Capital Roundup

The National Homeland Security and Combating Terrorism Act of 2002, S. 2452, was recently approved by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. The House's bill, H.R. 4660, has been referred to the Committee on Government Reform. The legislation would create a cabinet-level Department of National Homeland Security. Customs Service, Coast Guard, Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office, Federal Emergency Management Agency, the FBI National Infrastructure Protection Center and National Domestic Preparedness Department, some departments of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service of the Agriculture Department would be combined into one agency.The Senate bill is sponsored by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., chairman of the Government Affairs Committee. The House bill is sponsored by Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas. The Senate in May approved a bill that will give President Bush the ability to negotiate trade agreements largely without congressional amendment. Proponents of the legislation, including IT industry groups, say trade promotion authority is essential to expanding international markets for their goods.In December the House approved a trade promotion bill, H.R. 3005, 215-214. The Senate bill, H.R. 3009, passed 66-30.The Senate Commerce Committee recently approved a bill that would create a national emergency technology guard. The guard, located in the National Institute of Standards and Technology, would provide science and technology assistance to federal, state and local emergency response agencies during terrorist attacks or other national emergencies.The Science and Technology Emergency Mobilization Act, S. 2037, is sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. It would also establish an advisory board within NIST and a center for evaluating anti-terrorism and disaster response technology.