WASHINGTON, DC – The House International Relations Committee voted to include three amendments offered by Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) into the State Department Authorization Bill today:
• Expansion of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)-
A sense of Congress asking the President to expand and strengthen the PSI. Created in 2003, this program responds to the growing threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The provision encourages the United Nations to adopt a Security Council Resolution that authorizes the PSI under international law and provides legal authority to stop shipments of WMD and related material.
• Recruiting former Soviet scientists for Project Bioshield-
An amendment that asks the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress outlining the possibilities for employing weapons scientists from the former Soviet Union in the United States as part of Project Bioshield. Project Bioshield is an initiative to improve the speed of response to a biological attack in the United States. Given the vast experience of the former Soviet Union states in the field of biological weapons, there are substantial numbers of former Soviet WMD scientists with expertise that could benefit this U.S. program and whom we would not wish to be jobless and thus targets for employment by terrorist organizations or rogue states.
• Security standards for nuclear materials-
A sense of Congress calling for the establishment of performance-based standards and verification measures for the security of nuclear weapons and materials. This will also encourage coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) who will then encourage other states to adopt these standards.
Congressman Schiff is the co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees. He represents California’s 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.
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