Obama should ease security on science, panel says

"Many of the most important technologies for continued military superiority originate in the commercial sector rather than in the military sector. Furthermore, such technological capabilities increasingly arise from scientific and engineering research taking place around the world, not just in the United States."

For example, the United States no longer dominates fields such as semiconductor manufacturing, it said.

In controlling exports, openness should be the default, with restrictions needing a clear argument, the panel advised.

Visa applicants with scientific or technology qualifications should get an answer within 30 days, the panel suggested.

House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon, a Tennessee Democrat, said the report represented a 'serious attempt" and said his committee would examine it closely over the coming months.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Eric Walsh)