National Institute of Standards and Technology Campus Security Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), who is the chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee, for his significant oversight work on this issue and for introducing the result of that work, this bill, H.R. 5636.

I am pleased to cosponsor the National Institute of Standards and Technology Campus Security Act to help improve the safety and security of NIST facilities and their surrounding areas.

Last July, a senior officer with the NIST Police Services Group attempted illegal production of meth at one of the laboratories located at NIST's Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus. The officer, who was previously the acting chief of police at the Gaithersburg campus, amazingly caused an explosion that burned his face and arm and blew out the lab windows.

It is shocking that a Federal agency didn't know that a meth lab was being run on its property right under its nose, and, without the explosion, it might never have been discovered. The meth lab explosion and subsequent investigation have raised serious concerns about the safety and security of the entire NIST operation.

Further, information obtained during the Science, Space, and Technology Committee's investigation of the meth lab appears to show a pattern of waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct by the NIST Police Services Group.

For example, according to a recent Department of Commerce Inspector General's report, the very officer who caused the explosion on NIST's campus had committed time and attendance fraud by claiming that he worked many hours when he did not.

So how do we know that this is not happening throughout the Police Services Group at NIST?

These unfortunate examples undermine and jeopardize NIST's mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness, which enhances economic security and improves our quality of life.

This legislation is an important step forward to analyze the work of NIST's Police Services Group and outside contractors to ensure that they are adequately securing both NIST campuses to protect NIST employees, contractors, visitors, and surrounding communities from any potential hazards.

This legislation and a thorough review, evaluation, and report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office will provide further recommendations and options to ensure a safe and secure NIST in the future.

Again, I want to thank Chairman Loudermilk for his work on this matter, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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