[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 62 (Friday, April 27, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H2222-H2227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 0950
ADVANCING AMERICA'S NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2012
Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3834) to amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to
authorize activities for support of networking and information
technology research, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
[[Page H2223]]
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3834
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 ``Advancing America's
Networking and Information Technology Research and
Development Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. PROGRAM PLANNING AND COORDINATION.
(a) Periodic Reviews.--Section 101 of the High-Performance
Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended by adding
at the end the following new subsection:
``(d) Periodic Reviews.--The agencies identified in
subsection (a)(3)(B) shall--
``(1) periodically assess the contents and funding levels
of the Program Component Areas and restructure the Program
when warranted, taking into consideration any relevant
recommendations of the advisory committee established under
subsection (b); and
``(2) ensure that the Program includes large-scale, long-
term, interdisciplinary research and development activities,
including activities described in section 104.''.
(b) Development of Strategic Plan.--Section 101 of such Act
(15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended further by adding after
subsection (d), as added by subsection (a) of this Act, the
following new subsection:
``(e) Strategic Plan.--
``(1) In general.--The agencies identified in subsection
(a)(3)(B), working through the National Science and
Technology Council and with the assistance of the National
Coordination Office described under section 102, shall
develop, within 12 months after the date of enactment of the
Advancing America's Networking and Information Technology
Research and Development Act of 2012, and update every 3
years thereafter, a 5-year strategic plan to guide the
activities described under subsection (a)(1).
``(2) Contents.--The strategic plan shall specify near-term
and long-term objectives for the Program, the anticipated
time frame for achieving the near-term objectives, the
metrics to be used for assessing progress toward the
objectives, and how the Program will--
``(A) foster the transfer of research and development
results into new technologies and applications for the
benefit of society, including through cooperation and
collaborations with networking and information technology
research, development, and technology transition initiatives
supported by the States;
``(B) encourage and support mechanisms for
interdisciplinary research and development in networking and
information technology, including through collaborations
across agencies, across Program Component Areas, with
industry, with Federal laboratories (as defined in section 4
of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15
U.S.C. 3703)), and with international organizations;
``(C) address long-term challenges of national importance
for which solutions require large-scale, long-term,
interdisciplinary research and development;
``(D) place emphasis on innovative and high-risk projects
having the potential for substantial societal returns on the
research investment;
``(E) strengthen all levels of networking and information
technology education and training programs to ensure an
adequate, well-trained workforce; and
``(F) attract more women and underrepresented minorities to
pursue postsecondary degrees in networking and information
technology.
``(3) National research infrastructure.--The strategic plan
developed in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be
accompanied by milestones and roadmaps for establishing and
maintaining the national research infrastructure required to
support the Program, including the roadmap required by
subsection (a)(2)(E).
``(4) Recommendations.--The entities involved in developing
the strategic plan under paragraph (1) shall take into
consideration the recommendations--
``(A) of the advisory committee established under
subsection (b); and
``(B) of the stakeholders whose input was solicited by the
National Coordination Office, as required under section
102(b)(3).
``(5) Report to congress.--The Director of the National
Coordination Office shall transmit the strategic plan
required under paragraph (1) to the advisory committee, the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
of the House of Representatives.''.
(c) Additional Responsibilities of Director.--Section
101(a)(2) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(2)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A) by inserting ``education,'' before
``and other activities'';
(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as
subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new
subparagraph:
``(E) encourage and monitor the efforts of the agencies
participating in the Program to allocate the level of
resources and management attention necessary to ensure that
the strategic plan under subsection (e) is developed and
executed effectively and that the objectives of the Program
are met;''.
(d) Advisory Committee.--Section 101(b)(1) of such Act (15
U.S.C. 5511(b)(1)) is amended--
(1) after the first sentence, by inserting the following:
``The co-chairs of the advisory committee shall meet the
qualifications of committee membership and may be members of
the President's Council of Advisors on Science and
Technology.''; and
(2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``high-performance''
and inserting ``high-end''.
(e) Report.--Section 101(a)(3) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5511(a)(3)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (C)--
(A) by striking ``is submitted,'' and inserting ``is
submitted, the levels for the previous fiscal year,''; and
(B) by striking ``each Program Component Area;'' and
inserting ``each Program Component Area and research area
supported in accordance with section 104;'';
(2) in subparagraph (D)--
(A) by striking ``each Program Component Area,'' and
inserting ``each Program Component Area and research area
supported in accordance with section 104,'';
(B) by striking ``is submitted,'' and inserting ``is
submitted, the levels for the previous fiscal year,''; and
(C) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
(3) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (G);
and
(4) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new
subparagraphs:
``(E) include a description of how the objectives for each
Program Component Area, and the objectives for activities
that involve multiple Program Component Areas, relate to the
objectives of the Program identified in the strategic plan
required under subsection (e);
``(F) include--
``(i) a description of the funding required by the National
Coordination Office to perform the functions specified under
section 102(b) for the next fiscal year by category of
activity;
``(ii) a description of the funding required by such Office
to perform the functions specified under section 102(b) for
the current fiscal year by category of activity; and
``(iii) the amount of funding provided for such Office for
the current fiscal year by each agency participating in the
Program; and''.
(f) Definition.--Section 4 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5503) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (7) as
paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively;
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated,
the following new paragraph:
``(1) `cyber-physical systems' means physical or engineered
systems whose networking and information technology functions
and physical elements are deeply integrated and are actively
connected to the physical world through sensors, actuators,
or other means to perform monitoring and control
functions;'';
(3) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by striking
``high-performance computing'' and inserting ``networking and
information technology'';
(4) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated--
(A) by striking ``high-performance computing'' and
inserting ``networking and information technology''; and
(B) by striking ``supercomputer'' and inserting ``high-end
computing'';
(5) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking
``network referred to as'' and all that follows through the
semicolon and inserting ``network, including advanced
computer networks of Federal agencies and departments;''; and
(6) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by striking
``National High-Performance Computing Program'' and inserting
``networking and information technology research and
development program''.
SEC. 3. LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.
Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended by adding
at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 104. LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL
IMPORTANCE.
``(a) In General.--The Program shall encourage agencies
identified in section 101(a)(3)(B) to support large-scale,
long-term, interdisciplinary research and development
activities in networking and information technology directed
toward application areas that have the potential for
significant contributions to national economic
competitiveness and for other significant societal benefits.
Such activities, ranging from basic research to the
demonstration of technical solutions, shall be designed to
advance the development of research discoveries. The advisory
committee established under section 101(b) shall make
recommendations to the Program for candidate research and
development areas for support under this section.
``(b) Characteristics.--
``(1) In general.--Research and development activities
under this section shall--
``(A) include projects selected on the basis of
applications for support through a competitive, merit-based
process;
``(B) involve collaborations among researchers in
institutions of higher education and industry, and may
involve nonprofit research institutions and Federal
laboratories, as appropriate;
``(C) when possible, leverage Federal investments through
collaboration with related State initiatives; and
``(D) include a plan for fostering the transfer of research
discoveries and the results of technology demonstration
activities, including from institutions of higher education
and Federal laboratories, to industry for commercial
development.
``(2) Cost-sharing.--In selecting applications for support,
the agencies shall give special consideration to projects
that include cost sharing from non-Federal sources.
``(3) Agency collaboration.--If 2 or more agencies
identified in section 101(a)(3)(B), or other appropriate
agencies, are working on large-scale research and development
activities in the same area of national importance, then such
agencies shall strive to collaborate through joint
solicitation and selection of applications for support and
subsequent funding of projects.
``(4) Interdisciplinary research centers.--Research and
development activities under this section may be supported
through interdisciplinary research centers that are organized
to investigate basic research questions and carry out
[[Page H2224]]
technology demonstration activities in areas described in
subsection (a). Research may be carried out through existing
interdisciplinary centers, including those authorized under
section 7024(b)(2) of the America COMPETES Act (Public Law
110 69; 42 U.S.C. 1862o 10).''.
SEC. 4. CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS.
(a) Additional Program Characteristics.--Section 101(a)(1)
of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
``(J) provide for increased understanding of the scientific
principles of cyber-physical systems and improve the methods
available for the design, development, and operation of
cyber-physical systems that are characterized by high
reliability, safety, and security; and
``(K) provide for research and development on human-
computer interactions, visualization, and big data.''.
(b) Task Force.--Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is
amended further by adding after section 104, as added by
section 3 of this Act, the following new section:
``SEC. 105. UNIVERSITY/INDUSTRY TASK FORCE.
``(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of the Advancing America's Networking and
Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2012,
the Director of the National Coordination Office shall
convene a task force to explore mechanisms for carrying out
collaborative research and development activities for cyber-
physical systems, including the related technologies required
to enable these systems, through a consortium or other
appropriate entity with participants from institutions of
higher education, Federal laboratories, and industry.
``(b) Functions.--The task force shall--
``(1) develop options for a collaborative model and an
organizational structure for such entity under which the
joint research and development activities could be planned,
managed, and conducted effectively, including mechanisms for
the allocation of resources among the participants in such
entity for support of such activities;
``(2) propose a process for developing a research and
development agenda for such entity, including guidelines to
ensure an appropriate scope of work focused on nationally
significant challenges and requiring collaboration and to
ensure the development of related scientific and
technological milestones;
``(3) define the roles and responsibilities for the
participants from institutions of higher education, Federal
laboratories, and industry in such entity;
``(4) propose guidelines for assigning intellectual
property rights and for the transfer of research results to
the private sector; and
``(5) make recommendations for how such entity could be
funded from Federal, State, and non-governmental sources.
``(c) Composition.--In establishing the task force under
subsection (a), the Director of the National Coordination
Office--
``(1) shall appoint an equal number of individuals with
knowledge and expertise in cyber-physical systems from--
``(A) institutions of higher education, including minority-
serving institutions and community colleges; and
``(B) industry; and
``(2) may appoint not more than 2 individuals from Federal
laboratories.
``(d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Advancing America's Networking and
Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2012,
the Director of the National Coordination Office shall
transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a
report describing the findings and recommendations of the
task force.
``(e) Termination.--The task force shall terminate upon
transmittal of the report required under subsection (d).
``(f) Compensation.--Members of the task force shall serve
without compensation.''.
SEC. 5. CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES FOR RESEARCH.
Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended further by
adding after section 105, as added by section 4(b) of this
Act, the following new section:
``SEC. 106. CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES FOR RESEARCH.
``(a) Interagency Working Group.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of the Advancing America's
Networking and Information Technology Research and
Development Act of 2012, the Director of the National
Coordination Office, working through the National Science and
Technology Council, shall convene an interagency working
group to examine--
``(1) the research and development needed--
``(A) to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of cloud
computing environments;
``(B) to increase the trustworthiness of cloud applications
and infrastructure; and
``(C) to enhance the foundations of cloud architectures,
programming models, and interoperability; and
``(2) the potential use of cloud computing for federally-
funded science and engineering research, including issues
around funding mechanisms and policies for the use of cloud
computing services for such research.
``(b) Consultation.--In carrying out the tasks in
paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), the working group
shall consult with academia, industry, Federal laboratories,
and other relevant organizations and institutions, as
appropriate.
``(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Advancing America's Networking and
Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2012,
the Director of the National Coordination Office shall
transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report
describing the findings and any recommendations of the
working group.
``(d) Termination.--The interagency working group shall
terminate upon transmittal of the report required under
subsection (c).''.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE.
Section 102 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5512) is amended to read
as follows:
``SEC. 102. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE.
``(a) Office.--The Director shall continue a National
Coordination Office with a Director and full-time staff.
``(b) Functions.--The National Coordination Office shall--
``(1) provide technical and administrative support to--
``(A) the agencies participating in planning and
implementing the Program, including such support as needed in
the development of the strategic plan under section 101(e);
and
``(B) the advisory committee established under section
101(b);
``(2) serve as the primary point of contact on Federal
networking and information technology activities for
government organizations, academia, industry, professional
societies, State computing and networking technology
programs, interested citizen groups, and others to exchange
technical and programmatic information;
``(3) solicit input and recommendations from a wide range
of stakeholders during the development of each strategic plan
required under section 101(e) through the convening of at
least 1 workshop with invitees from academia, industry,
Federal laboratories, and other relevant organizations and
institutions;
``(4) conduct public outreach, including the dissemination
of findings and recommendations of the advisory committee, as
appropriate; and
``(5) promote access to and early application of the
technologies, innovations, and expertise derived from Program
activities to agency missions and systems across the Federal
Government and to United States industry.
``(c) Source of Funding.--
``(1) In general.--The operation of the National
Coordination Office shall be supported by funds from each
agency participating in the Program.
``(2) Specifications.--The portion of the total budget of
such Office that is provided by each agency for each fiscal
year shall be in the same proportion as each such agency's
share of the total budget for the Program for the previous
fiscal year, as specified in the report required under
section 101(a)(3).''.
SEC. 7. IMPROVING NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
EDUCATION.
Section 201(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5521(a)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as
paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new
paragraph:
``(2) the National Science Foundation shall use its
existing programs, in collaboration with other agencies, as
appropriate, to improve the teaching and learning of
networking and information technology at all levels of
education and to increase participation in networking and
information technology fields, including by women and
underrepresented minorities;''.
SEC. 8. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.
(a) Section 3.--Section 3 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5502) is
amended--
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``high-performance computing'' and inserting ``networking and
information technology'';
(2) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``high-performance computing'' and inserting ``networking and
information technology'';
(B) in subparagraphs (A), (F), and (G), by striking ``high-
performance computing'' each place it appears and inserting
``networking and information technology''; and
(C) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``high-performance''
and inserting ``high-end''; and
(3) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``high-performance computing and'' and
inserting ``networking and information technology and''; and
(B) by striking ``high-performance computing network'' and
inserting ``networking and information technology''.
(b) Title I.--The heading of title I of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5511) is amended by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING''
and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY''.
(c) Section 101.--Section 101 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511)
is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE
COMPUTING'' and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT'';
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``National High-
Performance Computing'' and inserting ``Networking and
Information Technology Research and Development'';
(B) in paragraph (1) of such subsection--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``National High-Performance Computing Program'' and inserting
``networking
[[Page H2225]]
and information technology research and development
program'';
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``high-performance
computing, including networking'' and inserting ``networking
and information technology'';
(iii) in subparagraphs (B) and (G), by striking ``high-
performance'' each place it appears and inserting ``high-
end''; and
(iv) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``high-performance
computing and networking'' and inserting ``high-end
computing, distributed, and networking''; and
(C) in paragraph (2) of such subsection--
(i) in subparagraphs (A) and (C)--
(I) by striking ``high-performance computing'' each place
it appears and inserting ``networking and information
technology''; and
(II) by striking ``development, networking,'' each place it
appears and inserting ``development,''; and
(ii) in subparagraphs (F) and (G), as redesignated by
section 2(c)(1) of this Act, by striking ``high-performance''
each place it appears and inserting ``high-end'';
(3) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking ``high-performance computing'' both places
it appears and inserting ``networking and information
technology''; and
(B) in paragraph (2), in the second sentence, by striking
``2'' and inserting ``3''; and
(4) in subsection (c)(1)(A), by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and inserting ``networking and information
technology''.
(d) Section 201.--Section 201(a)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5521(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and all that follows through ``networking;'' and
inserting ``networking and information research and
development;''.
(e) Section 202.--Section 202(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5522(a)) is amended by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and inserting ``networking and information
technology''.
(f) Section 203.--Section 203(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5523(a)(1)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``high-performance
computing and networking'' and inserting ``networking and
information technology''; and
(2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``high-performance''
and inserting ``high-end''.
(g) Section 204.--Section 204 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5524)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``high-performance
computing systems and networks'' and inserting ``networking
and information technology systems and capabilities'';
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``interoperability of
high-performance computing systems in networks and for common
user interfaces to systems'' and inserting ``interoperability
and usability of networking and information technology
systems''; and
(C) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and inserting ``networking and information
technology''; and
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in the heading, by striking ``High-Performance
Computing and Network'' and inserting ``Networking and
Information Technology''; and
(B) by striking ``sensitive''.
(h) Section 205.--Section 205(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5525(a)) is amended by striking ``computational'' and
inserting ``networking and information technology''.
(i) Section 206.--Section 206(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5526(a)) is amended by striking ``computational research''
and inserting ``networking and information technology
research''.
(j) Section 207.--Section 207(b) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5527(b)) is amended by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and inserting ``networking and information
technology''.
(k) Section 208.--Section 208 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5528)
is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE
COMPUTING'' and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY''; and
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``High-performance
computing and associated'' and inserting ``Networking and
information'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and inserting ``networking and information
technologies'';
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``high-performance'' and
inserting ``high-end'';
(D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``high-performance
computers and associated'' and inserting ``networking and
information''; and
(E) in paragraph (5), by striking ``high-performance
computing and associated'' and inserting ``networking and
information''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Hall) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice
Johnson) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on H.R. 3834, as amended, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As a sponsor of H.R. 3834, the Advancing America's Networking and
Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2012, I rise
today in strong support of this legislation.
Before I delve into the details of the bill, however, I want to thank
the Speaker and the majority leader for their leadership in putting
together a cybersecurity task force to address our serious
cybersecurity challenges. This task force, led by Representative Mac
Thornberry, provided a compass point and set the direction for all the
bills we're considering this week.
The Science Committee started our cybersecurity early in Congress, so
I was very pleased to see the task force embrace both Mr. McCaul's
bills, H.R. 2096 and H.R. 3834, as necessary steps to improve U.S.
cybersecurity.
I would like to also thank my Texas colleague, Ranking Member
Johnson, my neighbor, for joining me in cosponsoring H.R. 3834, which
updates the NITRD Program. This program is an important component of
our Nation's cybersecurity efforts, and it is critical to our overall
networking and information technology research and development in
general. It's a product of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991
and represents and coordinates the Federal Government's nearly $4
billion R&D investment in unclassified networking, computing, software,
cybersecurity, and related information technologies.
The bill before us today updates the underlying high-performance
computing statute that has been in place for 20 years and codifies the
work the National Coordination Office already undertakes. Specifically,
H.R. 3834 improves program statistic planning and coordination; it
rebalances R&D portfolios to focus less on short-term goals and more on
long-scale, long-term interdisciplinary research; it updates research
to reflect newer technologies like ``big data'' and ``cyberphysical''
systems. It also convenes an interagency working group to identify gaps
in cloud computing research and examines the potential for using the
cloud for federally funded research and codifies and emphasizes the
role of the National Coordination Office.
Networking and information technology includes a broad range of
technologies from smartphones to cloud computing. These innovations
stem from numerous disciplines and have led to advances in search-and-
rescue robots, unmanned aerial vehicles, near real-time weather
forecasting, devices for assisted living, and computer-based education
and training. R&D in this field seeks to minimize and prevent
disruptions to critical infrastructure like power grids and emergency
communication systems. This essential R&D is part of the reason that
the House Republican Cybersecurity Task Force identified this program
as important to our Nation.
Other cybersecurity efforts undertaken by NITRD agencies include
research to detect, prevent, resist, respond to, and recover from
actions that compromise or threaten the availability, ingenuity, or
security of computer and network basic systems.
Currently, 15 Federal agencies are contributing members of NITRD,
with an additional 20 or so participating in the program. Coordination
among these agencies increases the overall effectiveness and
productivity of our Nation's networking and information technology and
cybersecurity R&D, leverages our strength, avoids duplication, and
improves interoperability of R&D products. More importantly, in
networking and information technology, R&D supports and boosts U.S.
competitiveness, enhances national security, and helps strengthen the
economy through the creation of high-level jobs.
H.R. 3834 is essentially the same bill that the House passed twice in
the last Congress only to see it languish in the Senate. I urge passage
of this measure once again and hope that the Senate will act
accordingly. As with all cybersecurity bills before us today, H.R. 3834
enjoys the support of numerous industry supporters and technology
stakeholders.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 3834, the Advancing America's Networking
and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2012.
[[Page H2226]]
H.R. 3834 is a good bipartisan bill which I was pleased to join
Chairman Hall in introducing. It is largely based on the 2009 House-
passed bill that was introduced by then-Chairman Gordon and Ranking
Member Hall. But the current bill also includes some updates from the
2009 bill that appropriately reflect changes to the networking and
information technology landscape, as well as policy and management
recommendations made by an outside panel of experts charged with
evaluating the NITRD Program.
The NITRD Program, as it is known, involves the collaboration of 15
Federal research and development agencies, each contributing its own
unique expertise. To ensure that we make the most effective use of our
Federal R&D resources and remain a leader in these fields, H.R. 3834
requires that all 15 agencies come together to develop and periodically
update a strategic plan for Federal investments in NIT R&D.
H.R. 3834 calls for increased support for large-scale, long-term
interdisciplinary research in NIT that will help us tackle national
challenges such as improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our
health care and energy-delivery systems. The bill also promotes
partnerships between the Federal Government, academia, and industry to
foster technology transfer.
In particular, I would like to highlight this bill's role in ensuring
that the education of a future NIT workforce remains an important
component of the NITRD Program.
I am hearing every day from small and large companies alike that the
demand for skilled American IT professionals is higher than the supply.
We hear the same message from university faculty who tell us that
computer science graduates are snatched up the moment they graduate
even while we're in the midst of a recession. This gap between supply
and demand exists, despite the fact that these jobs are among the
highest paying and most stable jobs out there.
It is imperative that we encourage more young Americans to pursue
studies in NIT fields. In particular, because of the stark gender and
racial gaps that we see in computer science programs, it is imperative
that we encourage more young women and students of color to enter these
fields. We simply cannot afford to ignore more than 50 percent of our
Nation's brainpower.
{time} 1000
H.R. 3834 doesn't go quite as far as I'd like it to go in addressing
these education challenges, but it still sends an important message
about the need to educate more of our students in NIT fields and
provide the necessary authority for the agencies to play an appropriate
role here.
Finally, since this is Cyber Week, I would be remiss not to mention
that the NITRD Program serves as a coordinating and planning umbrella
for all unclassified Federal cybersecurity R&D. Our committee addressed
specific needs in cybersecurity R&D in a separate bill just considered
today, but in doing so, we made sure that both the intellectual and
financial resources for cybersecurity R&D are appropriately integrated
into the rest of the Federal NIT portfolio. Information security R&D
should not take place in its own silo. It bears on all network and
information technologies.
In closing, NIT technologies cut across every sector of our economy
and our national defense infrastructure. Our relatively modest 20-year
investment in the NITRD Program has contributed immeasurably to our
economic and national security by enabling innovation and job creation
in NIT and providing American students with the skills to fulfill these
jobs. Let's authorize this program today and ensure it remains strong.
I want to thank my friend, Chairman Hall, and his staff, especially
Mele Williams, for working so collaboratively and openly with us on
this good bipartisan bill. I'd also like to thank my staff, and in
particular Dahlia Sokolov, for their hard work on the bill, and I urge
my colleagues to support H.R. 3834.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).
Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in today in support of H.R. 3834, also known as
the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act,
or NITRD.
This program provides critical support and coordination for some of
the most promising research and development on the computing horizon,
namely, protection for our cybernetworks and the next generation of
supercomputing, known as exascale.
Information technology research plays a critical role in U.S.
economic strength. According to the Council on Competitiveness, our
country's ability to outcompete other nations will be determined by our
ability to outcompute.
American scientists, businesses, and manufacturing already use
computing technologies to accelerate the pace of research on everything
from new energy sources, new medicine, intellectual property, and
national security. By passing this bill today, we maintain our
leadership and focus in technology innovation and information security.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3834, Advancing
America's NITRD Act of 2012.
I would like to thank Chairman Hall and Ranking Member Johnson for
their important work on this bipartisan legislation. It's been nearly 3
years since we last reauthorized and updated the NITRD Program. I was a
cosponsor of that bill in 2009, and while the Senate never acted on it,
I'm hopeful that this will be a first step in taking action this year.
The NITRD Program evolved from the High-Performance Computing Act of
1991, which funded the development of Mosaic, the first commercial Web
browser, which made the Internet user friendly and facilitated the
cyber-revolution in the 1990s. This innovation was created by a team of
programmers at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at
the University of Illinois. Marc Andreessen, one of the lead
programmers on this project and founder of Netscape, summed up the
importance of Federal investment in this research saying: ``If it had
been left to private industry, it wouldn't have happened, at least, not
until years later.''
Innovative breakthroughs like the Mosaic Web browser changed their
everyday lives and established the United States as a world leader in
networking and information technologies. But today we find ourselves in
a world in which we can no longer take U.S. supremacy for granted. We
must make measured choices to prioritize cutting-edge, large-scale R&D
and effective technology transfer policies to focus on the most
advanced areas of network and information technology.
H.R. 3834 achieves these ends through the development of a
coordinated Federal R&D investment strategy. This bill requires Federal
agencies and the NSTC to develop 5-year plans specifying near- and
long-term objectives and to assess and evaluate progress periodically
to ensure we maintain U.S. leadership in these fields.
In order to guarantee groundbreaking advancements, the strategic
plans will be required to encourage innovative and high-risk research
projects that address long-term challenges of national importance. The
increasingly complex challenges we face require sophisticated solutions
that will draw not just on expertise from across economic fields, but
across the public and private sectors as well. This legislation
encourages collaboration among universities, industries, nonprofit
research institutions, and Federal laboratories to tackle our biggest
challenges and provides impetus needed to spur research on high-risk
areas that might otherwise not be taken up.
We also need to be cognizant of how the R&D we fund will actually
impact and benefit our economy and our society. While basic research is
critical, the effective transfer of the results of research into
products, companies, and jobs is necessary for our Nation to remain a
leader in networking and information technology. This bill promotes
effective technology transfer policies by requiring strategic plans and
large-scale research projects to incorporate plans and policies that
promote commercialization.
[[Page H2227]]
It is vital that we get our scientific development out of the lab and
into the marketplace. We've put a lot of investment into our labs. We
need to make sure that this provides the economic engine of growth for
our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation will focus our scientific community
through innovative, large-scale, and collaborative R&D. We need to
remain a leader in networking in information technologies. This is a
good bipartisan bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. I urge passage of the bill, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL. I would like to point out that our efforts on this bill
have been really a true illustration of the bipartisan work which the
Science Committee and this Congress is capable of.
I believe Ms. Johnson will attest that our staffs have worked well
together to ensure this measure reflects good policy for our Nation's
networking and information technology. I want to thank her, and I want
to thank her staff for their work on this bill.
Additionally, I would also like to thank Chairman Brooks as chairman
of the Research and Science Education Subcommittee for his leadership
on the bill, and Mrs. Biggert for her many years of championing this
issue.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3834, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and many thanks to my good friend
and fellow Texan, Ralph Hall, for bringing H.R. 3834 to the House floor
as part of cyber-week.
Just about every aspect of our lives is somehow connected to the
internet in one way or another. My hometown of San Antonio is often
referred to as ``Cyber-City USA,'' due to the work of the Air Force,
private industry, and the University of Texas at San Antonio's
Institute for Cybersecurity.
Cyber-crimes risk our personal finances, proprietary business
information, and national security know-how. Hackers have sought to
physically damage our air traffic control system, DoD and NASA
satellites, and electrical grid.
Hackers from a variety of countries, especially China and Russia, as
well as those working inside the United States, cause a great deal of
damage to our nation's economy and national security. The GAO reported
this week that cyberattacks on the federal government have exploded by
680 percent in the past five years.
The NITRD program is a unique collaboration among Federal research
and development agencies that coordinate Federal R&D projects to
advance information technologies such as computing, networking, and
software, while avoiding duplication of efforts. One of the primary
goals of the NITRD program is to accelerate development and deployment
of these technologies to maintain American leadership in the IT field.
The NITRD program was first authorized in 1991, and the House
Republican Task Force on Cybersecurity, chaired by my Texas colleague,
Mac Thornberry, identified it as in need of an update.
This is a good bill for which I thank Science, Space and Technology
Chairman Ralph Hall and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson for
bringing to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support it.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 3834, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. HALL. 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. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
____________________