Howard Berman: “Thank you, Mr. Smith, for yielding me this time. I rise in support of the manager's amendment, but to speak in support…”

“Thank you, Mr. Smith, for yielding me this time. I rise in support of the manager's amendment, but to speak in support of the Smith amendment, which is part of the en bloc amendment which will be taken up next. I am pleased to join Ranking Member Smith, Chairman McKeon, and Foreign Affairs Chair Ros-Lehtinen as sponsor of the Smith amendment. I am particularly pleased that this amendment incorporates most of H.R. 3288, the Safeguarding United States Satellite Leadership and Security Act, legislation I introduced last November, along with Don Manzullo, Adam Smith, Dutch Ruppersberger, Rob Bishop, Martin Heinrich, Mike Coffman, and Gerry Connolly. We have since been joined by 12 other cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, many of whom are also cosponsors of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, this bipartisan amendment, which will be part of the en bloc, would help restore America's global competitiveness in high-tech satellite technology and protect vital U.S. national security interests. Treating commercial satellites and components as if they were lethal weapons, regardless of whether they're going to friend or foe, has gravely harmed American space manufacturers--a view borne out by numerous studies, industry assessments, and the administration's own recent ``1248'' report to Congress. We depend on these manufacturers for our own critical defense needs.…”