Congressional Record, Volume 160 Issue 109 (Monday, July 14, 2014)

[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 109 (Monday, July 14, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H6149-H6150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION ACT OF 2014

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 5029) to provide for the establishment of a body to
identify and coordinate international science and technology
cooperation that can strengthen the domestic science and technology
enterprise and support United States foreign policy goals.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 5029

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 ``International Science and
Technology Cooperation Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. COORDINATION OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
PARTNERSHIPS.

(a) Establishment.--The Director of the Office of Science
and Technology Policy shall establish a body under the
National Science and Technology Council with the
responsibility to identify and coordinate international
science and technology cooperation that can strengthen the
United States science and technology enterprise, improve
economic and national security, and support United States
foreign policy goals.
(b) NSTC Body Leadership.--The body established under
subsection (a) shall be co-chaired by senior level officials
from the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the
Department of State.
(c) Responsibilities.--The body established under
subsection (a) shall--
(1) coordinate interagency international science and
technology cooperative research and training activities and
partnerships supported or managed by Federal agencies and
work with other National Science and Technology Council
committees to help plan and coordinate the international
component of national science and technology priorities;
(2) establish Federal priorities and policies for aligning,
as appropriate, international science and technology
cooperative research and training activities and partnerships
supported or managed by Federal agencies with the foreign
policy goals of the United States;
(3) identify opportunities for new international science
and technology cooperative research and training partnerships
that advance both the science and technology and the foreign
policy priorities of the United States;
(4) in carrying out paragraph (3), solicit input and
recommendations from non-Federal science and technology
stakeholders, including universities, scientific and
professional societies, industry, and relevant organizations
and institutions; and
(5) identify broad issues that influence the ability of
United States scientists and engineers to collaborate with
foreign counterparts, including barriers to collaboration and
access to scientific information.
(d) Report to Congress.--The Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy shall transmit a report, to be
updated annually, to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives, and to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate. The report shall also be made
available to the public on the reporting agency's website.
The report shall contain a description of--
(1) the priorities and policies established under
subsection (c)(2);
(2) the ongoing and new partnerships established since the
last update to the report;
(3) the means by which stakeholder input was received, as
well as summary views of stakeholder input; and
(4) the issues influencing the ability of United States
scientists and engineers to collaborate with foreign
counterparts.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.

General Leave

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5029, 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. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Science and technology research addresses the major challenges facing
our Nation. These include energy production, public health, national
security, and economic development.
H.R. 5029, the International Science and Technology Cooperation Act
of 2014, will improve our collaboration efforts with international
partners on scientific issues.
I thank the ranking member, Mr. Lipinski of Illinois, for his
initiative on this issue and, as I mentioned a while ago, for his
initiative on so many bills that are being considered today.
Better collaboration with our international partners will strengthen
the U.S. scientific activities and will additionally promote the free
exchange of ideas in other nations.
While many Federal agencies are engaged with international partners
on science and technology projects, there is a need to coordinate these
projects across the Federal Government and to identify opportunities
for additional collaborations. Interagency coordination ensures that
tax dollars are used efficiently and that U.S. priorities are
consistently addressed when working with our international partners on
science and technology issues.
The International Science and Technology Cooperation Act directs the
National Science and Technology Council to identify and coordinate the
U.S. interagency strategy for international science and technology
cooperation. Further, this council will make recommendations for how to
improve U.S. engagement in science and technology cooperation with our
global partners. This will help ensure that the U.S. maintains its
leadership in science and technology research and discovery.
The bill strengthens U.S. science and technology activities, improves
economic and national security, and supports U.S. foreign policy goals.
For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5029.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
The U.S. has a great tradition of using science diplomacy to
strengthen our ties with allies and to open the door to building better
relationships across the globe. That is why I introduced H.R. 5029, the
International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2014.
Scientific issues know no boundaries and deal with problems and
opportunities of the highest importance to the entire world.
Improvements in such areas as energy security, infectious diseases,
space exploration, telecommunications and the Internet, and many more
are due, in part, to international cooperation--to the benefit of all
nations involved. By collaborating with international partners on
science, we strengthen the U.S. scientific enterprise, which helps us
get the best return on our research investment.
This bipartisan bill would improve international science cooperation
by requiring the National Science and Technology Council at the White
House to maintain a body that would identify and coordinate U.S.
interagency strategy for international science and technology
cooperation. Many Federal agencies already work with international
counterparts on science and technological issues, but until recently,
there was no coordinating body to identify new partnerships and to
fully leverage existing collaborations.

[[Page H6150]]

While the administration is taking steps to formulate a strategy for
international science cooperation, this bill will ensure that the
process moves forward with the appropriate congressional oversight,
which is something I think we can all agree on.
The U.S. scientific enterprise is admired across the world. In
addition to helping our own researchers solve problems of national and
global importance more efficiently, international cooperation helps to
demonstrate the value of the free flow of ideas, which is the
foundation of American democracy.
There is one other thing I wanted to raise. If anyone has any
questions about the importance of collaboration when it comes to
scientific endeavors, I certainly recommend the documentary ``Particle
Fever,'' which is about the work at CERN, in Switzerland, on the Large
Hadron Collider. As a physicist searches for the Higgs boson--it sounds
like it would be an incredibly boring documentary to watch, but it is
just fascinating to see and to see the international cooperation that
goes on as they do this search. It is a great example of what
international collaboration can do in the scientific enterprise.
I want to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Johnson for working
with me to improve the bill we have before us and to bring it to the
floor. When this bill was considered in the 111th Congress, it passed
the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. I am hopeful that we
will pass it again today and see action in the Senate as well. I urge
my colleagues to support this bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Homeland Security
Committee and former member of the Science, Space, and Technology
Committee, I thank you for the opportunity to rise and speak in support
of H.R. 5029, the ``International Science and Technology Cooperation
Act of 2014.''
I would like to thank the Chairman Smith and Ranking Eddie Bernice
Johnson of the Science, Space, and Technology House Committee for their
work in advancing scientific cooperation around the globe that will
benefit our domestic efforts to remain competitive and stong in a wide
range of scientific fields.
The United States federal science agencies are already effective in
collaborating with international agencies and organizations on Science
and Technology (S&T), but this bill would ensure that there is a group
that coordinates and looks for new opportunities to get involved with
our international partners.
International cooperation in Science and Technology will help us
answer scientific questions, and conduct elaborate research and
development more quickly and efficiently.
According to the International Science and Technology Strategy for
the United States Department of Defense, the non-U.S. component of
global research and development is more than 60 percent of the total
global investment and is expected to continue to outpace the U.S.
contribution.
International collaboration would help us address global challenges
on a broader scale and would give mutual enhancement of resources for
both the United States and its partners.
A few enhancements would allow access to unique research laboratories
and facilities, risk reduction through multiple technical approaches to
solve difficult technical problems, improve the warfighting
capabilities of all involved, and potentially enhance interoperability
during coalition operations.
Our partnerships with Service-sponsored international offices in the
U.K., Japan, Singapore, and Australia, along with our partners in South
America, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom in the Technical
Cooperative Program, and the NATO Research and Technology Organization,
give us a broad range of resources to work with across the world.
We must continue to enhance and strengthen our foreign relationships
in S&T to broker new research, identify mutually advantageous
opportunities, and exchange information with potential partners
regarding research interests.
The International Space Station, which was built 16 years ago, and
continues to operate under the collaboration of several countries
around the world, is one of many portrayals that show how international
relationships can produce profound research and discoveries.
The European Council for Nuclear Research which conducts in-depth
studies on Earth's fundamental matter and particles is another prime
example of how foreign collaboration is beneficial and effective in
producing elaborate research.
The Center for Disease Control's World Health Organization is also
one of the best illustrations of foreign collaboration used to advance
the efforts in finding cures for diseases and conducting vital research
and studies for global health concerns.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in my support for H.R.
5029, and understand the importance of our international relationships
involving Science and Technology, so that when successful, may lead to
cooperative research, development and technology programs.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 5029.
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. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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