Jane Harman: “my highest priority as a Member of Congress is retaining and building high-skill, high-wage jobs in California's South…”

“my highest priority as a Member of Congress is retaining and building high-skill, high-wage jobs in California's South Bay. This area is the heart of California's aerospace industry, and if we are going to rebuild its employment base, we must promote commercial industries that draw on California's defense facilities and skills. Today I have joined with my California colleague, Congressman Howard Berman, to introduce H.R. 4276. This bill will streamline the process for exporting commercial communications satellites many of which are built in southern California. H.R. 4276 will help build jobs in southern California by simplifying export licensing procedures for commercial communications satellites. It completes a process that was initiated by the Bush administration by shifting jurisdiction over these licenses from the State Department to the Commerce Department. This transfer applies to exports to all customers, and does not favor or promote sales to any particular country. I want to emphasize that this bill does not undercut our missile nonproliferation policy.”