No Technology for Terror Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MEEKS. 6603.

This past weekend, Mr. Speaker, Iran launched more than 350 drones and ballistic missiles toward our ally Israel, an attack largely thwarted by the Israeli Defense Forces, alongside American, British, French, Jordanian, and other partner militaries. Nevertheless, the attack demonstrated Iran's airborne capacity and domestic drone and missile capabilities. Iran has not only launched its drones at Israel, but they have provided them to Russia for use in Putin's illegal war in Ukraine.

The administration has implemented numerous export controls to prevent American materials from being sent to Iran for use in their drone program. It has been an interagency priority to help ensure our technologies do not wind up in the hands of the enemy.

To that end, the Bureau of Industry and Security has imposed a foreign-direct product rule, BIS' most powerful tool, to prevent the production and proliferation of Iranian drones and missiles.

The legislation before us now, the No Technology for Terror Act introduced by my colleagues, Mr. Moran and Mr. McCaul, makes permanent certain U.S. export control restrictions on American-made drones technology, and would be the first instance ever of codifying a foreign-direct product rule.

During markup of this bill, the bill was improved to include exceptions to ensure it does not unintentionally prevent the sale of humanitarian goods such as food and medicine. The bill also contains a national interest waiver to provide the executive branch greater flexibility in minimizing the export control's humanitarian impact and maximizing our leverage against Iran. A waiver also provides Iran an incentive to stop its malignant conduct, cease its nuclear ambitions, and end its funding for terrorism.

While it is a big deal to codify a foreign-direct product rule, Iran's conduct and the flexibility built into the legislation warrant my support and the support of all the Members of this House.

So, Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Moran and Chairman McCaul for their good-faith efforts to make this bill a bipartisan bill, and I encourage my colleagues to join with me in supporting this measure.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, Iran's weaponized drone program is a threat to our allies, Israel and Ukraine, and to United States national security. This legislation codifies the Biden administration's export control restrictions to prohibit United States-made technology and software from being transferred to Iran, preventing that technology from being used in the manufacturing of Iranian drones.

I thank Representative Moran and Chairman McCaul for introducing this legislation and for working in the good-faith, bipartisan manner that we often do on this committee so that we can make this legislation as effective and flexible as it needs to be.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6603, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source