Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2601, Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2601, FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT, FISCAL YEARS 2006 AND 2007 -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 20, 2005)

SPEECH OF HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO OF CONNECTICUT
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2005

* Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule, which prevents the House from considering several very important amendments to the State Department Authorization Act. Among them is one that I offered that would have made the Navy's Marine One helicopter program subject to existing export control laws--that would also have limited the ability of foreign companies working on the Marine One program to sell the technology used in the President's helicopter to countries like Iran and other threats to our national security.

* Unfortunately, this is a very real possibility. In January, the Marine One contract was awarded to a European consortium led by Finmeccanica Italy and its British subsidiary, Agusta Westland, and only a month later, both companies appeared at an aerospace tradeshow--in Iran. The American president of Finmeccanica's U.S. division explained his company's presence in Iran by saying ``I think they're our enemy,'' going on to explain, quote, ``In Europe, they don't call [Iran] the enemy''--as if that somehow makes it acceptable to sell them our most advanced aerospace technology.

* The notion that the companies building the president's helicopter, working with sensitive American technology, may be doing business with a member of what the president himself called the ``Axis of Evil'' should give us all very serious concern. Do we want these companies to be able to easily transfer Marine One technology to Iran or other countries? Because that is a very real possibility given the contract the Navy has signed.

* Mr. Speaker, few images capture the U.S. Presidency like that of the Marine One helicopter landing on the White House lawn, the president emerging from under the blades--it is ingrained in our collective national consciousness. Even 7 months after this decision was made, I still find it hard to believe that the next generation of the president's helicopters will be largely built not by American but foreign workers, with 36 percent of the work on the Marine One program performed in England and Italy. Indeed, the Navy expects to procure 32 aircraft, the first seven of which will be constructed almost entirely in England. Only the final assembly will be done in the United States. This ought to be a matter of our national pride.

* While I believe that all of this work should be done in the United States, my amendment would have at least ensured that the work on this program--funded by the U.S. taxpayer, but done outside the United States--will not fall into the hands of state sponsors of terrorism.

* To be clear, I have no quarrel with Lockheed-Martin or Bell Helicopters, who are partners with Finmeccanica and Agusta Westland in this program. Like Sikorsky, they make many fine products upon which our troops rely, and they employ thousands of hard-working men and women whose love of country is unrivaled. But, Mr. Speaker, the decision to award a large portion of this contract to European companies is deeply misguided and could have an adverse impact on our national security.

* Mr. Speaker, the Marine One helicopter is expected to have the most advanced parts, security features, communications equipment and survivalibity of any rotorcraft in our military's arsenal. And to allow that technology and equipment to fall into the hands of threats to our national security is a risk that none of use should take. Yet that is exactly what the House Republican leadership has forced us into doing.

* I urge my colleagues to reject this rule so that the House may have the opportunity to consider this critically important issue.

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