Days after the House passed a defense authorization bill that includes an export control reform provision, a Colorado senator has introduced similar legislation in the Senate. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) announced Tuesday that he introduced the “Safeguarding United States Leadership and Security Act of 2012″ to provide for export control reform. The text of the bill, S. 3211, hasn’t been posted yet, but the release indicates the bill’s language is similar to what was included in the House: giving the President the authority to move satellites and related components off the US Munitions List (USML), but prohibiting the export of such items to China, Iran, and several other nations.
“The report released by the Administration highlights how our outdated export controls undermine our nation’s ability to compete and innovate in the international marketplace,” Bennet said in the release, referring to the so-called “Section 1248″ report issued by the Defense Department last month that found that most satellites and their components could be moved off the USML without jeopardizing national security. “This bill will ensure that our nation’s export controls will treat satellites and their components in a manner that is consistent with other items that serve both a military and a commercial purpose.”
The legislation has been referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with no timetable for its consideration. It’s possible that, like in the House, the provision will be incorporated into a larger bill: the Senate Armed Forces Committee is working this week on the markup for its version of the defense authorization bill for later consideration by the full Senate.
Can we actually talk about ITAR this time?
@ pr wrote @ May 24th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
ITAR would be interesting but it refers to facts and these are hard to understand.
So probably not. Most likely going to be SLS/MPCV. SpaceX. Blahblahblah…
So probably not. Most likely going to be SLS/MPCV. SpaceX. Blahblahblah…
You can find that on the previous thread. The frist post scared everybody off. Enjoy the serious debate. It looks like a good one.
I guess everyone but the contrarian troll is in agreement that your country urgently needs to reform the export policy that was mostly beneficial to your competitors, e.g. my country and others. Not that I mind having a strong European spaceflight industry in these economically troubled times, but I today has made it that American companies can achieve amazing things if you let them.
I wonder, if this legislation makes it through, will Rep. Wolf finally stop pestering Bolden about imaginary transgressions involving China, or will he actually become more paranoid?
Ahem.
Das Boese wrote @ May 25th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
I really need to go to bed ;P