York for working with me on the bill, and I encourage all Members to vote ``aye'' for its passage.

I also submit the following exchange of letters for the Record.

Committee on Science and

Technology,

Washington, DC, February 26, 2007.

Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman, I am writing to you concerning the

jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Science and

Technology in H.R. 884, the Promoting Antiterrorism

Cooperation through Technology and Science Act. The Committee

on Science and Technology has jurisdictional interest in this

bill based on the Committee's jurisdiction over the

Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology

Directorate (``DHS S&T'') and other DHS research and

development. [See Rule X(o)(14) which grants the Committee on

Science and Technology jurisdiction over ``Scientific

research, development, and demonstration, and projects

therefor.'']

This bill would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to

establish a ``Science and Technology Homeland Security

International Cooperative Programs Office.'' All of the

international cooperative activities authorized by the bill

relate to homeland security research (e.g., ``coordinated

research projects, joint research projects, or joint

ventures;'' ``joint studies or technical demonstrations;''

``coordinated field exercises, scientific seminars,

conferences, symposia, and workshops;'' ``training of

scientists and engineers;'' ``visits and exchanges of

scientists, engineers, or other appropriate personnel;''

``exchanges or sharing of scientific and technological

information;'' and ``joint use of laboratory facilities and

equipment''). In addition, the funding for such activities is

to be derived from amounts otherwise authorized to DHS S&T.

The Committee on Science and Technology acknowledges the

importance of H.R. 884 and the need for the legislation to

move expeditiously. Therefore, while we have a valid claim to

jurisdiction over this bill, I agree not to request a

sequential referral. This, of course, is conditional on our

mutual understanding that nothing in this legislation or my

decision to forgo a sequential referral waives, reduces, or

otherwise affects the jurisdiction of the Committee on

Science and Technology, and that a copy of this letter and of

your response will be included in the Congressional Record

when the bill is considered on the House Floor.

The Committee on Science and Technology also expects that

you will support our request to be conferees during any

House-Senate conference on this legislation.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Bart Gordon,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 884) to provide for the establishment of the Science and Technology Homeland Security International Cooperative Programs Office, 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 insert extraneous material on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, at the outset, let me thank the gentleman from Mississippi, Chairman Thompson, for his cooperation, not just in the previous Congress on putting this legislation together, but also today in his generosity in allowing me to go forward on it. To me, this is typical and symbolic of the bipartisanship which he has brought to the committee both as ranking member and now as chairman. I thank him for that. And more than his personal kindness and generosity, let me also say that it is so vitally important that on issues such as this that there be bipartisan cooperation working across the aisle because all of our lives changed on September 11. All of us realized we had to change the way we did business, whether it was creating the Department of Homeland Security, whether it was creating the law enforcement agencies at all levels of government to cooperate, whether it meant adopting specific legislation on chemical plants or port security, or any of the other areas included within the umbrella of Homeland Security.

But it also requires us to establish firmer relationships with our allies, finding areas of common ground among us and our allies, and that is what H.R. 884 will do. H.R. 884 is the Promoting Antiterrorism Cooperation through Technology and Science Act, PACTS.

It is an effort by us to have our Department of Homeland Security and our government work with our allies and friends around the world to find common ways to confront terrorism, to use technology to confront terrorism, and it does that initially by establishing the International Cooperation Programs Office within the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security.

It also authorizes $25 million a year in fiscal years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. So $25 million for each of the next four fiscal years. It specifies by name Great Britain, Singapore, Israel, Canada, and Australia as countries that we should especially work more closely with to exchange technology and research, and to work together on a common effort at the government level, at the university level, private foundations, to put aside any technical differences that may separate us, to try to work through any legal impediments there may be to the type of cooperation that we believe is absolutely essential.

This legislation did pass our committee in the last Congress and passed the House. Unfortunately, it was blocked in the Senate. We certainly hope that under the leadership of Chairman Thompson it will again pass the House this year, and hopefully the Senate will do the right thing this year and we can get this legislation to the President's desk.

The war on terrorism will involve many of us for many years. The more allies and partners and friends we can have working with us, the more we can share our expertise and technology that make us stronger and make the enemy weaker.

I urge the adoption of H.R. 884 and thank the gentleman from Mississippi for his cooperation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).

Mr. Speaker, first let me tell the gentleman from New Jersey that we miss him on the committee. We miss his charm and his insights and his lively personality and his dedication.

With that, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David Davis), a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, let me again thank Chairman Thompson for his efforts and his cooperation and for his generosity as far as moving this bill forward, and I, again, thank him for that. I think it speaks volumes as to the quality of leadership that he has brought to the committee.

I would also be remiss if I did not thank staff on our side, Dr. Diane Berry, Colleen O'Keefe and Adam Paulson for their work in bringing this together, and again, bring it to fruition today.

Also, Mr. Speaker, what we are doing today is really a very important continuation of what our governments and other governments have been trying to do. Just several weeks ago, the Secretary of Homeland Security signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Israel's minister of public security, again pledging cooperation. This is codifying that and making clear we want to do more; we want to keep going forward on that.

Again, I thank the chairman for his support and his cooperation, and I urge the adoption of H.R. 884.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 884, which establishes the Science and Technology Homeland Security International Cooperative Programs Office. H.R. 884 is an improved version of a similar bill, H.R. 4942, passed by the House during the 109th Congress. The purpose of these minor, non-substantive changes is to align the House bill more closely with its Senate counterpart, S. 1554, which will be considered when the Senate takes up H.R. 1, which implements the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

The purpose of H.R. 884 and S. 1554 is to establish an office charged with promoting cooperation between entities of the United States and its allies in the global war on terrorism in the areas of research, development, and commercialization of high-priority technologies intended to detect, prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against acts of terrorism and other high consequence events. The bill also addresses the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local governments.

The House bill authorizes $25 million per year for international cooperative activities for the fiscal years 2008 through 2011 and establishes an International Cooperative Programs Office within the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, headed by a Director. The Director is responsible for:

Promoting cooperative research between the U.S. and its allies on homeland security technologies;

Developing strategic priorities for international cooperative activity and addressing them through agreements with foreign entities;

Facilitating the matching of U.S. entities--including small businesses--engaged in homeland security research with appropriate foreign research partners;

Ensuring that activities of the office are coordinated with other relevant research agencies; and

Planning and executing conferences and workshops to improve contact among technology developers and to help establish direction for future technology goals.

H.R. 884 also establishes a Science and Technology Homeland Security International Cooperative Programs Office to facilitate international cooperative activities throughout the Directorate of Science and Technology.

The United States currently participates in similar bilateral programs such as the Bi-National Industrial Research and Development-- BIRD Foundation--in which the United States and Israel cooperate on defense-related R&D. The office would conduct similar activities, but they would be run by the Department of Homeland Security rather than a private foundation.

The Director of the Office reports directly to the Under Secretary for Science and Technology and is responsible for developing understandings and agreements that allow and support international cooperative activity in support of homeland security research, development, and comparative testing. The legislation also makes the Director responsible for developing strategic priorities for international cooperative activity in support of homeland security research, development, and comparative testing.

Mr. Speaker, facilitating international cooperative activity to address strategic priorities through appropriate mechanisms such as grants, cooperative agreements or contracts with foreign public or private entities is another important objective that this legislation prudently vests in the Director. The Director shall also be mandated to identify and match domestic entities engaged in homeland security research with foreign entities so that they may partner in homeland security research activities.

Finally, the Director is obligated to work toward bringing about the coordination of the Department's international cooperative activities with the activities of other relevant research agencies and to holding international homeland security technology workshops and conferences. These international cooperative activities are to be supported through grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts with Federal governmental organizations, businesses--including small businesses, federally funded research and development centers, institutions of higher education, and foreign and private entities.

Mr. Speaker, this bill would encourage equal partnership by requiring that the foreign partner equitably match U.S. funding expended through direct funding or funding of complementary activities, or through provision of staff, facilities, material, or equipment. It strengthens ongoing partnerships and encourages new ones.

In addition, partnerships are encouraged with the nations of Africa to facilitate the development of information sharing and other types of collaboration to strengthen American preparedness against threats to our Nation's agricultural sector and public health from exotic diseases.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 884 and urge my colleagues to do so as well.

I thank the chairman and ranking member. I really commend the work that you have done, both Mr. Thompson and Mr. King, in this area of reaching across the aisle and not just speaking about it, but doing something about it.

This is a very important piece of legislation, H.R. 884. It has been a product of bipartisan effort and collegial dedication by a lot of people on both sides of the aisle, the staffs of both sides of the aisle, and I am heartened at the process by which the bill has moved forward.

The commitment of Mr. Thompson and Mr. King to this vitally important legislation has been unwavering, and the collaboration offered epitomizes the very best of what the homeland security can and should be. I was honored to serve on that committee for 4 years, and this is a tremendous achievement to see this proposal move forward.

This legislation will help to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security works with our allies in the war on terror to develop and share the best homeland security technologies possible, and we will all be better off because of it.

In fact, it was not that long ago that several of us went to Europe, to various capitals of Europe, to see what they were doing in terms of homeland security. That proved to be a very productive trip, and we learned from the Brits and from the Spanish and from the Italians, and they learned from us. This is a true collaboration here.

Specifically, H.R. 884 will establish what we call the Science and Technology Homeland Security International Cooperative Programs Office. Its objective will be to facilitate international cooperative activities throughout the Directorate of Science and Technology within the Department of Homeland Security.

These international cooperative activities will be supported through grants and cooperative agreements, contracts with the U.S. governmental organizations, businesses, federally-funded research and developmental centers, institutions of higher education, and foreign public and private entities.

This bill seeks to strengthen ongoing partnerships, as well as encourage new ones. As has been mentioned by both the chairman and the ranking member, the global war on terrorism is one we have joined with with Israel and the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Singapore and many other countries.

To be sure, the United States could greatly benefit from joint international homeland security development programs between the U.S. and our allies in this war on terror.

The fact is this: Many of our allies have substantial experience dealing with terror, and by necessity, they have become op-eds for counterterrorism research.

The bill would authorize $25 million for international cooperative activities for each of the fiscal years of 2008 to 2011. Now, that is not a lot of money when we consider the vast array of benefits that such cooperative agreements can produce.

Forming these partnerships, Mr. Speaker, and working together in a way that will ultimately help secure America is the main objective of the bill, and it should always be the main objective of this whole body. Passage of this legislation today shows that the House takes this austere responsibility seriously.

A final point, Mr. Speaker, if I may, the point of global strategy was at the center of the 9/11 Commission Report, Chapter 12. The Commission made recommendations about global strategy. The kind of partnership and cooperation at the heart of our port security, for instance, is determined by how well the other country where goods and services are coming from will cooperate with us. We can't check every ship that comes into our ports, but we certainly could get the cooperation of other countries with state-of-the-art science and technology to do that.

Once again, I commend, and I do not speak empty or hollow of the work that both Mr. Thompson and Mr. King did.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 884. I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing this important piece of legislation.

The development and implementation of technology to combat terrorism is critical. The United States and our allies in the war on terror share a common interest in furthering research and development of homeland security-related technology.

As such, this legislation directs the Department of Homeland Security's research and development arm, the

Science and Technology Division, to coordinate international cooperative programs with our allies in the war on terror to advance this important homeland security research.

This legislation implements a 9/11 Commission recommendation that the United States should engage other Nations in developing a comprehensive coalition strategy against Islamic extremists.

H.R. 884 establishes the Science and Technology Homeland Security International Cooperative Programs Office within the Science and Technology Division to promote cooperation between entities of the United States and its allies to engage in cooperative endeavors focused on the research, development and commercialization of high-priority technologies directed at countering acts of terrorism and other high consequence events to address the homeland security needs of Federal, State and local governments.

This bill enables the Science and Technology Division within DHS to coordinate with our allies. By encouraging joint research studies, the sharing of scientific and technological information, the training and exchange of scientists and engineers, as well as the joint use of laboratory equipment and facilities, H.R. 884 further directs DHS to collaborate with their strongest allies that include Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Singapore in the development of homeland security technologies.

This legislation is modeled after a partnership created by Congress in 1977 between the United States and Israel. That was called the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, also known as the BIRD Foundation. In 29 years, the BIRD Foundation has invested $225 million in 690 cooperative research and development projects mutually beneficial to the United States and to Israel.

H.R. 884 will facilitate collaboration with countries which have extensive experience in combating terrorism and will enable us to benefit and tailor their technology solutions to address our needs.

Israel is a country that has developed successful models to mitigate security threats. Most notably, Israel has pioneered efforts and behavioral pattern recognition, also known as BPR. The United States has begun adopting BPR at airports and is now training police and security officers to detect people who are behaving in a suspicious manner.

It is for these reasons that I support H.R. 884, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.