RE-FORMED CAUCUS COULD BOOST BERMAN-ROHRABACHER
Newly renamed and re-established House Aerospace Caucus may boost chances for Berman-Rohrabacher bill (HR-1707), which would return satellite export controls to Commerce Dept. from State Dept., said Bruce Mahome, Aerospace Industries Assn. (AIA) Space Policy Dir. Rep. Weldon (R-Fla.) and Rep. Kucinich (D-O.) are chmn. of new caucus, which met Wed. to address concerns of U.S. aerospace market, including satellite industry. “Party affiliation doesn’t really matter” in forming caucus, Weldon spokesman said, because it includes “people hard to the left and people who are hard to the right who feel the same way about a given issue.” HR-1707 has picked up 14 co-sponsors and will be high on caucus’s agenda, Mahome said. “We will be working very seriously with the caucus on the Berman-Rohrabacher bill.” Support from caucus “possibly” would help bill’s chances of passing house, spokesman for Weldon said. “I know that’s a bill of extreme importance to the industry and it’s going to be given its proper review and we'll see what happens,” he told us.
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Caucus had been called House Aviation Caucus until it became inactive “around the 104th or the 105th Congress,” Weldon spokesman said. Renaming caucus “reflected a melding of aeronautics and space which we see throughout the industry.” AIA pushed for re-establishing caucus to push for aerospace causes including passing HR-1707, Mahome said. Textile, agriculture and tobacco industries have strong caucuses with members from different committees, he said: “We needed unity and singleness of purpose. Through the caucus we will make every effort to handle all of the concerns of the various committees,” including International Relations, Armed Services, Commerce and Science. “I think what the caucus is trying to do is raise the profile of aerospace issues,” said Clayton Mowry, exec. dir., Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA). Export controls are “just another layer on top of the challenges the industry is facing.” SIA and AIA were 2 of 10 co-signers of letter by industry lobbying associations to caucus members urging support for HR-1707. Letter said bill “includes several… strong security protections to ensure that sensitive technologies do not end up in the hands of potential adversaries.”
Caucus members’ concerns on U.S. position in international market also led to group’s meeting. “America used to be the world’s undisputed leader in aerospace, but this can no longer be stated so clearly,” Weldon said. Research funding for NASA has dropped 60% in last 5 years, Kucinich said. “Our generation was challenged to reach for the stars and we have to keep doing it,” he said.