Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6093, the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2023. The Weather Act Reauthorization Act is sensible legislation that will strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasting capabilities and elevate the U.S. Weather Enterprise, greatly benefiting communities across the country.

As a former helicopter pilot in the Marine Corps, I know firsthand the consideration you must give to the weather before taking to the skies. Fog, high winds, turbulence, thunderstorms, ice, and snow are all routine weather occurrences that can impact commercial and recreational flights, as well as ground crew operations and maintenance tasks.

Additionally, I think every Member of Congress here and many of our constituents have experienced some type of flight delay or turbulence in the last 6 months, as weather volatility is a consistent threat to travel plans.

That is why I introduced H.R. 3915, the Aviation Weather Improvement Act, which has been included in this larger legislative package.

This bill will improve all aspects of aviation weather forecasting and prediction by authorizing the National Weather Service to acquire readily available commercial data and partner with the U.S. weather enterprise to deploy critical atmospheric sensors.

In addition to authorizing this public-private partnership on weather data, H.R. 3915 also has an explicit focus on improving turbulence forecasting and modeling.

The Aviation Weather Improvement Act codifies the inclusion of turbulence events or phenomena in the operation forecasting capabilities of the Aviation Weather Center. This will ensure that recreational and commercial pilots have a definitive and accurate source for turbulence information that can inform route-specific flight planning.

Put simply, my bill will lower the over 5,000 flights per year that encounter severe turbulence, as well as make a dent in the 30 percent of annual delays caused by weather.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Lucas, Ranking Member Lofgren, and my colleagues on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee for supporting the efforts of all the Members who contributed to this important Weather Act Reauthorization Act.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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