[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 101 (Wednesday, June 18, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H5513-H5517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NUCLEAR FORENSICS AND ATTRIBUTION ACT
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2631) to strengthen efforts in the
Department of Homeland Security to develop nuclear forensics
capabilities to permit attribution of the source of nuclear material,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2631
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Nuclear Forensics and
Attribution Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The threat of a nuclear terrorist attack on American
interests, both domestic and abroad, is one of the most
serious threats to the national security of the United
States. In the wake of an attack, attribution of
responsibility would be of utmost importance. Because of the
destructive power of the weapon, there could be little
forensic evidence except the radioactive material in the bomb
itself.
(2) Through advanced nuclear forensics, using both existing
techniques and those under development, it may be possible to
identify the source and pathway of a weapon or material after
it is interdicted or detonated. Though identifying
intercepted smuggled material is now possible in some cases,
pre-detonation forensics is a relatively undeveloped field.
The post-detonation nuclear forensics field is also immature,
and the challenges are compounded by the pressures and time
constraints of performing forensics after a nuclear or
radiological attack.
(3) A robust and well-known capability to identify the
source of nuclear or radiological material intended for or
used in an act of terror could also deter prospective
proliferators. Furthermore, the threat of effective
attribution could compel improved security at material
storage facilities, preventing the unwitting transfer of
nuclear or radiological materials.
(4)(A) In order to identify special nuclear material and
other radioactive materials confidently, it is necessary to
have a robust capability to acquire samples in a timely
manner, analyze and characterize samples, and compare samples
against known signatures of nuclear and radiological
material.
(B) Many of the radioisotopes produced in the detonation of
a nuclear device have short half-lives, so the timely
acquisition of samples is of the utmost importance. Over the
past several decades, the ability of the United States to
gather atmospheric samples--often the preferred method of
sample acquisition has diminished. This ability must be
restored and modern techniques that could complement or
replace existing techniques should be pursued.
(C) The discipline of pre-detonation forensics is a
relatively undeveloped field. The radiation associated with a
nuclear or radiological device may affect traditional
forensics techniques in unknown ways. In a post-detonation
scenario, radiochemistry may provide the most useful tools
for analysis and characterization of samples. The number of
radiochemistry programs and radiochemists in United States
National Laboratories and universities has dramatically
declined over the past several decades. The narrowing
pipeline of qualified people into this critical field is a
serious impediment to maintaining a robust and credible
nuclear forensics program.
(5) Once samples have been acquired and characterized, it
is necessary to compare the results against samples of known
material from reactors, weapons, and enrichment facilities,
and from medical, academic, commercial, and other facilities
containing such materials, throughout the world. Some of
these samples are available to the International Atomic
Energy Agency through safeguards agreements, and some
countries maintain internal sample databases. Access to
samples in many countries is limited by national security
concerns.
(6) In order to create a sufficient deterrent, it is
necessary to have the capability to positively identify the
source of nuclear or radiological material, and potential
traffickers in nuclear or radiological material must be aware
of that capability. International cooperation may be
essential to catalogue all existing sources of nuclear or
radiological material.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS FOR
FORENSICS COOPERATION.
It is the sense of the Congress that the President should--
(1) pursue bilateral and multilateral international
agreements to establish, or seek to establish under the
auspices of existing bilateral or multilateral agreements, an
international framework for determining the source of any
confiscated nuclear or radiological material or weapon, as
well as the source of any detonated weapon and the nuclear or
radiological material used in such a weapon;
(2) develop protocols for the data exchange and
dissemination of sensitive information relating to nuclear or
radiological materials and samples of controlled nuclear or
radiological materials, to the extent required by the
agreements entered into under paragraph (1); and
(3) develop expedited protocols for the data exchange and
dissemination of sensitive information needed to publicly
identify the source of a nuclear detonation.
SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF DOMESTIC NUCLEAR DETECTION
OFFICE.
(a) Additional Responsibilities.--Section 1902 of the
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as redesignated by Public Law
110-53; 6 U.S.C. 592) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (9), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(B) by redesignating paragraph (10) as paragraph (14); and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following:
``(10) develop and implement, with the approval of the
Secretary and in coordination with the heads of appropriate
departments and agencies, methods and capabilities to support
the attribution of nuclear or radiological material to its
source when such material is intercepted by the United
States, foreign governments, or international bodies or is
dispersed in the course of a terrorist attack or other
nuclear or radiological explosion;
``(11) establish, within the Domestic Nuclear Detection
Office, the National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center to
provide centralized stewardship, planning, assessment, gap
analysis, exercises, improvement, and integration for all
Federal nuclear forensics activities to ensure an enduring
national technical nuclear forensics capability to strengthen
the collective response of the United States to nuclear
terrorism or other nuclear attacks;
``(12) establish a National Nuclear Forensics Expertise
Development Program which--
``(A) is devoted to developing and maintaining a vibrant
and enduring academic pathway from undergraduate to post-
doctorate study in nuclear and geochemical science
specialties directly relevant to technical nuclear forensics,
including radiochemistry, geochemistry, nuclear physics,
nuclear engineering, materials science, and analytical
chemistry; and
``(B) shall--
``(i) make available for undergraduate study student
scholarships, with a duration of up to four years per
student, which shall include, whenever possible, at least one
summer internship at a national laboratory or appropriate
Federal agency in the field of technical nuclear forensics
during the course of the student's undergraduate career;
``(ii) make available for graduate study student
fellowships, with a duration of up to five years per student,
which--
``(I) shall include, whenever possible, at least two summer
internships at a national laboratory
[[Page H5514]]
or appropriate Federal agency in the field of technical
nuclear forensics during the course of the student's graduate
career; and
``(II) shall require each recipient to commit to serve for
two years in a post-doctoral position in a technical nuclear
forensics-related specialty at a national laboratory or
appropriate Federal agency after graduation;
``(iii) make available to faculty awards, with a duration
of three to five years each, to ensure faculty and their
graduate students a sustained funding stream; and
``(iv) place a particular emphasis on reinvigorating
technical nuclear forensics programs, while encouraging the
participation of undergraduate students, graduate students,
and university faculty from historically Black colleges and
universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and Tribal
Colleges and Universities;
``(13) provide an annual report to Congress on the
activities carried out under paragraphs (10), (11), and (12);
and''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Historically black college or university.--The term
`historically Black college or university' has the meaning
given the term `part B institution' in section 322(2) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)).
``(2) Hispanic-serving institution.--The term `Hispanic-
serving institution' has the meaning given that term in
section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1101a).
``(3) Tribal college or university.--The term `Tribal
College or University' has the meaning given that term in
section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1059c(b)).''.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated the sum of $30,000,000 for each of the
fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 2011 to carry out paragraphs
(10) through (13) of section 1902(a) of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a) of this section.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
General Leave
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Mississippi?
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support
of this bill and yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 2631, the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act,
was introduced last year by the gentleman from California, Congressman
Schiff. It was marked up and adopted unanimously by the Subcommittee on
Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology in October
2007. The full committee approved it unanimously on May 20 of this
year.
I would like to congratulate Congressman Schiff and thank
Subcommittee Chairman Langevin and Ranking Member McCaul for their work
in getting the bill to the floor today.
Like the other homeland security measures we are considering today, I
strongly believe that H.R. 2631 ties in with the DHS authorization
legislation that the House approved last spring, H.R. 1684, and is
still pending before the Senate.
We know that our enemies, both terrorists and rogue nations, are
interested in developing and using nuclear and radiological weapons. In
the case of an attempted or, heaven forbid, a successful nuclear or
radiological attack, rapid attribution is critical. Our government must
have the capability to quickly determine the source of nuclear material
so that the key decision-makers have information needed to respond.
Certainly, if the terrorists know that we have a nuclear forensic
capability that can pinpoint their role in creating a bomb, they're
bound to have second thoughts. The deterrent effect of a robust nuclear
forensic capability is enormous.
Unfortunately, today the U.S. must rely on expertise and technology
developed during the Cold War to address the emerging threats of a
nuclear ``dirty'' bomb. The nuclear weapons work force is aging, just
as its mission has shifted from traditional deterrence policy to the
more complicated challenge of containing the threats posed by
terrorists and rogue nations. Our Nation's capability in the scientific
fields of radiochemistry and geochemistry must be fostered to meet this
new threat. This is the purpose of this bill.
H.R. 2631 expresses the sense of Congress that the President should
pursue international agreements and develop protocols to share
sensitive information needed to identify the source of a nuclear
detonation.
It also tasks the Secretary of Homeland Security with the mission of
developing methods to attribute nuclear and radiological material, both
within the Department's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, and in
partnership with other Federal agencies.
The legislation, as amended in committee, emphasizes that development
of a robust nuclear forensics capability depends chiefly on an expertly
trained work force in this area, and provides support for educational
programs relevant to nuclear forensics.
H.R. 2631 also authorizes the National Technical Nuclear Forensic
Center, which will be responsible for providing centralized planning,
assessment and integration of all Federal nuclear forensic activities;
requires the Secretary to report annually to Congress on the Federal
Government's efforts to enhance its nuclear forensic capability,
including the status of work force development programs, and authorizes
$30 million per year for the next 3 fiscal years for this effort.
H.R. 2631 continues this committee's practices of authorizing
programs and offices within DHS that are of value to the agency's
mission, so as to assure that the work can continue and progress can be
achieved in the years to come.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
House of Representatives, Committee on Science and
Technology,
Washington, DC, May 27, 2008.
Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Ford House Office
Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman, I am writing to you concerning the
jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Science and
Technology in H.R. 2631, the Nuclear Forensics and
Attribution Act, H.R. 2631 was introduced by Congressman Adam
B. Schiff on June 7, 2007, and the bill was subsequently
marked up by the Committee on Homeland Security on May 20,
2008.
H.R. 2631 implicates the Committee on Science and
Technology's jurisdiction under rule X(1)(o) of the House
Rules. The Committee on Science and Technology acknowledges
the importance of H.R. 2631 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 legislative report for
this bill and 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 H.R. 2631 or similar legislation.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Bart Gordon,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Washington, DC, June 11, 2008.
Hon. Howard L. Berman,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rayburn House Office
Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R.
2631, the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act, introduced
on June 7, 2007, by Congressman Adam B. Schiff.
I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this
legislation. I acknowledge that H.R. 2631 contains provisions
that fall under the jurisdictional interests of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs. I appreciate your agreement to forgo any
further consideration or action on this legislation, and that
your decision to do so does not affect the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Further, I recognize that your Committee reserves the right
to seek appointment of conferees on the bill for the portions
of the bill that are within your jurisdiction, and I agree to
support such a request.
I will ensure that this exchange of letters in included in
the Committee's report on H.R. 2631 and in the Congressional
Record during floor consideration of H.R. 2631. I look
forward to working with you on this legislation and other
matters of great importance to this nation.
Sincerely,
Bennie G. Thompson,
Chairman.
[[Page H5515]]
____
Congress of the United States, Committee on Foreign
Affairs, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, June 11, 2008.
Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Ford House Office
Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you regarding H.R. 2631,
the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act, introduced on June
7, 2007, by Congressman Adam B. Schiff. This legislation was
initially referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and,
in addition, to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
In the interest of permitting your Committee to proceed
expeditiously to floor consideration of this important
legislation, I am willing to waive further consideration of
H.R. 2631. 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 resolution 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 also ask that a
copy of this letter and your response be placed in the
committee report for H.R. 2631 and in the Congressional
Record during consideration of this bill.
I look forward to working with you as we move this
important measure through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Howard L. Berman,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Washington, DC, May 28, 2008.
Hon. Bart Gordon,
Chairman, Committee on Science and Technology, Rayburn
Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R.
2631, the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act, introduced
on June 7, 2007, by Congressman Adam B. Schiff.
I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this
important legislation. I acknowledge that H.R. 2631 contains
amendments to provisions of law related to matters that fall
under the jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Science
and Technology. I appreciate your agreement to not seek a
sequential referral of this legislation and acknowledge that
your decision to forgo a sequential referral on this bill
does not waive, alter, or otherwise affect the jurisdiction
of the Committee on Science and Technology.
Further, I recognize that your committee reserves the right
to seek appointment of conferees on the bill for the portions
of the bill that are within your jurisdiction, and I agree to
support such a request.
I will ensure that this exchange of letters is included is
the Committee's report on H.R. 2631 and in the Congressional
Record during floor consideration of H.R. 2631. I look
forward to working with you on this legislation and other
matters of great importance to this nation.
Sincerely,
Bennie G. Thompson,
Chairman.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I'm proud today to cosponsor and to support this bill and extend my
gratitude for the bipartisan cooperation that went into drafting this
important legislation--Congressman Schiff, Chairman Thompson, Chairman
Langevin.
The detonation of a nuclear device in an urban area of this country
would be catastrophic to say the least. And with nuclear proliferation
worldwide with such apparatuses as the A.Q. Kahn network reaching the
Islamic jihad world, countries like Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, the
threat of a nuclear explosion and the threat of nuclear devices coming
into this country is very real. This bill will help prevent that.
Reducing the risk of nuclear or radiological terrorism requires a
layered system of defenses that involves deterring, detecting,
disrupting and recovering from terrorist attacks.
We've spent a great deal of time in this Congress discussing the
efforts of the Department of Homeland Security's Domestic and Nuclear
Detection Office, or DNDO, to deploy radiation portal monitors at our
Nation's ports of entry. These monitors, staffed by Customs and Border
Protection officers, are the Nation's first line of defense against
illicit trafficking of nuclear and radiological material.
I'd like to take this opportunity to commend the DNDO on their
achievements in this area. But even with the best possible detection
systems, the possibility remains that terrorists could beat the system
and sneak something past one of our detectors and through a non-
official port of entry. That is why defense against terrorism,
especially nuclear terrorism, requires a multi-layered approach.
This bill will improve a critical layer in our Nation's system
defenses against the risk of nuclear and radiological terrorism by
codifying the role of the National Technical Nuclear Forensic Center,
which already exists within the DNDO. By enhancing our nuclear forensic
capabilities, we will be able to more easily identify the source of
nuclear materials. And while getting the whole picture also requires
good intelligence and law-enforcement style investigations, a credible
attribution program could even serve as a deterrent against nuclear
terrorism.
A main concern I have had is the decreasing number of qualified
people into the fields associated with nuclear forensics. In recent
years, the number of young people entering scientific fields has
declined. The nuclear fields, in particular, are suffering, especially
in fields relevant to nuclear forensics, which may have no commercial
counterpart. I'm pleased that this legislation includes language
designed to strengthen the pipeline of talented new scientists into
this important field, especially from minority-serving institutions, so
as to take full advantage of all the talent present in our
universities.
This bill instructs the Department to establish a National Nuclear
Forensics Expertise Development Program which is devoted to developing
and maintaining a vibrant and enduring pipeline of technical
professionals. This program will grant scholarships and fellowships
from the undergraduate through the postdoctorate level of study in
nuclear and geochemical science specialties, directly relevant to
technical nuclear forensic.
This legislation is the first step in the right direction of
reinvigorating the work force in an area critical to continued defense
against nuclear and radiological terrorism.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill and its goals to improve
the state of nuclear forensics in this country.
With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield 4
minutes to the chairman of the subcommittee handling the legislation,
the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).
(Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
{time} 1300
Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the
Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act, H.R. 2631, introduced by my
friend and colleague, Congressman Adam Schiff. Through my work on both
the Homeland Security Committee and the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence, I have become convinced that the nuclear
terrorist threat is real requiring the full and urgent attention of our
government.
Now, last weekend, we received a stark reminder of just how real this
threat is. According to media reports, A.Q. Khan's network provided
nations, possibly Iran and North Korea, with blueprints for a
sophisticated nuclear device small enough to fit on a ballistic
missile.
Now, I take this threat very seriously, and as chairman of the
Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity and
Science and Technology, I focus much of my attention on addressing our
nuclear vulnerability. And I have always said that the core of our
efforts must focus on a three-prong strategy: an approach of
prevention, detection, and response.
Now, by strengthening our detection capabilities, we've certainly
made it more difficult for those who wish us harm to smuggle in nuclear
weapons or weapons of nuclear material across our border. In fact, we
are currently screening 100 percent of all incoming cargo on the
southern border, 98 percent on the Nation's seaports, and 91 percent on
the northern border. And Director Vayl Oxford of the Domestic Nuclear
Detection Office assures me we will be screening 100 percent along our
northern border by next year.
Now, I firmly believe that the surest way to prevent a nuclear
terrorist attack from occurring is to prevent terrorists from obtaining
nuclear weapons
[[Page H5516]]
or weapons-grade nuclear material in the first place, but all those who
have these materials should be also put on notice that all nuclear
material contains a unique signature that could be traced back to them.
Now, the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act is a critical
mechanism for enhancing this capability. Nuclear forensics allows
experts to study the mix of isotopes and other features of nuclear
material that give it a particular signature, or fingerprint. Once a
nuclear signature has been promptly identified, we can oftentimes trace
the material back to a particular source. Now, this is perhaps one of
the best proactive measures we can take to deter terrorists from
acquiring and detonating a nuclear weapon. It's also a wake-up call for
all nations that already have nuclear weapons or weapons-grade nuclear
material to better secure it.
If nations around the world know they can be identified as the source
of material used in a nuclear attack, they may think twice about
proliferating knowing that they would be the target of any retaliatory
efforts.
In short, Madam Speaker, when people think of tracing where a nuclear
attack would come from, they think of the missile being launched from a
particular location and then detonated at a target, and they would
obviously know and would be able to trace that missile back to where it
was originally launched from. And if anybody were to smuggle a nuclear
device into the country and detonate it, they would get off scot-free.
Well, nuclear forensics clearly shows that is not the case.
Any time that a nuclear weapon would be detonated or weapons-grade
nuclear material would be used, it does come with a return address, and
we would be able to trace it back.
I'm proud to be a cosponsor of this measure, and I'm also pleased
that we're taking yet another step to protect Americans against a
nuclear threat.
Again, I would like to thank Congressman Schiff for his leadership on
this issue. I would like to thank my Ranking Member Mr. McCaul on the
subcommittee for helping to bring this to the floor. And most
especially I want to thank the chairman of the full Committee on
Homeland Security, Chairman Thompson, for his leadership on securing
the Nation against potential nuclear threats and for all of his great
leadership on homeland security issues and for bringing this issue to
the floor today.
Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I do have one more
speaker, the author of the bill.
Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers and am
prepared to close.
I reserve my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I would like to recognize the gentleman
from California (Mr. Schiff) for 4 minutes, the author of this
legislation and a persistent pursuer making sure that we get it to the
floor.
Mr. SCHIFF. I thank the chairman of the full committee for his
leadership on this issue and for his indulgence of my perseverance. I'm
very grateful that the bill moved so quickly and for his support of it.
I also want to thank the chairman of the Subcommittee on Emerging
Threats, Cybersecurity, Science and Technology, Jim Langevin, for his
leadership, and also thank the Ranking Member Mr. McCaul. I really
appreciate all of your help. It's been a bipartisan effort from the
very beginning, and that's the way it should be.
Through this legislation, we're taking an important step to prevent
nuclear terrorism, and I appreciate, again, all of the work of the
committee and staff.
Nuclear terrorism is the preeminent threat of our time. Many
countries around the world now have access to technology that was once
the realm of only a few. Just last week it was reported that an
advanced nuclear weapon design was found on a computer connected to one
nuclear smuggling ring, and that was the one mentioned by my colleague,
Mr. Langevin. Illicit nuclear material has been intercepted in transit
many times since the Cold War, and the material we catch is probably
just a small fraction of the total amount trafficked.
The President and Congress have recognized that a nuclear attack on
the United States is the most important national security threat facing
our country. In the ongoing effort to strengthen our border, this
Congress has made it more difficult to smuggle a nuclear weapon into
the United States. But with thousands of miles of borders to secure
against weapons just a few feet in size, we cannot simply play defense
at the border. We must also prevent the weapons and materials that lie
in storage around the world from falling into the wrong hands.
During the Cold War, we deterred the Soviet Union with the threat of
nuclear retaliation. Unfortunately, the decentralized flexible terror
networks that we face today are not as easily deterred. Osama bin Laden
has termed the acquisition of mass destruction a religious duty. And
there is no question that using such a weapon against America is
consistent with the group's contempt for human life.
The Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act is designed to help shut
down trade in nuclear material by deterring those parts of the
trafficking network susceptible to deterrence. If we identify the
source of nuclear material, then when we intercept it in transit, we
can hold responsible those who created it and shared it with terrorists
or rogue nations. In the aftermath of an attack, God forbid, this
capability would also help determine the identity of those responsible.
Nations, companies, and individuals could be dissuaded from
proliferating knowing that their malfeasance could be traced back to
them.
The first part of this bill expands our ability to determine the
source of nuclear material by strengthening our nuclear forensics
capability. Nuclear forensics is the study of the chemistry and
physical properties of nuclear material that give it a particular
signature. Scientists and engineers skilled in the field can also use
information from the packaging and accompanying materials to pinpoint a
source.
But acquiring, analyzing, characterizing, and attributing samples is
a complicated process. Though we have the capability to perform each
step, our expertise is split between the Departments of Energy,
Defense, Homeland Security, and State.
This bill authorizes a national technical nuclear forensics center in
the Department of Homeland Security. The center will coordinate the
various agencies and ensure that a sufficient combined response is
present whenever nuclear material is intercepted or used in a weapon.
It will also advance the science of nuclear forensics bringing in new
radiochemists and physicists into a rapidly aging workforce and funding
research on new methods to identify materials from around the world.
But this bill also has another purpose. As with fingerprints or DNA,
the strength of nuclear forensics depends on the strength of our
database. Nuclear material can come from many nations, some friendly
and some unfriendly.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman 2
additional minutes.
Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. That will be the
last of my perseverance, Mr. Chairman.
The strength of nuclear forensics depends on the strength of our
database. That material can come from many nations, some friendly, some
unfriendly, and the individual recipes are closely-held secrets.
However, little of the information needed for nuclear forensics is of
direct use to our adversaries, and in the case of our allies, the risk
of not sharing the data and failing to discover a security breach is
much greater than sharing the information.
Thus, the bill asked the President to negotiate agreements with other
nations to share information on the make-up of their nuclear materials.
We can come to bilateral agreements with our allies or sign multi-
lateral treaties through the IAEA. We can even begin the database with
just civilian reactor materials where information security is less of
an issue. But we must get started now.
The National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center should play a key
role in the negotiations since in the end, the data we obtain must be
the data that the experts need. Nuclear terrorism is a threat of
paramount danger
[[Page H5517]]
and uncertain probability. As communications and transportation bring
us ever closer to our friends, they bring our enemies closer as well.
This modest but effective bill will help keep us safe as we navigate
the years ahead.
Again, I want to thank Chairman Thompson for his leadership and the
chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee for their assistance
and sponsorship, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close at
this point and wonder if the gentleman from California is also.
Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am
prepared to close.
The threat of nuclear terrorism is real as we've heard. The intent,
motivation from al Qaeda and the radical Islamic world is very real.
They want to acquire this capability, and we know that with the
proliferation of this technology with nuclear capability, through the
A.Q. Khan network to many other countries, we know that this threat is
literally on the doorstep. I believe this bill will go a long ways to
protecting Americans which, after all, is our first and foremost
obligation as Members of Congress to protect the American people as the
Constitution requires.
And that is why I'm so proud that this was presented in a bipartisan
fashion. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. This is an
American issue. It is about protecting the lives of the American
people. And I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much
time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 2631, the Nuclear Forensics and
Attribution Act. I would like to pay tribute to Congressman Adam
Schiff, Subcommittee Chairman Langevin, and Ranking Member McCaul for
the thoughtful approach taken on this critical Homeland Security
concern.
The risk, vulnerability, and consequences of a nuclear bomb are
significantly different than what we think of as a dirty bomb. While a
nuclear bomb is most assuredly a weapon of mass destruction, a dirty
bomb is at best a weapon of mass disruption. A dirty bomb may include
some radioactive material, but if detonated, few people, if any, would
die shortly after exposure.
In contrast, tens of thousands of people could potentially die from
an explosion of a nuclear bomb.
We need a new Manhattan Project, one where we build a nuclear
forensics capability and workforce that can address the myriad of
nuclear threats that we face today. H.R. 2631 does just that. That is
why, Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this important legislation.
Madam Speaker, as you heard, Ranking Member King is attending the
services of Tim Russert. I would like to join my ranking member and
other Members of Congress in expressing our sympathies to the family of
Tim Russert.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2631, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title was amended so as to read:
``A bill to strengthen efforts in the Department of Homeland Security
to develop nuclear forensics capabilities to permit attribution of the
source of nuclear material, and for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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