International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2009

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1736, to provide for the establishment of a committee to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation that can strengthen the domestic science and technology enterprise and support United States foreign policy goals, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1736, the bill now under consideration.

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

It is fitting that H.R. 1736 is coming to the floor of the House in the same week as the Foreign Relations Authorization Act because science and technology can play a truly unique role in improving our foreign relations.

Science is a universal language built on a foundation of prior discoveries and advancements that have originated from all corners of the globe.

Science diplomacy presents a unique and essential opportunity to develop its sustained friendships and collaborations into the future. International surveys consistently show that the people in other nations admire our scientific and technological achievements and opportunities more than almost any other feature of the United States. What is more, in countless nations, many of the political, economic, and social leaders have at one time or another studied in our Nation or have worked for an American business.

From a diplomatic perspective, the benefit of these connections is valuable beyond measure. The scientists, their students and, of course, the science, itself, all benefit from this scholarly exchange, but so do our national security and economic prosperity. The intellectual input of the foreign scientists helps build that discovery that leads to new technologies and to new intellectual property in the United States, and the exchange of scientists and their students helps to build mutual trust and understanding between people who may otherwise be inclined to avoid or even fear each other.

The science side of scientific diplomacy receives comparable benefits from international collaborations. While the U.S. continues to lead the world overall in scientific and technological achievements, by no means do we have a monopoly on knowledge or talent. Our scientists, students, industry, and academic institutions are all dramatically enhanced by interactions with international peers.

Science diplomacy is also central to meeting shared global challenges and opportunities. Climate change, ocean acidification, drug resistant diseases, economic crises, energy shortages, poverty, food and nutrition, Internet and telecommunications, space exploration, and conflict resolution are all being addressed and advanced thanks to international scientific collaboration.

In an Internet-connected world, everyone is impacted by these challenges. Everyone has a stake in the solutions, and we can only succeed if the brightest minds from around the world work together effectively. Ideally, science diplomacy is not just about U.S. scientists working collaboratively with others; it is about all scientists working together with all scientists regardless of physical location or of national boundaries.

H.R. 1736 would reconstitute a Committee on International Science, Engineering and Technology, CISET, under the National Science and Technology Council, which is the interagency coordinating council managed by the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

A renewed and reinvigorated CISET would strengthen interagency coordination among the technical agencies and between the technical agencies and the Department of State. Its purpose would be to ensure that the richness of S&T resources within our technical agencies are brought to bear on our foreign policy wherever appropriate and that our own domestic agencies are working closely with the State Department to leverage scientific and technical expertise and resources around the world in pursuit of solutions to global challenges and opportunities. I would urge its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for his support and for his comments.

Madam Speaker, this is a bill that has had a number of hearings and on which we have focused a great deal of attention in our committee. Having had the privilege recently to travel internationally and to meet with science leaders around the world, I know personally of the importance.

I also want to acknowledge that President Obama mentioned the importance of scientific exchanges and collaboration in his recent speech in Cairo and in other recent speeches as has his head of OSTP, John Holdren.

Finally, I want to thank Chairman Berman, Chairman Gordon, Dr. Ehlers from Michigan, and Mr. Carnahan for their work.

I want to, at this point, insert an exchange of letters between Chairman Berman and Chairman Gordon into the Record.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC, May 21, 2009.

Hon. Bart Gordon,

Chairman, Committee on Science and Technology, House of

Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R.

1736, the International Science and Technology Cooperation

Act of 2009.

This bill contains provisions within the Rule X

jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In the

interest of permitting your Committee to proceed

expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill,

I am willing to waive this Committee's right to mark up this

bill. I do so with the understanding that by waiving

consideration of the bill, the Committee on Foreign Affairs

does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the

subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its

Rule X jurisdiction.

Further, I request your support for the appointment of

Foreign Affairs Committee conferees during any House-Senate

conference convened on this legislation. I would ask that you

place this letter into the Committee Report on H.R. 1736.

I look forward to working with you as we move this

important measure through the legislative process.

Sincerely,

Howard L. Berman,

Chairman.

Having no further requests, again, I thank the gentleman, and urge passage of the bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I rise in support of H.R. 1736, the International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2009, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I join my colleague today in supporting H.R. 1736, the International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2009.

Our Nation has a long history of engaging with international partners on a variety of scientific issues, and this is an area of great importance to our Nation. H.R. 1736 incorporates many recommendations made by the National Science Board in its report ``International Science and Engineering Partnerships: A Priority for U.S. Foreign Policy and our Nation's Innovation Agenda.''

The primary purpose of this legislation is simply to build a stronger coordination link between the scientific activities of our Federal agencies and the Department of State in order to strengthen the U.S. science and technology enterprise, to improve U.S. economic and national security, and to support U.S. foreign policy goals as appropriate. This will be achieved through the creation of a committee under the National Science and Technology Council. The Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of State will cochair the committee.

International S&T cooperation takes several forms. It provides a researcher's access to other researchers and to research sites around the globe. It enables partnerships to share the burden of the cost of expensive world-class facilities in the U.S. and abroad. It provides the ability to address global issues of importance to the United States, such as nonproliferation and infectious diseases, and it helps foster positive relationships with other nations.

H.R. 1736 will promote these important scientific activities by making sure that the Department of State is working in tandem with OSTP and with other Federal agencies. We will help ensure that our foreign policy goals are not compromised. In fact, more often than not, they may be enhanced by S&T cooperation. For these reasons, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 1736.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, looking around, I have no further requests for time on my side of the aisle.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1736, the international Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2009. This bill would, formally establish a committee on the President's National Science and Technology Council to identify and support opportunities to strengthen U.S. foreign policy through cooperation in the fields of science and technology. The President recently announced new initiatives to promote science and technology partnerships between the United States and Muslim-majority countries. I applaud these efforts, and I would note that an across-the-board commitment to integrating science into our diplomatic portfolio would reap enormous benefits.

We should marshal the scientific and technical capacity and expertise in our federal agencies to contribute more directly to our foreign policy goals. In conversations with experts like Dr. Norm Neureiter of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, I have found strong support for a NSTC committee dedicated to planning and coordinating these kinds of interagency efforts. Such a committee would be a critical component in effectively implementing a broader vision of U.S. engagement in international science and science diplomacy. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and the administration to more fully develop robust and lasting capacity in these areas.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately on June 8, 2009, I was unable to cast my votes on H.R. 1736, H.R. 1709, and H. Res. 420. Had I been able to vote, I would have voted as follows:

Had I been present for rollcall No. 311, on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 1736, International Science and Technology Cooperation Act, I would have voted ``yea.''

Had I been present for rollcall No. 312, on suspending the Rules and passing H.R. 1709, STEM Education Coordination Act of 2009, I would have voted ``yea.''

Had I been present for rollcall No. 313, on suspending the Rules and passing H. Res. 420, Celebrating the symbol of the United States flag and supporting the goals and ideals of Flag Day, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, yesterday, I missed three votes. I would have voted:

Rollcall No. 311, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 1736, the International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2009, I would have voted ``yea.''

Rollcall No. 312, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 1709, the STEM Education Coordination Act of 2009, I would have voted ``yea.''

Rollcall No. 313, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 420, Celebrating the symbol of the United States flag and supporting the goals and ideals of Flag Day, I would have voted ``yea.''