Science and Technology Agreement Enhanced Congressional Notification Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5245, as amended, and yield myself such time as I may consume.

First, let me thank Representatives Andy Barr and Dina Titus for their leadership in developing this bill. I also thank Chairman McCaul for his collaboration in bringing this bill to a bipartisan consensus, ensuring that we have the necessary oversight over any U.S.-China governmental science cooperation.

We all know the challenges posed by the People's Republic of China. The Biden-Harris administration and this body are clear-eyed that the PRC is the only competitor with intent and means to reshape the rules- based international order.

To advance our interests, we must manage this critical relationship with shrewd diplomacy, not fear. This is why we must continue to engage China and find areas of cooperation where possible, even as we vigorously compete with and, where necessary, confront Beijing.

Since the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement was originally signed in 1979, the first bilateral agreement following our diplomatic recognition of the People's Republic of China, it has benefited the United States, China, and the global community.

Research collaborations have prevented disease, reduced pollution, and deepened our understanding of the Earth's history. The agreement has been renewed every 5 years or so under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Mr. Barr's bill allows Congress to address robust oversight over the current and any updated U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement, and it requires the State Department to ensure the agreement benefits the United States and includes standards and safeguards to protect the United States' interests.

It also enables Congress to monitor and track projects taking place under the agreement to ensure that they are consistent with U.S. values and interests. Therefore, it is for these reasons that we must pass H.R. 5245. This bill will allow Congress to effectively monitor the limited joint projects we do have with China, assess whether Beijing is living up to its commitments as part of the agreement, and ensure that American researchers, intellectual property, and data are adequately protected.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to pass H.R. 5245, as amended, so that we may strengthen oversight of any U.S.-China science and technological agreements. These are routine mechanisms that lay out the rules of the road for government-to-government cooperation, providing a set of bilateral accepted standards, rules, and protections that guide any collaboration and provide access and protection for researchers, for data, and intellectual property.

We must continue to modernize the safeguards for government-to- government cooperation to manage the heightened risks in the case of China, while preserving space for scientific inquiry and innovations that may benefit us all.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

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