House Passes the Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2014
Washington, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2413, the Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2014. The bill passed under a suspension of the rules and had strong bipartisan support from members of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
H.R. 2413 helps restore American leadership in weather forecasting and prediction. The bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to prioritize weather-related activities for the protection of lives and property. This includes better coordination between NOAA’s research and forecasting operations. In addition, NOAA is directed to develop plans to regain and maintain American competitiveness in weather forecasting.
Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) of the Subcommittee on Environment said in her floor statement, “The bill before us today is designed to improve public safety, enhance the American economy, and transform the innovation culture at NOAA. I am confident that its passage will improve weather forecasting and tangibly benefit our constituents. I can assure Members on my side of the aisle that weather research is strengthened in this bill, but not at the expense of other important work at NOAA.
“During the committee process we heard from witness after witness who stressed that weather forecasting involves many different scientific disciplines, and this integrated, multi-disciplinary approach reflects an understanding that we cannot choose to strengthen one area of research at the Office of Oceans and Atmospheric Research (OAR) without endangering the progress in the other areas because they are all interconnected. Physical and chemical laws do not respect OAR’s budgeting boundaries of climate, weather, and oceans and this bill only addresses organizational issues in weather at NOAA.”
She concluded her statement saying, “I want to make clear that this is a reprioritization of how the Office of Oceans and Atmospheric Research lays out its own weather research efforts. The key reprioritization puts a clear process in place that ties the needs of forecasters at the National Weather Service to the research initiatives at OAR. I’m glad my colleagues have worked on this important bill. This legislation will make real and measurable improvements in weather research and weather forecasting and I urge my colleagues to support this effort.”
The bill was introduced by Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) and is co-sponsored by Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA), Rep. Kerry Bentivolio (R-MI), Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY), Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), Rep. David Roe (R-TN), Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT), Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), and Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL).
The above text was released from Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici’s Official Office on 4/2/2014
