U.S. lawmakers meet at Stanford for hearing on export controls

Stanford University will host a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, Jan. 15. The committee, chaired by Rep. Howard Berman, will hear expert testimony on the impact of U.S. export controls on the nation's national security and leadership in science and technology.

Stanford President John Hennessy will be the first witness and will deliver his testimony at 10:30 a.m. in the Fisher Center Room of the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, 326 Galvez St.

William C. Potter, director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and Karen Murphy, a senior director for semiconductor manufacturer Applied Materials, will also testify.

Rep. Berman (D-Calif.) plans to propose legislation this year to overhaul export controls regulating the international sale of goods and technologies that have legitimate civilian uses but also can be used militarily.

Hennessy is co-chair of the National Research Council's Committee on Science, Security and Prosperity, which issued a report last year saying the controls keep the United States and its allies from sharing access to military technology and make American businesses less competitive.

The controls discourage foreign defense contractors from buying American equipment and hamper international trade that could provide valuable information on the technical capabilities of foreign militaries, the report said.

The restrictions also provide a road map for foreign competitors, highlighting the specific technologies and products in which other countries should invest research dollars, according to the report.

Parking for the hearing will be on Galvez Field, at the corner of Galvez Street and Campus Drive. Directions can be found at: http://www.stanfordalumni.org/aboutsaa/alumni_center/directions.html

Editor Note:

Video by Stanford Video will be streamed live at: http://stanfordvideo.stanford.edu/stream/congressional.html

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