Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment to increase funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, to support its Integrated Ocean Acidification research and fulfill the administration's requested funding level of $30 million in fiscal year 2016.

The administration's requested funding increase for ocean acidification research reflects a growing consensus in the scientific community and in the coastal and fishing communities that so many of our colleagues and I represent. Ocean acidification is already affecting marine organisms and could irreversibly alter the marine environment and harm our coastal ecosystems.

On the West Coast alone, a $270 million shellfish industry has experienced disastrous oyster production failures and faced the risk of collapse in recent years because of changes in water condition that have been attributed to ocean acidification. This change in chemistry is caused by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolving into the ocean, and the increased acidity of the ocean is harming basic building blocks for life in the sea. This makes it more difficult for marine organisms to build their skeletons and shells, and it slows the formation of important ecosystem features like coral reefs. These changes can ripple through the food chain, disrupting delicate marine ecosystems and threatening major commercial fisheries.

In the Pacific Northwest, the combination of seasonal upwelling of acidic waters, low alkalinity, and increased anthropogenic carbon dioxide creates some of the most corrosive ocean conditions in the world.

In the last few years, Mr. Chairman, the scientific community has increasingly raised concerns about the ocean. Researchers at Oregon State University have been working with the fishing community in Oregon to determine the effects of acidification. They have been helping the shellfish hatcheries assess the oyster die-off and finding ways to mitigate the harmful upwelling events by monitoring the water entering their facilities. This exemplifies the kind of academic and industry partnerships that are possible when the Federal Government supports academic research.

NOAA's Integrated Ocean Acidification research program supports extramural research awards that fund studies on acidification in ocean, coastal, and estuary environments. Not only does this program support studies on the effects of acidification, it also allows NOAA to run the observing system that helps monitor areas of increased acidity.

These examples have focused on the effects in Oregon and on the West Coast, but our changing ocean conditions can have far-reaching implications for fisheries throughout the U.S., including the East Coast and Gulf shellfish industries. It also affects the people across the Nation who eat seafood and the stores and restaurants that sell it.

Mr. Chairman, it is clear that we need more information, which is why NOAA's Integrated Ocean Acidification research program must be fully funded. Unfortunately, this bill falls short of what the American people and our fishing communities deserve.

I urge support of the amendment, and reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned, I do plan to withdraw this amendment. I do want to emphasize the seriousness of this issue in addressing it. I do contend that the amount in this bill is inadequate. So I do look forward to working with the committee chairman, the ranking member, and the committee going forward to address this very important issue.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

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Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment to ensure the continuity of NOAA's polar satellite program by restoring its funding. There are many important priorities in this bill, but the technical nature of this satellite program and its value to our Nation are being overlooked.

The importance of these satellites and the need to maintain the information they collect is not daily news, but the accurate, timely data the satellites provide to our weather forecasters is crucial. This data is needed not only in severe weather scenarios, but also for the wide-ranging accessibility to everyone in our Nation, from those who hear a weather forecast on the local news to the millions across the Nation who open up an app on their phones.

Weather is important. It affects everything from our commute to the food on our table. In fact, a 2009 study from the American Meteorological Society stated that U.S. weather forecasts generate $31.5 billion in benefits for $5.1 billion in cost.

Unfortunately, past trouble and mismanagement in the polar satellite program means that a gap in coverage within the next decade is possible, with the worst-case scenario being a gap lasting more than 5 years. Any loss of coverage from the polar satellites would have serious consequences on the accuracy and timeliness of our weather forecasts, warnings, and the capabilities of the National Weather Service.

Thankfully, NOAA and NASA have worked very hard to get the polar satellite program back on track. Unfortunately, the bill we are considering today has the potential to undermine that progress. The President's fiscal year 2016 budget request included $380 million for a polar follow-on program. This important program will minimize the risk of a gap in polar weather data and address a recommendation from various independent groups, including the Government Accountability Office, regarding the need to develop a robust satellite program, a program that can withstand a launch failure.

By not funding the polar follow-on program in 2016, the continuity for the polar weather mission is put at risk and the Nation will be exposed to the vulnerabilities and impacts of a potential gap.

Mr. Chairman, working families in my district and across the country are balancing enough already. They need to rely on accurate and timely forecasts, not worry about a gap or where the weather data comes from. We need this program to continue so we do not lose the gains we have made. Americans deserve to have access to the best available scientific data.

Mr. Chairman, unfortunately, the funding levels in this bill are stretched so thin that it is impossible for me to find more than $300 million to provide an offset. So I do ask the subcommittee chairman and ranking member to work with me on ways that we can find to preserve and maintain this essential program.

At this time, Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.

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