INTRODUCTION OF THE DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE REVITALIZATION ACT H.R. 13

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• Collection: General CIA Records
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• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 21, 2008
• Sequence Number: 38
• Publication Date: January 6, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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January 6, .1988 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - Exhmiaas
INTRODUCTION OF A RIdSOLU-
TION EXPRESSING OPPOSI-
TION TO THE IMPOSITION OF
AN OIL IMPORT FEE
HON. SILVIO 0. CONTE
OF MASSACHUSETTS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, January 6, 1983
? Mr. CONTE. Mr. Speaker, today I
am introducing on behalf of myself
and many other notable Members a
resolution expressing the opposition of
the House of Representatives to the
imposition of an import tax on crude
oil and refined petroleum products as
a means of raising revenues. I am also
pleased to report that Secretary of the
Department of Energy Edwards in a
letter dated April 14, 1982, stated to
me that he, too, opposes such a pro-
posal. He states:
Our past experience with quotas, taxes,
price controls. and entitlements have taught
us, at the very least, that we must make
every effort to avoid such a course.
Now, as the administration and the
Congress contemplate negotiating the
details of the fiscal 1984 budget, dis-
cussions regarding a "quick fix" solu-
tion to raise revenues persist. One
such proposal which has rearded its
ugly head is the most regressive,
penny-wise and pound-foolish concept
imaginable: an oil import fee on crude
oil and products. Lest you characterize
my efforts here today-and those of
my colleagues from the Northeast who
have joined me in cosponsoring this
resolution-as an attempt by the
Northeast to avoid paying for its
energy needs, I suggest that you con-
sider the results of the study prepared
by the Congressional Research Service
on the dire impact on the economy if a
$5 per barrel fee were to be imposed.
The bottom line is that the effect of
such a fee will reverberate throughout
1.4 percent; and inflation to increase
by 1.5 percent in 1984. All this is ex-
pected to occur while domestic oil pro-
ducers are reaping another $10 to $15
billion in additional net profits.
One of the most telling statistics,
however, in this high-risk game of
chance is that with a $5 per barrel tax,
the Federal deficit will be reduced by
$4 to $9 billion in fiscal year 1984. It
may, however, increase the deficit by
$5 billion in fiscal year 1985, as the
economy glows down as a direct result
of Uncle Sam's self-imposed "oil
shock."
Mr. Speaker, it is painfully obvious
that there are available more progres-
sive, more efficient revenue-raising op-
tions.
The cosponsors of this measure find
it unconscionable to levy this tax on
our economy and thus on the consum-
ers of this Nation; particularly while
they are enduring the present econom-
ic situation.
Therefore, I hope that Members
from all regions of the country will re-
alize the wisdom of this resolution.
Send a message to the President
before he comes up here later this
month for the state of the Union ad-
dress and proposes this nonsense.
Send a message to the administration
and Members of Congress, who are fe-
verishly drafting a budget plan that
we oppose this foolishness, and co-
sponsor the resolution.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker-* Ng. 13
FENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE RE-
VITALIZATION ACT, H.R. 13
HON. STEWART B. McKINNEY
OF CoNNiCTI DT
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, January 6, 1983
all sectors of our economy. No family uary 3, 1983, I introduced H.R. 13, the
will be spared the impact of the fee as 'Defense Industrial Base Revitalization
crude oil rises to the level of the artifi-
cially priced imports. The price of gas-
oline and home heating oil will in-
crease by 12 cents per gallon; residents
will witness an increase in their elec-
tric utility costs of approximately $100
per month in some sections of our
country.
The residual effect of a $5 per barrel
tax is ominous-not only will the price
of all petroleum products increase by
10 to 15 percent, but the already de-
pressed housing industry will be devas-
tated; the already ailing automobile
industry will be devastated; the al-
ready distressed agriculture industry
will be devastated. The list is endless.
In fact, many of those recipients of
social security will have wiped out
whatever benefits are protected by
budget negotiators in this latest round
of "revenue raising roulette." In addi-
tion, the CRS study estimates that a
$5 tax will cause unemployment to rise
by another 96,000 workers in 1984; real
gross national product will decline by
Act. The bill is identical to H.R. 5540
as reported by the Banking Committee
last May. For more information about
our committee's action I refer my col-
leagues to House Report 97-530, parts
II and III.
Although the committee-reported
bill was debated on the House floor
and some amendments were adopted, I
chose to reintroduce the unamended
version in this Congress. I, think that
it is not necessary for the committee
to go back to square 1 to judge the
merits of this proposal: the hearing
record that was developed during the
97th Congress sufficiently supports
the need for the bill.
The Banking Committee should con-
sider the amendments offered by our
colleagues, as well as those that were
going to be offered, to determine how
H.R. 13 should be improved. And then
I would urge prompt referral of the
legislation to the full House for speedy
passage.
I supported a number of the adopted
amendments and would urge their in-
of kemarks E 49'
clusion again. But the Banking Com-
mittee can consider also the numerous
other amendments to H.R. 5540 that
were pending and help expedite fur-
ther consideration when this proposal
comes before the House.
Mr. Speaker, the Defense Industrial
Base Revitalization Act in the 97th
Congress had an impressive list of bi-
partisan cosponsors as well as an
equally impressive list of supporting
groups representing labor, business,
education, defense, manufacturing,
mining and mineral sectors of the
economy. I expect to see the same sup-
port rally behind H.R. 13.
This bill should be recognized for its
merits. It is an economic stimulus pro-
gram; It is a jobs program; it is a de-
fense program; it is a skills training
program; and, it would use more effec-
tively funds from the national defense
function of the budget to accomplish
its objectives.
I invite my cosponsors of H.R. 5540
to rejoin me in sponsoring H.R. 13 and
I invite those of my colleagues who
were not on that bill to get_ on board
this year. The country needed this leg-
islation last year, but is is even more
critical now.*
INFORMATION SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY ACT OF 1983
HON. GEORGE E. BROWN, .IR.
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, January d, 1983,
? Mr. BROWN of California. Mr.
Speaker, today I am introducing the
"Information Science and Technology
Act of 1983." Joining me as cosponsors
of this bill are the chairman of the
Committee on Science and Technol-
ogy, DON FUQUA, and DOUG WALGREN,
the chairman of the Subcommittee on
Science, Research and Technology in
the 97th Congress. This proposed leg-
islation is an updated version of a bill I
introduced in the 97th Congress, H.R.
3137. In May and June of 1981, the
Subcommittee on Science, Research
and Technology, on which I serve,
held hearings on the bill. The subcom-
mittee's recommendations and an
analysis of the hearings prepared by
the Congressional Research Service
(CRS) are available through the Sub-
committee on Science. Research and
Technology.
Since I introduced this legislation 2
years ago, the computer has continued
to gain importance in our society. Last
week, for the first time ever, Time
magazine chose a machine, the com-
puter, to be "Man of the Year."
During these last few years, many
people have devoted a great deal of
time and effort to determine the best
mechanism for developing an informa-
tion policy. At the request of the Sci-
ence and Technology Committee and
other committees, the Office of Tech-
nology Assessment (OTA) recently
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E 50 CONt RESSIONAL RECORD - Extensions of Remarks January 6, 1983
completed several studies on informa- The Information Revolution is rooted HIGH-LEVEL ATTENTION TO INFORMATION
tional technology and public policy largely in American scientific and techno- CONCERNS
issues. These studies include "Infor- logical leadership, but foreign governments Information is part of the life blood of
mational Technology and Its Impact have been quick to recognize the economic any institution or organization. There is a
on American Education," "Computer- and social challenges posed by the transi- strong tendency to take information and
Based d National Iystems: tion to the information age. A number of the tools used to process it for granted, and
B
Bolic Policy Issues Systems: our major trading partners have responded to think of them as ancillary to the real
Technology and al Information f
Y with active programs designed not only to business at hand. Nowhere is this more ap-
and "Implications of Electronic Mail enhance their competitive positions in inter- parent than at the high levels of the United
and Message Systems for the U.S. national trade, but also to train their citi- States Government, where officials, beset
Postal Service." The hearings, the zens in the effective use of information with performance demands and operating
OTA reports, and the continued rapid technology. The stakes are high in this in- with diminishing resources, have generally
advances in information science and formation game, and we ignore at our peril not accorded a high priority to information
technology have convinced me that
the United States must strive to devel-
op a coherent information policy.
The Institute for Information Policy
and Research, as established by the
bill I am introducing today, is one of
several alternatives for creating a
forum for the development of a com-
prehensive information policy. The
Subcommittee on Science, Research
and Technology is soliciting sugges-
tions for other means to achieve the
same goal. I would like to thank those
experts who have already provided
comments on this subject. My purpose
in reintroducing this bill in an essen-
tially unmodified form is to provide a
vehicle for continued discussion. Mr.
Speaker, I welcome any comments on
the general goal of the best means to
develop an information policy and on
the particular approach outlined in
this bill. When we have gathered
those comments together, we will be
revising this bill and proposing other
legislation as necessary and appropri-
ate.
I would like to include here an ex-
cerpt from the subcommittee's recom-
mendations following the hearings on
H.R. 3137. These recommendations
demonstrate the increasing need for
an information policy as we advance
into the "information age."
RECOMMENDATIONS ON H.R. 3137
the importance which our competitors now
ascribe to their information industries and
to the development of widespread computer
literacy in their societies.
UNITED STATES RESPONSE TO THE INFORMATION
REVOLUTION
From the testimony received on H.R. 3137
and on the broader issues prompting its in-
troduction, it is clear that the Federal Gov-
ernment is having a difficult time develop-
ing a coherent strategic view of how our
transition to an information society should
take place. A consensus on the proper scope
of "national information policy" does not
yet exist in this country. The important
contribution of commercial and not-for-
profit enterprises, combined with the Gov-
ernment's inclination to defer to the mar-
ketplace in information activities, requires a
unique approach to policy development in
the United States. However, there appear to
be at least three major problems in the
present decentralized approach to informa-
tion issues:
1. Lack of coordination among agencies
charge with information responsibilities and
between the public and private sectors;
2. Inadequate attention at high levels to
the broad changes in many economic, tech-
nical and social sectors which may be trig-
gered by information technology; and
3. Lack of investment of human or finan-
cial resources to insure that our Nation
makes best use of new technological devel-
opments both domestically and in our com-
petitive trade position.
Responsibility for Federal research, devel-
opment, and policy activities concerned with
information is widely dispersed throughout
the Executive Branch, and there appears to
be no adequate mechanism for developing
and promoting an integrated approach. This
inadequacy is most obvious in the areas of
international information policymaking; sci-
entific and technical information (STD; and
the general question of public and private
sector interaction.
In each of these areas what appears to be
lacking is a systematic approach to informa-
tion technology and its uses which could as-
semble and focus the collective insights of
different agencies and the private sector.
and plug them into the policymaking proc-
ess. It is particularly difficult to provide ob-
The United States is probably unique
among developed nations in not having any
clearly designated Cabinet-level official with
primary responsibility for information and
communications issues. Given this situation.
it is essential that leadership in information
issues be forthcoming from the agencies and
individuals with statutory or designated re-
sponsibilities in these areas. The Congress
should make clear to high-level officials
with these responsibilities that it regards
the development and application of infor-
mation technology as an issue deserving
high priority.
(NOTE.-Excerpt from "Report Prepared by
the Congressional Research Service, Li-
brary of Congress, for the Subcommittee
on Science, Research and Technology.
Transmitted to the Committee on Science
and Technology, U.S. House of Repre-
sentatives. Ninety-seventh Congress.
Second Session. Serial DD. JUne 1982.")
The United States is continuing a rapid
transition from an economy based on indus-
trial production to one based increasingly
on information products and services. Infor-
mation and the ability to access it quickly
and reliably is becoming a vital source of po-
litical and economic power. The products of
microelectronics technology now permeate
virtually every aspect of commercial and in-
dustrial activity, and the importance of mi-
croelectronics is manifest not only in the
dollar value of information products and
services themselves, but also in the central
role played by information technology in in-
creasing productivity and promoting innova-
tion in other sectors of industry and com-
merce.
Important as these economic conse-
quences are, the impact of the Information
Revolution will also be felt in many ways
that are difficult to measure in dollars and
cents. Decisions about development and ap-
plications of information technology will
have a major influence on the pattern and
quality of American life for many years to
come.
RESOURCE LEVELS
Although the Subcommittee acknowl-
edges the need for budget stringency, it has
serious concern about underinvestment in
precisely those areas which have most
promise of yielding great future economic
returns. Information products and services
represent one of the fastest growing areas
of the United States economy, and our
future economic success and national secu-
rity depend heavily on the continuing devel-
opment and application of new microelec-
tronic technology. The long-term conse-
quences of deep budget cuts in this area, in-
cluding in particular the loss to key Govern-
ment agencies of highly skilled policy pro-
fessionals, will be to weaken our ability to
adapt and use the fruits of the Information
Revolution.
SUMMARY
Information and communications technol-
ogies are still in a rapid stage of develop-
ment, and this development will be a domi-
nant feature of the next decade. Ensuring
the efficient and humane use of this tech-
nology raises many difficult public policy
issues. Existing mechanisms appear to be in-
capable of generating and sustaining the
kind of government-private sector coopera-
tion that is essential to maintain United
States leadership in world information mar-
kets and to maximize the potential benefits
of microelectronics and communications
technologies. The Subcommittee believes
that rapid improvements are needed.
Mr. Speaker, there are several ways to ap-
proach the issues summarized above. The
"Information Science and Technology Act
of 1983" addresses these issues in the follow-
ing manner,
jective analyses of long-range concerns Information and communication technol-
under the present institutional and bureau- ogies are still in a stage of rapid develop-
cratic constraints within which agencies ment, and this development will be a domi-
deal with their various portions of informa- nant feature of the coming decade. The In-
tion policy. In the absence of a strong co- formation Science and Technology Act es-
ordinating mechanism, important decisions tablishes an Institute for Information
with great potential impact are sometimes Policy and Research, with a lifespan of 10
made with little or no involvement of years. This independent institute in the ex-
groups with relevant expertise. For exam- ecutive branch would be a transitional
ple, the recent landmark settlements made mechanism to facilitate our Nation's evolu-
by the Justice Department with AT&T and tion toward a society based increasingly on
with IBM were made with virtually no con- information products and services. This
tribution from the Federal information and mechanism would make possible cooperative
telecommunications policymaking appara- interests, and State and local governments,
tus. for the productive and humane use of infor-
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