[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 9 (Thursday, February 7, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H204-H206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3394, CYBER SECURITY RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT ACT
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules,
I call up House Resolution 343 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 343
Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this
resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule
XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of
the bill (H.R. 3394) to authorize funding for computer and
network security research and development and research
fellowship programs, and for other purposes. The first
reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. Points of order
against consideration of the bill for failure to comply with
clause 4(a) of rule XIII are waived. General debate shall be
confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally
divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Science. After general debate the
bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute
rule. Each section of the bill shall be considered as read.
During consideration of the bill for amendment, the Chairman
of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority in
recognition on the basis of whether the Member offering an
amendment has caused it to be printed in the portion of the
Congressional Record designated for that purpose in clause 8
of rule XVIII. Amendments so printed shall be considered as
read. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for
amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the
House with such amendments as may have been adopted. The
previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill
and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening
motion except one motion to recommit with or without
instructions.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart)
is recognized for 1 hour.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield
the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings),
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During
consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose
of debate only.
(Mr. DIAZ-BALART asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 343 is an open rule
providing for the consideration of H.R. 3394, the Cyber Security
Research and Development Act. The rule provides 1 hour of general
debate evenly divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Science. This is a fair and open
rule that will provide every Member with the opportunity to offer
amendments, allowing Members ample time to debate the important issues
related to this legislation.
{time} 1015
Mr. Speaker, the attacks of September 11 have forced the American
people and this Congress to recognize that the threat of terror is
present on many fronts. To adequately protect the United States, we
must address all of our security vulnerabilities. This enormous task
includes securing our Nation's computer and communications
infrastructure.
The urgency with which we must proceed with regard to this
infrastructure has already been demonstrated. In 1997, the Pentagon
conducted an information warfare exercise to test the vulnerability of
the U.S. information infrastructure. The exercise consisted of 35
National Security Agency computer
[[Page H205]]
specialists using off-the-shelf technology to attack U.S. information
systems. The group of NSA specialists were able to attack and penetrate
government and commercial sites.
The next year, failure of the Galaxy 4 communications satellite
further demonstrated the effects that a cyberattack could have on our
information systems. The failure of Galaxy 4 disrupted credit card
purchases, ATM transactions, 90 percent of the Nation's pagers and
emergency communications. While studies have concluded that the United
States is vulnerable to cyberattacks, not enough has been done to
safeguard this sensitive information system.
This is of grave concern for the safety of the Nation. Just this past
Tuesday it was reported that since September 11 there has been a series
of cyberattacks that have targeted the Pentagon, the Department of
Energy, NASA and other agencies, resulting in the theft of vast
quantities of national defense research. One of the groups went as far
as declaring a ``cyber jihad'' against the United States.
We need only look 90 miles off the coast of Florida to see the
possibility of future attacks, Mr. Speaker. This past year the Director
of the Defense Intelligence Agency testified before the Senate
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that the Cuban regime could
initiate information warfare or computer network attacks that could
seriously disrupt the United States military.
That regime, which is the only one of the seven states on the State
Department's list of terrorist nations in our hemisphere, is believed
to share information with other terrorist states such as Iran, Libya
and Iraq. With its significant ties to fellow terrorist nations in the
Middle East, the Cuban regime has the ability to serve as a type of
forward-operating location for terror in our hemisphere.
The potential for cyberwarfare is real, and the underlying
legislation that we are going to address to date helps to address that
threat. H.R. 3394 is a bipartisan piece of legislation designed to
increase research efforts which are needed to fill the void in this
critical area. The legislation will task the National Science
Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to
coordinate a partnership with academic institutions to ensure that
information systems are secure in the United States.
This partnership will face the emerging threat by increasing the
amount of cybersecurity research being supported by the Federal
Government and by increasing the number of cybersecurity researchers in
the Nation. The bill will provide $878 million over 5 years to
implement new academic programs, provide grants and fellowships,
providing for the common defense of our Nation's technological
infrastructure.
The underlying legislation, as I stated before, is a product of
bipartisanship. It was reported out of the Committee on Science by
voice vote. It is a very important bill that focuses on obviously a
very important subject matter. As I stated before, Mr. Speaker, it is
an open rule. It is a fair rule. I urge my colleagues to support both
the rule and the underlying legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume, and I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me the
customary 30 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Cyber Security Research and
Development Act and in support of the rule. I want to especially
congratulate the Committee on Science chairman, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Boehlert), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Hall), for their very hard work on this bill and for their
recognition of the importance to the entire country of the necessary
investments in research that this bill funds.
Mr. Speaker, we all know that in 21st century America there is barely
a thing that we do that does not involve the computer. From simple e-
mail from a parent to a child in college, to computer-guided missiles
that fall precisely on their targets, computers are the very backbone
of our society today.
Currently, the vulnerability of our Nation's computer system to cyber
terrorism is great, as my friend from Florida has pointed out. This
bill is the first step in a long process to secure our Nation's
technological lifeblood.
In college I was a science major, and I well know the importance of
research and development in helping to solve this country's most
difficult problems. I also had the distinct honor to serve in Congress
on the Committee on Science, and I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, we have a
serious problem on our hands, and it is up to the emerging scientists
and engineers to fix it.
Why are they not doing it now? Because the Federal Government is not
providing enough resources nor offering the proper incentives. This
bill is a step forward to change this pattern for years to come.
For just a moment I want to discuss a portion of the bill relating to
minority participation in the programs created in this bill. I was
going to offer an amendment, and I shall not in light of discussions
that I had with the Chair of the Black Caucus, and report language that
seemingly covers some of what I had in mind.
In particular, I want to commend the Chair of the Congressional Black
Caucus, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), for her
very hard work on this issue.
A report of the National Science Foundation reveals that blacks,
Hispanics and Native Americans comprise 23 percent of the population,
but earn on a whole only 14.2 percent of the bachelor's degrees, 8.1
percent of the master's degrees and 5 percent of the doctorate degrees
in science and engineering. This bill gives the NSF and the National
Institute of Standards and Technology the tools to correct the
imbalances uncovered in their own studies showing, as throughout
government, that minorities are not being hired at a pace that they
should, and that the process itself is so extraordinary that it makes
it difficult for people to even accomplish the standards that are set
forth.
If, Mr. Speaker, we are to ensure American security from terrorist
threats, we will need to mobilize all of the human resources available.
That includes minority Americans.
Again, I congratulate the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice
Johnson), the gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert), the ranking
member, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall), and the rest of the
Committee on Science for their recognition of that need and their
attempts to address it.
Mr. Speaker, this is a necessary bill. It has earned the bipartisan
support of the Committee on Science, and I would suggest that it
deserves the same bipartisan support here on the floor of the House of
Representatives.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I again reiterate my strong support for the underlying
legislation, as well the rule before us.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I yield back the
balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.
The previous question was ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Sununu). The question is on the
resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a
quorum is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 392,
nays 0, not voting 43, as follows:
[Roll No. 12]
YEAS--392
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Aderholt
Akin
Allen
Andrews
Armey
Baca
Bachus
Baird
Baker
Baldacci
Baldwin
Ballenger
Barcia
Barr
Barrett
Bartlett
Bass
Becerra
Bentsen
Bereuter
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bilirakis
Bishop
Blumenauer
Blunt
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Bonior
Boozman
Borski
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Brown (FL)
[[Page H206]]
Brown (OH)
Brown (SC)
Bryant
Buyer
Callahan
Calvert
Camp
Cannon
Cantor
Capito
Capps
Cardin
Carson (IN)
Carson (OK)
Castle
Chabot
Chambliss
Clayton
Clement
Clyburn
Coble
Collins
Combest
Condit
Conyers
Cooksey
Costello
Cox
Coyne
Cramer
Crane
Crenshaw
Crowley
Culberson
Cummings
Cunningham
Davis (CA)
Davis (FL)
Davis (IL)
Davis, Jo Ann
Davis, Tom
Deal
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
DeLay
DeMint
Deutsch
Diaz-Balart
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Dooley
Doolittle
Doyle
Dreier
Duncan
Dunn
Edwards
Ehlers
Ehrlich
Emerson
Engel
English
Eshoo
Etheridge
Everett
Farr
Ferguson
Filner
Flake
Fletcher
Foley
Forbes
Ford
Fossella
Frank
Frost
Gallegly
Ganske
Gekas
Gephardt
Gibbons
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gilman
Gonzalez
Goodlatte
Gordon
Goss
Graham
Granger
Graves
Green (TX)
Green (WI)
Greenwood
Grucci
Gutierrez
Gutknecht
Hall (TX)
Hansen
Harman
Hart
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Hayworth
Hefley
Herger
Hill
Hilliard
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hobson
Hoeffel
Hoekstra
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hooley
Horn
Hostettler
Houghton
Hoyer
Hulshof
Hunter
Inslee
Isakson
Israel
Issa
Istook
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jenkins
John
Johnson (CT)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jones (NC)
Jones (OH)
Kanjorski
Keller
Kelly
Kennedy (MN)
Kennedy (RI)
Kerns
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kind (WI)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kucinich
LaFalce
LaHood
Lampson
Langevin
Lantos
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
LaTourette
Leach
Lee
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lewis (KY)
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lofgren
Lowey
Lucas (KY)
Lynch
Maloney (CT)
Manzullo
Markey
Mascara
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (MO)
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McCrery
McGovern
McHugh
McInnis
McIntyre
McKeon
McNulty
Meehan
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Menendez
Mica
Millender-McDonald
Miller, Dan
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Miller, Jeff
Mink
Mollohan
Moran (KS)
Moran (VA)
Morella
Murtha
Myrick
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Nethercutt
Ney
Norwood
Nussle
Oberstar
Olver
Ortiz
Osborne
Ose
Otter
Owens
Oxley
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Paul
Payne
Pelosi
Pence
Peterson (MN)
Peterson (PA)
Petri
Phelps
Pickering
Platts
Pombo
Pomeroy
Portman
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Putnam
Quinn
Radanovich
Rahall
Ramstad
Rangel
Regula
Rehberg
Reyes
Reynolds
Rivers
Rodriguez
Roemer
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Ross
Rothman
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Rush
Ryun (KS)
Sabo
Sanchez
Sanders
Sandlin
Sawyer
Saxton
Schaffer
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schrock
Scott
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sessions
Shadegg
Shays
Sherman
Sherwood
Shimkus
Shows
Shuster
Simmons
Simpson
Skeen
Skelton
Smith (MI)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Solis
Souder
Spratt
Stark
Stearns
Stenholm
Strickland
Stump
Stupak
Sununu
Sweeney
Tancredo
Tanner
Tauscher
Taylor (MS)
Taylor (NC)
Terry
Thomas
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thornberry
Thune
Thurman
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Tierney
Toomey
Towns
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton
Velazquez
Visclosky
Vitter
Walden
Walsh
Wamp
Watkins (OK)
Watson (CA)
Watt (NC)
Watts (OK)
Waxman
Weiner
Weller
Wexler
Wicker
Wilson (SC)
Wolf
Woolsey
Wu
Wynn
Young (FL)
NOT VOTING--43
Barton
Blagojevich
Bono
Burr
Burton
Capuano
Clay
Cubin
Evans
Fattah
Frelinghuysen
Goode
Hall (OH)
Hastert
Hilleary
Hyde
Jefferson
Kaptur
Kleczka
Largent
Linder
Lucas (OK)
Luther
Maloney (NY)
McDermott
McKinney
Moore
Northup
Obey
Pitts
Riley
Roukema
Ryan (WI)
Shaw
Slaughter
Tauzin
Traficant
Waters
Weldon (FL)
Weldon (PA)
Whitfield
Wilson (NM)
Young (AK)
{time} 1047
So the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 12 I was
inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''
____________________