[Senate Hearing 117-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2022
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U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES
[Clerk's Note.--The subcommittee was unable to hold
hearings on nondepartmental witnesses. The statements and
letters of those submitting written testimony are as follows:]
Prepared Statement of the American Bar Association
April 1, 2021
The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen, The Honorable Jerry Moran,
Chair Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Subcommittee on Commerce,
Science, and Related Agencies Justice, Science, and
Committee on Appropriations Related Agencies
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
Washington, DC 20510 United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Matt Cartwright, The Honorable Robert
Chair Aderholt,
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Ranking Member
Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Commerce,
Committee on Appropriations Justice, Science, and
United States House of Representatives Related Agencies
Washington, DC 20515 Committee on Appropriations
United States House of
Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Re: Funding for Tribal Courts to Ensure Access to Justice Following the
U.S. Supreme Court Decision in McGirt v Oklahoma
Dear Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, Chair Cartwright, and Ranking
Member Aderholt:
On behalf of the American Bar Association (ABA), the largest
voluntary association of lawyers and legal professionals in the world,
I write to express our concerns over inadequate funding of Tribal
criminal justice that has contributed to staggering rates of violent
crime and victimization on many Indian reservations. This is not a new
problem.
The underfunding of the Tribal justice systems has been well-
documented in report after report for over two decades.\1\ Most
recently, in 2020, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) submitted a
Report to Congress on Spending, Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs
for Public Safety and Justice Programs in Indian Country estimating
that $1.2 billion was needed for Tribal courts to provide a minimum
base level of service to all federally recognized Tribal nations in
2018. A recent Supreme Court decision leaves no doubt that even this
level of funding, which was never achieved, will not be sufficient to
meet current needs.
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\1\ U.S. Civil Rights Commission 1991 Report The Indian Civil
Rights Act: A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights;
the U. S. Civil Rights Commission 2003 Report A Quiet Crisis: Federal
Funding and Unmet Needs in Indian Country; the Indian Law and Order
Commission 2013 report A Roadmap for Making Native America Safer:
Report to the President & Congress of the United States; the U.S.
Department of Justice, Attorney General's Advisory Committee on
American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence 2014 Report
Ending Violence So Children Can Thrive; and the U. S. Civil Rights
Commission 2018 report Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding
Shortfall for Native Americans.
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In July 2020, the United States Supreme Court recognized the
inherent Tribal jurisdiction over Native American sovereign lands in
Oklahoma. In its decision in McGirt v Oklahoma, the Court recognized
that simply because a State encroaches onto sovereign Indian Lands,
that does not give the State authority to exercise jurisdiction to
prosecute State law crimes in contravention of treaty provisions.
As a result, Tribal and Federal courts and law enforcement must now
devote substantial resources to criminal cases that had been heard in
State court prior to the decision in McGirt. On March 11, 2021, the
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals confirmed that both the Cherokee
Nation and Chickasaw Nation reservations are intact based on McGirt,
and the State courts within each of the reservation counties have
started releasing defendants to be retried before Tribal and or Federal
courts. (The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has not yet ruled on
cases involving the Seminole Nation and the Choctaw Nation.)
Consequently, several thousand cases will now be redirected to Tribal
courts in Oklahoma, creating an even greater need for funding to ensure
adequate numbers of judges, support staff, facilities, and equipment to
address these long overdue proceedings. The need will, of course, be
much greater if McGirt impacts treaties outside of Oklahoma.
The American Bar Association has long affirmed that Tribal justice
systems are the primary and most appropriate institutions for
maintaining order in Tribal communities. We have repeatedly urged the
United States Government ``to support quality and accessible justice by
ensuring adequate, stable, long-term funding for Tribal justice
systems''.\2\ Despite urgent pleas by Tribes, Tribal courts, and
concerned organizations representing myriad disciplines for the U.S.
Government to appropriate the funds that are needed to provide the more
than 350 Tribal justice systems with the resources they need to do this
important work, there is a critical funding shortfall that needs to be
recognized and rectified as we enter the fiscal year 2022 budget cycle.
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\2\ The ABA has adopted extensive policy supporting Tribal court
funding, accessible at: https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/
administrative/crsj/native-american-concerns.pdf.
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We appreciate the recent attention given to the needs of Native
Americans in the COVID 19 relief bill. However, the funds included in
that legislation do not begin to address the funding needed to support
the specific responsibilities of Tribal Courts. The funding of Tribal
Courts is an area of long-standing neglect and requires immediate
attention.
Therefore, we urge you to address this important funding priority
this year and we stand ready to assist you in whatever way we can.
[This statement was submitted by Patricia Lee Refo, President.]
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Prepared Statement of the American Educational Research Association
fiscal year 2022 appropriations for the national science foundation:
education and human resources and social, behavioral and economic
sciences directorates and u.s. census bureau
Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony
on behalf of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). I
want to begin by recognizing your longstanding support for the National
Science Foundation and thank you and your staff for your strong
commitment to maintaining agency flexibility in funding cutting edge
science. AERA recommends that the National Science Foundation (NSF)
receive at least $10 billion in fiscal year 2022. This recommendation
is consistent with that of the Coalition for National Science Funding
(CNSF), in which AERA is a long-term active member. Furthermore, this
request aligns with the Biden administration's request and the dear
colleague letter led by Senator Markey. AERA also recommends $2 billion
for the Census Bureau, consistent with the recommendation of The Census
Project.
AERA is the major national scientific association of 25,000
faculty, researchers, graduate students, and other distinguished
professionals dedicated to advancing knowledge about education,
encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education, and promoting the
use of research to serve public good. Many of our members are engaged
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education
research. Our members work in a range of settings from universities and
other academic institutions to research institutes, Federal and State
agencies, school systems, testing companies, and nonprofit
organizations engaged in conducting research in all areas of education
and learning from early childhood through the workforce.
Given the expertise of the AERA membership, my testimony will focus
on the importance of the Education and Human Resources (EHR) and the
Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) Sciences Directorates at NSF. In
addition, many of our members depend on an accurate Census count and
data from the American Community Survey to do their work.
national science foundation
The Federal investment in research and scientific knowledge at NSF
has led to innovation and discoveries that are applied in our daily
lives. We appreciate the bipartisan interest in maintaining U.S.
leadership and global partnerships in basic research through the
Federal investments made in NSF.
The EHR and SBE Directorates are central to the mission of the NSF
to advance fundamental knowledge and scientific breakthroughs and to
ensure significant continuing advances across science, engineering, and
education. EHR support is vital to research discoveries, capacity
building, and methodological innovations directly related to STEM
education and learning from early education through workforce
development. Research and science supported by the EHR and SBE
Directorates are also inextricably linked to the science and research
of the other directorates (for example, Computer and Information
Science and Engineering).
Furthermore, the EHR and SBE directorates are vital not just to
producing essential knowledge but also to harnessing that knowledge to
enhance productivity, innovation, safety, security, and social economic
well-being. I also wish to highlight the National Science Board Vision
2030, which calls for expanding the STEM talent pool. Ongoing NSF
initiatives to broaden participation through programs such as NSF
INCLUDES in EHR and the Build and Broaden program within SBE are
examples to increase the diversity of the STEM educator and research
workforce.
As indicated in the agency's budget request for fiscal year 2022,
95 percent of appropriated funds directly supported research and
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education
through grants and cooperative agreements in fiscal year 2020, with 80
percent of funding supporting research at colleges and universities. In
addition, more than 118,000 K-12 students and 40,000 K-12 teachers
benefitted from programs that directly engage them in STEM experiences
within and outside the classroom.
Education and Human Resources Directorate
The EHR Directorate at NSF is responsible for providing the
research foundation necessary to achieve excellence in U.S. STEM
education. EHR accomplishes this goal by supporting the development of
a scientifically-literate citizenry as well as a STEM-skilled
workforce. Advances in the industries of the future, including
artificial intelligence and quantum information science, require
building interest and engagement in STEM throughout the lifespan.
The EHR Directorate commitment to invest in fundamental research
related to STEM across all education levels and to promote evidence-
based innovations in teaching practices, instructional tools, and
programs is essential to advancing STEM education and preparing the
next generation of STEM professionals. EHR funded researchers are
asking key questions, for example, about how to spark students'
interest in math and science and keep them engaged, or about why so
many students lose interest and confidence and about what can be done
to keep them engaged. Understanding these and many other questions will
help the United States build a well-educated and technology-literate
workforce necessary for a prosperous economic future.
Key to advancing STEM education research is the EHR Core Research
(ECR) program, an important resource to the field that builds
fundamental knowledge and capacity to understand STEM teaching and
learning and develop the STEM educator and workforce pipeline. ECR
grants have supported critical work in equity, inclusion, and ethics in
postsecondary academic workplaces and the academic profession, as well
as research to improve STEM teaching and learning for students with
disabilities. We also applaud NSF in investing in midscale research
infrastructure, serving as a potential resource for addressing key
needs that include building data infrastructure capacity, constructing
networked learning laboratories, and developing innovative diagnostic
assessment tools.
As the Nation continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19
pandemic, research supported by EHR will be critical to fostering STEM
learning in formal and informal settings. Through the RAPID program,
EHR provided grants to education researchers to inform remote
instruction, develop STEM curriculum that incorporated the COVID-19
pandemic to understand scientific principles, and provide insight into
issues of equity in STEM education. Additional survey work and research
supported through RAPID funding highlighted how the pandemic affected
undergraduate and graduate students, including their engagement and
interest in STEM and their satisfaction with online STEM coursework.
Increased investment in EHR is critical to support research to
inform an educational system that will continue to incorporate
technology inside and outside the STEM classroom and labs. In addition,
the EHR Directorate's focus on developing our Nation's scientific
workforce requires resources to ensure that early career scholars and
graduate students who have experienced unanticipated disruptions to
their scientific careers during the pandemic remain in the STEM talent
pipeline. Some examples include material support to emerging scholars
(both salary and ``soft support''), mechanisms to connect and build
communities among scholars, and focus on mentoring.
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate
In addition to the significant investments in education sciences
provided by EHR, AERA values the important role the SBE Directorate in
funding important education research and in social, family, and peer
contexts connected to learning. The SBE Directorate also houses the
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES).
The SBE Directorate supports research to better understand people
and reveals basic aspects of human behavior in the context of education
and learning. SBE funded research adds fundamental knowledge essential
to promoting the Nation's economy, security, and global leadership.
Understanding social organizations and how social, economic, and
cultural forces influence the lives of students is important to
improving teaching and learning and advancing STEM education.
The budget for SBE is 4 percent of the budget for Research and
Related Activities, yet it provides approximately 62 percent of the
Federal funding for basic research in the social, behavioral, and
economic sciences at academic institutions.
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES)
In addition, AERA has a strong interest in the National Center for
Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) located in the SBE
Directorate. As one of the Federal principal statistical agencies,
NCSES provides invaluable statistical information about the science and
engineering infrastructure and workforce in the U.S. and around the
world. NCSES collects and analyzes data on the progress of STEM
education and the research and development, providing valuable
information on the trajectories of STEM graduates both in STEM and non-
STEM careers.
Additional resources in funding and staffing in fiscal year 2022
for NCSES would support critical activities to develop new data
techniques building on administrative data and to enhance data tools
and visualizations to facilitate access to statistical resources. These
methodological advances will be necessary for NCSES to implement the
Foundations for Evidence-based Policymaking Act and to build the NSF
data infrastructure to securely link its survey data with
administrative data in other Federal agencies.
NCSES will also play a pivotal role in supporting the overall NSF
priority to bring the ``Missing Millions'' from traditionally
underrepresented populations into the STEM pipeline. Expanding NCSES
surveys and incorporating information on inclusion--including data on
the participations of LGBTQ+ populations, persons with diverse
(dis)abilities, and other demographic attributes-can help NSF, other
science agencies and institutions, and fields of science understand
disparities in STEM and inform broadening participation initiatives.
census bureau
I also wish to emphasize the importance of adequate support for the
Census Bureau, especially critical in the tabulation of data from the
2020 Decennial Census and in maintaining important survey collections.
AERA recommends funding the Census Bureau at $2 billion in fiscal year
2022.
We appreciated the inclusion of a robust investment in fiscal year
2021 to ensure that the Census Bureau had the needed resources to
conduct the 2020 Decennial Census. The requested amount of $2 billion
for fiscal year 2022 will provide the agency with needed resources to
process and finalize the enumeration and related activities for the
2020 Census, which experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In
addition, this amount of funding will provide resources for planning
for the 2030 Decennial Census and continue the administration of the
Household Pulse Survey, which has provided valuable, real-time data to
inform the COVID-19 response. The recommended funding support will also
allow the Census Bureau to continue to conduct the American Community
Survey and the Current Population Survey.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony in
support of at least $10 billion for the National Science Foundation and
$2 billion for the Census Bureau in fiscal year 2022 appropriations.
AERA would welcome the opportunity to work with you and your
subcommittee to best further the crucial advances of the National
Science Foundation and the important data provided by the Census
Bureau. Please do not hesitate to contact me if AERA can provide
additional information regarding this recommendation or the significant
science made possible through the support of these agencies.
[This statement was submitted by Felice J. Levine, PhD, Executive
Director.]
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Prepared Statement of the American Geophysical Union
fiscal year 2022 budget requests for the national aeronautics & space
administration, national oceanic & atmospheric administration, and
national science foundation
The American Geophysical Union (AGU), a non-profit, non-partisan
scientific society, appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony
regarding the fiscal year 2022 budget request for the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Science Foundation
(NSF). AGU, on behalf of its community of 130,000 Earth and space
scientists, respectfully requests that the 117th Congress appropriate
the following:
--$9 billion for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD),
--$150 million for NASA's Office of STEM Engagement,
--at least $6.9 billion for NOAA, and
--at least $10 billion for NSF.
AGU's appropriations requests for each respective agency take into
consideration any previous budget cuts and is driven by the need for
significant investment in Federal research and development to ensure
that the U.S. remains at the forefront of research and innovation.\1\
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\1\ The Perils of Complacency, American Academy of Arts and
Sciences, September 2020, https://www.amacad.org/sites/default/files/
publication/downloads/Perils-of-Complacency_Report-Brief_4.pdf
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national aeronautics & space administration
AGU requests that Congress appropriate $9 billion for NASA's
Science Mission Directorate (a 23 percent increase over fiscal year
2021 levels) and $150 million for NASA's Office of STEM Engagement (an
18 percent increase over fiscal year 2021 levels). This request will
allow NASA to remain on track to steadily advance existing and new
missions, provide unique opportunities for the next generation of STEM
professionals and ensure that the U.S. maintains its global leadership
in the Earth and space sciences.
Additionally, we request that Congress appropriate equitable
funding increases across the science mission divisions within NASA's
Science Mission Directorate.
Earth Science and Planetary Science Divisions
Over the last 5 years, billion-dollar disasters have cost the
United States more than $600 billion and this trend is projected to
worsen.\2\ It is critical that we increase our investments in NASA's
Earth Science Division to better understand how Earth's weather and
climate is changing on daily and long-term scales. Additionally, NASA
Earth Science produces critical information and data that public and
private sector decision-makers use to mitigate the resulting risks and
understand the opportunities.
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\2\ NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S.
Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2021). https://
www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73
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The missions and discoveries of the Planetary Science Division
inspire future generations of scientists and STEM professionals to
choose science as a career. Robust funding for Planetary Science will
allow NASA to pursue human space exploration of the Moon and Mars
without sacrificing other decadal priorities, such as a balanced
portfolio of missions and other exploration targets in our solar
system.
Earth and planetary sciences are complementary and integrally
related to one another. From picking the perfect day to launch a
satellite to ensuring that our understanding of other planets is
accurate, our knowledge of Earth informs our understanding of other
worlds in the solar system. In turn, our exploration of other worlds
advances our knowledge of Earth's evolution and processes.
Heliophysics Division
Increased funding for Heliophysics will support the continuation of
the Diversify, Realize, Integrate, Venture, Educate (DRIVE) initiative.
DRIVE's focus includes enabling novel technologies such as advanced
computational tools, creating DRIVE Science Centers across the country,
and supporting the work of early career investigators. Increased
Heliophysics funding will also advance innovation to address space
weather, including observational and computational capabilities, as
well as research-to-operations and operations-to-research efforts. A
better understanding of space weather will benefit our space- and
ground-based national security assets and safeguard human health
against radiation during long-duration deep space exploration
activities.
Office of STEM Engagement
As our country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must ensure
that our educational institutions also survive. As such, it is critical
that we invest in programs such as NASA's efforts to re-engage and
support students interested in STEM. Increased funding for NASA STEM
programs, including Space Grant, Minority University Research and
Education Project (MUREP), and Established Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research (EPSCoR), will directly benefit every State in the
Nation by providing additional opportunities for STEM students of all
ages.
national oceanic & atmospheric administration
AGU requests that Congress appropriate at least $6.9 billion for
NOAA in fiscal year 2022 (29 percent increase over fiscal year 2021
levels). From weather forecasts to fisheries data, to groundbreaking
research about the world around us, NOAA provides critical data,
products and services that are essential to our Nation's economic
stability and directly benefit the American public, planners, emergency
managers, and other decision makers. However, NOAA has been severely
underfunded in previous spending bills and proposals. Since fiscal year
2018, NOAA's funding has been cut by nearly seven percent.
From large corporations to small businesses, the decision-based
forecasts provided by NOAA save vital time, money, and resources. Just
last year, nearly half of the record 30 named tropical storms during
the Atlantic hurricane season made landfall-of which seven produced at
least $1 billion each in damages.\3\
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\3\ NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.
Calculating the cost of weather and climate disasters. https://
www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/calculating-cost-weather-and-climate-
disasters
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NOAA science also plays a critical role in informing the world
about changes in the climate system, as well as the effectiveness of
certain mitigation strategies. For example, agricultural production can
be boosted by an estimated $300 million annually with improved El Nino
forecasts.\4\ However, NOAA is struggling to meet the increasing demand
for climate data.\5\ Significantly investing in climate research and
filling the consistent gaps in NOAA's workforce are both critical to
help the agency meet this need. Without robust funding at NOAA, we risk
losing the data needed to make informed and proactive decisions, and
our National and economic security will be left in a dangerously
vulnerable position.
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\4\ NOAA's Climate Program Office. https://cpo.noaa.gov/Our-Work/
Success-Stories
\5\ Remarks from NOAA officials during House Committee on
Appropriations hearing (15 April 2021). https://
appropriations.house.gov/events/hearings/increasing-risks-of-climate-
change-and-noaas-role-in-providing-climate-services
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national science foundation
AGU requests that Congress appropriate at least $10 billion for NSF
in fiscal year 2022 (an approximately 18 percent increase over fiscal
year 2021 levels). Ambitious and robust funding for NSF is critical if
the U.S. hopes to maintain its leadership in science and technology and
reap the economic and national security benefits of that leadership.
As an example of the benefits of NSF investments, throughout the
fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, we have reaped the benefits of
decades of NSF investment in additive manufacturing and 3-D printing,
which have enabled the scale up of PPE production, the understanding of
the ecological transmission of zoonotic diseases, and supercomputing to
better track the spread of the pandemic.
However, the pandemic also highlighted the need to increase future
investments in NSF, especially for STEM programs and systems and
convergent science to ensure greater understanding of and resilience to
pressing societal issues, including climate change, which present
extremely challenging and complex scientific questions.
In STEM, of particular need of support are K-12 education,
including furthering our understanding of online teaching
effectiveness, and programs for graduate students and early career
students who can too easily fall out of the STEM pipeline at a time
when our country needs future innovators. Increased funding for NSF is
also needed to expand STEM opportunities and capacity evenly throughout
our country, from urban and rural communities to Tribal colleges and
universities and minority-serving institutions. To remain competitive,
we must develop a more diverse and inclusive STEM workforce that will
ask novel questions that will power the science and innovations that
shape our future.
conclusion
At a time when our Nation is recovering and has many pressing
priorities that need to be addressed, the future of the U.S. will be
strengthened by strong and sustained investments in the full scope of
our research enterprise--particularly the science and education
programs within NASA, NOAA, and NSF. AGU appreciates the subcommittee's
leadership in these areas, as well as the opportunity to submit this
testimony. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of our requests.
[This statement was submitted by Brittany Webster, Program Manager,
Science Policy & Government Relations and Michael Villafranca, Senior
Specialist, Science Policy & Government Relations.]
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Prepared Statement of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium
On behalf of the Nation's Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs),
which are the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), we
are pleased to present our fiscal year 2022 recommendations regarding
the National Science Foundation's TCU Program (NSF-TCUP), Louis Stokes
Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration's Minority University Research and
Education Project (NASA-MUREP). We respectfully recommend the following
funding levels:
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Education and Human Resources Directorate (EHR):
--Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP): TCUs urge the
subcommittee to fund competitively awarded NSF-TCUP grants at a
minimum of $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2022.
--Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP): TCUs urge
the subcommittee to support the NSF-LSAMP program with an added
emphasis for American Indian, Alaska Native, and TCU students.
--TCUs support President Biden's $100 million request to advance
racial equity in science and engineering.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
--NASA Headquarters, Office of Education--Minority University
Research and Education Project (MUREP): TCUs urge the
subcommittee to expand the NASA MUREP program with robust
funding and establish a TCU-specific program within MUREP at
$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2022
--TCUs support President Biden's $20 million request to expand
initiatives to attract and retain underserved and
underrepresented students in engineering and other STEM fields.
Tribal Colleges and Universities: Raising and Training the Nation's
Native STEM Workforce
TCUs are an essential component of American Indian and Alaska
Native STEM education, research, and workforce. Currently, 37 TCUs
operate more than 75 campuses and sites in 16 States. TCU geographic
boundaries encompass 80 percent of American Indian reservations and
Federal Indian trust lands. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN)
TCU students represent more than 230 federally recognized Tribes and
hail from more than 30 States. Nearly 80 percent receive Federal
financial aid and more than half are first generation students. In
total, TCUs serve more than 160,000 AI/ANs and other rural residents
each year through a wide variety of academic and community-based
programs. TCUs are public institutions accredited by independent,
regional accreditation agencies and, like all U.S. institutions of
higher education, must regularly undergo stringent performance reviews
to retain their accreditation status.
The Federal Government, despite its direct trust responsibility and
binding treaty obligations, has never fully funded TCU institutional
operations as authorized under Federal law. Yet despite funding
challenges, TCUs are responding to the STEM workforce needs across the
country. In fall 2020, 1,733 TCU students were enrolled in one of 191
STEM program at TCUs. TCUs have established programs in high-demand
fields: 11 TCUs offer pre-engineering programs, two TCU offers
bachelor's degrees in industrial and electrical engineering, five TCUs
offer STEM teacher education programs, and 14 TCUs offer nursing
programs. These efforts are preparing AI/AN nurses, engineers, and
science and math teachers who contribute to a robust pipeline of STEM
professionals in Indian Country. TCUs also train professionals in other
high-demand STEM fields, including agriculture, information technology,
and natural resource management.
TCUs know that to break the cycle of generational poverty and end
the culture of dependency that grips much of Indian Country, TCUs must
bring industry partners and STEM jobs to Indian Country. TCUs and
Tribes must promote new Native-owned and operated STEM-based
businesses, create public-private partnerships, and build a culture of
self-sufficiency and innovation. NSF and NASA funding is essential in
supporting this effort to promote STEM-enabled economic development in
Indian Country and throughout rural America.
Each of the following Federal grant programs has invested in the
development of STEM-centered instruction, research, and job creation
across Indian country.
national science foundation (nsf)
Education and Human Resources Directorate (EHR)--Tribal Colleges
and Universities Program (TCUP): TCUs urge the subcommittee to fund
competitively awarded NSF-TCUP grants at a minimum of $20,000,000. The
NSF-TCUP, administered by the NSF Education and Human Resources
Directorate, is a competitive grant program that enables TCUs and
Alaska Native Serving/Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (AN/NHs) to
develop and expand critically needed STEM education and research
programs relevant to their indigenous communities.
Since the program began in 2001, NSF-TCUP has become the primary
Federal program for building STEM programmatic and research capacity at
TCUs. For example, NSF-TCUP funding supported Navajo Technical
University (Crownpoint, NM) in the development of its electrical and
industrial engineering programs, which received accreditation from the
Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) in 2018. This
marks a significant milestone, with NTU leading the way as the first
TCU to receive ABET accreditation.
There are many success stories at the TCUs. In 2014, Cankdeska
Cikana Community College, Sitting Bull College, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish
College, and Turtle Mountain Community College established an
engineering education partnership with North Dakota State University
(NDSU) through funding from NSF TCUP's Pre-engineering Education
Collaborative (PEEC). The TCUs and NDSU developed a formal curriculum
and support system for students to obtain a bachelor's degree in
engineering, beginning with pre-engineering coursework offered
collaboratively by TCU and NDSU engineering faculty; then students
transition to NDSU to complete their bachelor's degree. The first
graduate of the program, Ryan Brown, was a pre-engineering student at
CCCC who went on to earn his bachelor of science degree in civil
engineering at NDSU in 2018. Brown returned to the Spirit Lake
Reservation and currently serves as a project manager for the Spirit
Lake Tribal Planning Department.
Growing up in rural Montana, Cody Natoni Sifford (Dine) \1\ pursued
a degree in environmental science at Salish Kootenai College (SKC)
(Pablo, MT), participating in several internships with Federal
agencies, and completing a master's degree in forest resources at the
University of Washington Seattle. Sifford has since returned to Montana
to serve as an adjunct professor at SKC and work as a geographic
information systems analyst for the Confederated Tribes of Salish and
Kootenai forest department.
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\1\ Cody Natoni Sifford, Winds of Change, American Indian Science
and Engineering Society, April 2017. https://woc.aises.org/content/
cody-natoni-sifford-navajo-confederated-Tribes-salish-and-kootenai-
geographic-information
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These success stories notwithstanding, AI/AN students are
disadvantaged from pursuing STEM-centered career from an early age. AI/
AN youth have the highest high school drop-out rate of any ethnic or
racial group in the country. Those who do pursue postsecondary
education often require developmental classes before taking on a full
load of college-level courses. Placement tests administered at TCUs to
first-time entering students in academic year 2018-19 showed that 36
percent required remedial math. Our data indicates that while 51
percent will successfully complete the course, many will take more than
1 year to do so.
Through NSF-TCUP grants, TCUs and AN/NHs are actively working to
address this problem by developing strong partnerships with their K-12
feeder schools to engage students in culturally appropriate STEM
education and outreach programs. Salish Kootenai College, located on
the Flathead Indian Reservation, created a 2-year STEM Academy to
prepare junior and senior high school students for college.
Participating high school students engage in collaborative work with
STEM researchers, conduct culturally relevant research, and take
courses to earn college credit.
TCUs use NSF-TCUP funding to provide students with valuable
research experience in STEM fields. Through these opportunities,
students conduct place-based research that serves their communities and
can have national and international impacts. At Northwest Indian
College (NWIC) (Bellingham, WA), students are conducting complex
research related to food security focused on salmon, shellfish, and
indigenous sea cucumbers. Through a partnership with Western Washington
University, NWIC graduates continue to pursue their academic and career
goals through WWU's master's degree programs. Aaniiih Nakoda College
(Harlem, MT) faculty and students monitor streams for contaminants and
are investigating West Nile virus vectors; and Sitting Bull College
(SBC) (Fort Yates, ND) has established a water quality monitoring
laboratory serving the Standing Rock Sioux and surrounding communities.
SBC studies show that students participating in the college's research
have retention rates that are double the rate of students who are not
engaged in research.
Even with its advances and successes, funding for the NSF-TCUP
program has been stagnant for years. Therefore, not all of the TCUs
have had an opportunity to benefit from this very important program. We
urge the subcommittee to expand the competitively awarded NSF-TCUP
grants at a minimum of $20,000,000.
Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP): TCUs urge
the subcommittee to support the NSF LSAMP program with an added
emphasis for American Indian, Alaska Native, and TCU students. In
FY2019, $46 million was appropriated for the LSAMP program to support
historically underrepresented students in STEM fields. However, only
one TCU was awarded direct funding under this program. The All Nations
LSAMP (ANLSAMP) program at Salish Kootenai College (Pablo, MT) has had
tremendous success in increasing AI/AN degree attainment in STEM
programs. Many small, underfunded TCU STEM programs consider ANLSAMP as
an important resource for expanding AI/AN student research
opportunities, sharing best practices, and student support. ANLSAMP
scholars receive financial support for conference travel, internship
opportunities, and research stipends, which would otherwise not be
possible. Through the combined efforts of the 23 TCUs and 11 mainstream
institutions, more than 2,000 AI/ANs and under-resourced minority
students have graduated with bachelor's degrees in STEM. Additionally,
a recent survey revealed that more than 80 percent of ANLSAMP
participants contacted had either graduated with a STEM major or
bridged to an advanced degree program. Unfortunately, since the
creation of the LSAMP program in 1991, NSF has neglected to prioritize
AI/AN-serving programs, such as ANLSAMP, which are critically needed to
support STEM degree attainment in Indian Country.
In 2018, after several years of no funding for a TCU-led grant
proposal, $1 million was awarded through an LSAMP grant and supplement
to support TCU students over the next 5 years. However, it is alarming
that less than one percent of the total $46 million was awarded to TCUs
in FY2019. ($200,000 was provided in new funding, as a grant
supplement, to TCUs in FY2019.) We ask that the subcommittee
specifically urge NSF to strengthen support for AI/AN students through
the LSAMP grant program.
national aeronautics and space administration (nasa)
Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP): TCUs
urge the subcommittee to expand the NASA MUREP program with robust
funding and support a TCU specific program within MUREP at $5,000,000
for fiscal year 2022. Under its current design, MUREP provides a range
of competitive awards to Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other Minority Serving
Institutions to recruit and retain underrepresented students in STEM
fields. Due to the competitive aspect of current MUREP programs and
limited funding, TCUs only receive funding from two MUREP grants: MUREP
Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO) and MUREP for American Indian
and Alaska Native STEM Engagement (MAIANSE).
MUREP Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO)
In October 2019, under the MUREP MIRO program, Sitting Bull College
received $1 million to further develop curriculum for an environmental
science master's degree centered on air quality research on the
Standing Rock Reservation. SBC students and faculty work with NASA's
Langley Research Center, NASA's Godard Space Flight Center, and the
University of North Dakota to develop a regional research facility to
monitor air quality on the Standing Rock Reservation. In the same MUREP
MIRO award cycle, Navajo Technical University was selected to perform
critical research and produce parts through its advanced manufacturing
program for the Space Launch System at NASA's Marshall Space Flight
Center. NTU's contributions through advanced manufacturing research and
innovative parts production are advancing space exploration for the
entire Nation.
MUREP for American Indian and Alaska Native STEM Engagement (MAIANSE)
The MAIANSE program provides a unique opportunity for direct
collaboration between TCUs and NASA to engage students in NASA STEM
related activities. Despite its popularity and value, participation in
the MAIANSE program has been limited to three TCU projects each grant
cycles due to limited funding.
In order to support the past TCU investment, AIHEC supports
President Biden's budget request to increase the Office of STEM
engagement by $20 million and requests that the subcommittee expand the
NASA MUREP program through robust funding and support a Tribal College
and University-specific program within MUREP at $5,000,000 for fiscal
year 2022.
conclusion
Tribal Colleges and Universities provide access to high-quality,
culturally appropriate postsecondary education opportunities, including
STEM-focused programs, for thousands of AI/AN students. The modest
Federal investment in TCUs has paid great dividends in terms of
employment, education, and economic development. We ask you to renew
your commitment to help move our students and communities toward self-
sufficiency by full considering our fiscal year 2022 appropriations
requests. Thank you.
______
Prepared Statement of the American Institute of Biological Sciences
fiscal year 2022 funding for the national science foundation
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) appreciates
the opportunity to provide testimony in support of fiscal year 2022
appropriations for the National Science Foundation (NSF). We encourage
Congress to provide NSF with at least $10.2 billion in fiscal year
2022.
AIBS is a scientific association dedicated to promoting informed
decision-making that advances biological research and education for the
benefit of science and society. AIBS works to ensure that the public,
legislators, funders, and the community of biologists have access to
information that can guide informed decision-making.
Biological research is in our National interest. Increasing our
knowledge of how genes, cells, tissues, organisms, and ecosystems
function is vitally important to efforts to improve the human
condition. Food security, medicine and public health, national
security, economic growth, and sound environmental management are
informed by the biological sciences. The knowledge gained from NSF-
funded research contributes to the development of new research tools
and industries.
Biological research strengthens our economy. Research funding from
NSF powers the expansion of the bioeconomy and has given rise to
successful companies, such as Genentech, Ekso Bionics, and Ginkgo
BioWorks, as well as new industries that provide more robust food crops
or disease detection tools and techniques. The translation of
biological knowledge into formal and informal education programs foster
the development of the scientifically and technically skilled workforce
needed by employers. Data show that employers continue to seek workers
with scientific and technical skills. Science and engineering
employment in the United States has grown more rapidly than the
workforce overall and now represents 5 percent (or about 7 million) of
all U.S. jobs.
The cornerstone of NSF excellence is a competitive, merit-based
review system that underpins the highest standards of excellence.
Through its research programs, NSF invests in the development of new
knowledge and tools that solve the most challenging problems facing
society.
--Combating emerging diseases: NSF-funded research is playing crucial
role in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fundamental
research supported by NSF led to the development of critical
diagnostic tools and medical devices being used to combat the
outbreak. NSF supported the discovery of bacteria from thermal
pools at Yellowstone National Park that contain thermostable
enzymes that allow for the rapid copying of genetic material
through a process called Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). This
process was integral to manufacturing a widely used clinical
test for determining whether a patient has been infected with
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
--Mobilizing big data: Access to and analysis of vast amounts of data
are driving innovation. NSF enables integration of big data
across scientific disciplines, including applications in the
biological sciences. Digitization of biodiversity and natural
science collections involves multi-disciplinary teams, which
have put more than 125 million specimens and their associated
data online for use by researchers, educators, and the public.
--Enabling synthetic biology: DNA editing has become more advanced
and targeted with techniques such as CRISPR-CAS9 allowing
scientists to rewrite genetic code and redesign biological
systems. NSF funds research on how these techniques can be used
to bio-manufacture new materials, treat diseases, and
accelerate growth of the bioeconomy.
Other examples of research that have benefited the public are
chronicled in the AIBS report, ``Biological Innovation: Benefits of
Federal Investments in Biology,'' which is available at https://
www.aibs.org/assets/pages/policy/AIBS-Biological-
Innovation-Report.pdf.
The NSF is the primary Federal funding source for biological
research at our Nation's universities and colleges, providing 67
percent of extramural Federal support for non-medical, fundamental
biological and environmental research at academic institutions.
The NSF is also an important supporter of biological research
infrastructure, such as field stations, natural history museums, and
living stock collections. These place-based research centers enable
studies that take place over long periods of time and variable spatial
scales.
Scientific collections are an important component of our Nation's
research infrastructure. Recent reports have highlighted the value of
mobilizing biodiversity specimens and data in spurring new scientific
discoveries that grow our economy, improve our public health and
wellbeing, and increase our National security. In 2019, the
Biodiversity Collections Network released their report, Extending U.S.
Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education, outlining a
national agenda that leverages digital data in biodiversity collections
for new uses and calling for building an Extended Specimen Network. A
2020 report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and
Medicine (NASEM), Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research
and Education for the 21st Century, argued that collections are a
critical part of our Nation's science and innovation infrastructure and
a fundamental resource for understanding the natural world. Both
reports articulate a common vision of the future of biological
collections and define a need to broaden and deepen the collections and
associated data to realize the potential for biodiversity collections
to inform 21st century science. This endeavor requires robust
investments in our Nation's scientific collections, whether they are
owned by a Federal or State agency or are part of an educational
institution or free-standing natural history museum or another research
center. While most Federal agencies have a role to play in supporting
the development of the Extended Specimen Network, the NSF's leadership
through the Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections program
has positioned NSF to play a central role in the development of the
Extended Specimen Network.
The NSF supports recruitment and training of our next generation of
scientists. Support for undergraduate and graduate students is
critically important to our research enterprise. Students learn science
by doing science, and NSF programs engage students in the research
process. NSF awards reached 1,900 colleges, universities, and other
public and private institutions across the country in fiscal year 2020.
Initiatives such as the Graduate Research Fellowship and the Faculty
Early Career Development program are important parts of our National
effort to attract and retain the next generation of researchers. Since
1952, the number of students supported by NSF Graduate Research
Fellowships has grown to more than 60,000. In fiscal year 2020, nearly
313,000 people, including researchers, postdoctoral fellows, trainees,
teachers and students, were supported directly by NSF.
Unfortunately, Federal research and development investments are
shrinking as a share of the U.S. economy. The U.S. is still the largest
performer of research and development globally, but our share of
worldwide scientific activity has declined considerably over the past
20 years. Countries in East and Southeast Asia, especially China, have
been rapidly increasing their investments in science. In fact,
according to the National Science Board and the American Academy of
Arts and Sciences, China may have recently surpassed the U.S in
research and development spending. To remain at the global forefront of
innovation and to fully realize the benefits of NSF-supported research,
the government must make new and sustained investments in NSF.
Unpredictable swings in funding disrupt research programs, create
uncertainty in the research community, and stall the development of the
next great idea.
The President's budget request for fiscal year 2022 proposes a 20
percent boost to NSF. If enacted, this increase will allow for critical
Federal investments in scientific and educational research, as well as
support for the development of the scientific workforce. Such an
increase will also allow NSF to expand support for important new
initiatives, such as the ``LEAding cultural change through Professional
Societies (LEAPS) of Biology'' program, which aims to facilitate
cultural changes in the biological sciences to broaden participation
and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Providing the NSF with at least $10.2 billion in fiscal year 2022
is necessary in undoing the recent stagnant funding that slowed
American scientific discovery. The requested funding will grow and
sustain the U.S. bioeconomy and enable NSF to accelerate work on
important initiatives at the frontiers of science and engineering.
In addition to the appropriations process, Congress is currently
considering reauthorization legislation relevant to the scientific
community, including proposals to significantly expand the mission and
budget of the NSF. Increasing investments in translational research
will bolster U.S. global leadership and competitiveness in
innovation.We ask Congress to also make robust investments in basic and
foundational research.
We also urge Congress to pass additional funding for U.S.
researchers and science institutions to accelerate recovery from the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE)
Act (HR. 869 and S. 289) will help natural history museums, botanical
gardens, field stations, and other research institutions recover from
the pandemic. These institutions lost revenue due to reduced,
postponed, and canceled public programs, including formal and informal
science education programs. Most of these institutions are non-profits
and operate with budgets with limited capacity to absorb revenue losses
resulting from reduced public visitation. Pandemic related closures and
restrictions have also resulted in the loss of a field season for
outdoor research, leading to research disruptions and a year's worth of
critical data not being collected. Emergency relief funding proposed
under the RISE Act, which includes $3 billion for NSF, would support
U.S. researchers, including graduate students and postdoctoral
researchers, who have had research interrupted as a result of the
pandemic.
We encourage Congress to continue supporting increased investments
in our Nation's scientific capacity. Thank you for your thoughtful
consideration of this request and for your prior efforts on behalf of
science and the National Science Foundation.
[This statement was submitted by Jyotsna Pandey, Ph.D., Public
Policy Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of the American Mathematical Society
national science foundation
Founded in 1888, the American Mathematical Society (AMS) is
dedicated to advancing the interests of mathematical research and
scholarship and connecting the diverse global mathematical community.
We do this through our book and journal publications, meetings and
conferences, database of research publications \1\ that goes back to
the early 1800s, professional services, advocacy, and awareness
programs. The AMS has approximately 25,000 individual members worldwide
and supports mathematical scientists at every career stage.
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\1\ https://mathscinet.ams.org/mathscinet
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The AMS appreciates the opportunity to submit written testimony in
support of fiscal year 2022 appropriations for the National Science
Foundation (NSF).
We encourage Congress to provide the NSF with at least $10 billion
in fiscal year 2022.\2\
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\2\ This is the same amount supported by the Coalition for National
Science Funding.
The NSF accounts for the majority of Federal support done by Ph.D.
mathematicians at universities and colleges. In fiscal year 2018, 61
percent of support for academic research in mathematics came from the
Federal Government,\3\ and roughly half of that came from the NSF.\4\
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\3\ https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20202/academic-r-d-in-the-united-
States
\4\ The DOD contributes approximately 25 percent, and HHS 13
percent. Other agencies (including DOE, USDA, NASA) contribute the
remaining funds.
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Investments in research, including the departments and programs in
the CJS bill, lead to innovations and new technologies that improve our
health, grow our economy, and enhance our quality of life. The U.S. was
once the uncontested leader in science and technology, but has seen our
advantage erode as other nations have dramatically increased their
investments in research. In particular, China has continued to
dramatically increase its investments in science and technology, which
have grown by 17.3 percent annually between 2010 and 2017.\5\ During
this same period, the U.S. investment has averaged a 4.3 percent
increase annually.
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\5\ Research and Development: U.S. Trends and International
Comparisons. Science and Engineering Indicators, National Science
Board, January 2020.
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The NSF is an efficient agency--almost 95 percent of its
appropriated funds go out the door in grants and awards to support
research projects, facilities and STEM education. NSF will continue to
make strategic investments in basic research, the STEM workforce, and
research infrastructure that will advance the Nation's global
competitiveness economically and scientifically. A significant increase
in congressional appropriations would help address the effects of years
of high-quality grant proposals that go unfunded due to lack of
sufficient funding. Those unmet needs continue. A 2019 National Science
Board report \6\ stated that in fiscal year 2018, ``approximately $3.4
billion was requested for declined proposals that were rated Very Good
or higher in the merit review process.'' This accounts for about 5,440
declined proposals at the NSF. The U.S. is leaving potentially
transformative scientific research unfunded, while other countries are
making significant investments.
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\6\ https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2020/nsb202013.pdf
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The entire country benefits from NSF funding; the NSF invests in
every State supporting researchers and students.\7\ Society has
benefitted from the many products, procedures, and methods that have
resulted from NSF supported research in mathematics--research performed
over many years and typically not focused on specific applications. The
applications of advances in theoretical science, including theory of
mathematics, occur on a timescale that means the investment is often
hard to justify in the short run. And yet if we look back to the
success, as opposed to ahead to when we expect success, the investment
in fundamental research has had huge payoffs. These benefits include
innovations such as the Google Page Rank algorithm, enhancement of
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and in cybersecurity. The plethora of
applications that have resulted from basic research in the mathematical
sciences is described in the National Academies report ``The
Mathematical Sciences in 2025'' or in the executive summary ``Fueling
Innovation and Discovery: The Mathematical Sciences in the 21st
Century''.\8, \\9\
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\7\ https://nsf.gov/about/congress/factsheets.jsp
\8\ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/15269/the-mathematical-sciences-in-
2025
\9\ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/13373/fueling-innovation-and-
discovery-the-mathematical-sciences-in-the-21st
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Finally, we are at a critical time for building and ensuring a
stable STEM workforce of the future, a challenge exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic. Becoming a Ph.D. STEM researcher requires focus and
dedication; the work is demanding. And the COVID-19 pandemic has
derailed and even completely shattered many students' dreams and plans.
Vitally important is NSF support for graduate students, postdoctoral
fellows, and other early career scientists, who are disproportionately
affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and are most likely to have had their
career goals deferred or derailed. We need to reach and support
promising STEM students across all genders, races, ethnicities, and
geographies. At this challenging time, we cannot risk losing a
generation of scientists who leave the field and never return.
Thank you for your consideration of this request, and for your
prior efforts on behalf of the NSF.
[This statement was submitted by Ruth Charney, Ph.D., President,
and Karen Saxe, Ph.D., Director of Government Relations.]
______
Prepared Statement of the American Society for Engineering Education
support of fiscal year 2022 national science foundation and national
aeronautics and space administration funding
Summary: This written testimony is submitted on behalf of the
American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) to the Senate
subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for
the official record. ASEE appreciates the Committee's support for the
National Science Foundation (NSF) and asks you to robustly fund the
agency in fiscal year 2022, including the Research and Related
Activities and the Education and Human Resources accounts. ASEE joins
the Biden Administration in requesting support of at least $10.2
billion for NSF in fiscal year 2022 to help alleviate impacts of
historical underinvestment at NSF, continue to grow its core research
and education activities, establish a new Technology, Innovation and
Partnerships (TIP) directorate, and address critical technologies where
the U.S. is facing major competition from China. At NASA, ASEE supports
the Administration's proposed growth for the Space Technology Mission
Directorate (STMD) to increase its investment in crosscutting NASA
technology gaps which support engineers and scientists in developing
technology to advance science and space missions in the National
interest. ASEE also supports proposed growth to NASA's Office of
Education to advance NASA's initiatives to broaden participation of
underrepresented groups in science and engineering.
Written Testimony: The American Society for Engineering Education
(ASEE) is dedicated to advancing engineering and engineering technology
education and research, and is the only society representing the
country's schools and colleges of engineering and engineering
technology. Membership includes over 12,000 individuals hailing from
all disciplines of engineering and engineering technology and includes
educators, researchers, and students as well as industry and government
representatives. As the pre-eminent authority on the education of
engineering professionals, ASEE works to develop the future engineering
and technology workforce, expand technological literacy, and convene
academic and corporate stakeholders to advance innovation and sound
policy.
national science foundation
Engineering shapes our Nation and powers our innovation ecosystem.
NSF basic research, conducted in engineering schools and colleges
around the country, catalyzes new industries and revolutionary
advances. There is high demand for a workforce of well-trained,
engineers in industry and government to leverage these discoveries and
develop innovative new technologies to improve our future. The
partnership between the Federal Government and universities is
essential to growth and innovation across our economy, and is helping
to solve challenges in health, energy, and national security. NSF is a
tremendously important piece of this innovation ecosystem, funding
basic engineering and engineering education research at universities
and supporting students to enable access to engineering education.
ASEE is grateful for recent increases, yet concerned that these
investments have not kept pace with international competitors or
growing research needs. Due to budget limitations, NSF is currently
unable to fund $2 billion worth of very good and excellently rated
proposals each year. With more funding, tremendous amounts of
additional research and development could be undertaken, leading to
novel and transformative discoveries. As the National Science Board
predicted, in 2018 China surpassed U.S. investments in research and
development. As some countries have been steeply accelerating research
funding, increasing NSF's appropriation would help secure continued
U.S. global innovation leadership.
NSF funding has additionally fallen far behind other research
agencies, risking distortions in the overall STEM ecosystem. For
example, over the last decade the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of
Science has grown twice as much as NSF and is now almost the same size
despite covering a much smaller range of topics. Other agencies depend
on NSF-funded discoveries and workforce development for their missions.
NSF-funded research catalyzes fundamental advances that are utilized
for national security applications while engineers trained with NSF
funding become key components of the National security workforce and
industrial base.
ASEE is thankful for relief and research funding provided to NSF in
the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan. NSF has a critical role to play
in promoting economic recovery and research on many aspects of the
pandemic. Continued support of NSF will be critical as the engineering
community and the country move into the next phase of the COVID-19
pandemic. Engineers across the country have adapted quickly but
challenges and disparities remain. NSF will be crucial to rebuilding
the STEM pipeline, and building a better, more resilient STEM
workforce.
ASEE follows the President's 2022 Budget Request in requesting that
the Committee fund NSF at $10.2 billion in fiscal year 2022 to drive
advances in research and education and ensure the U.S. retains global
competitiveness and scientific leadership. While ASEE supports the
President's proposal to create a new TIP directorate at NSF, it is
essential that NSF continues to grow its core research and education
activities.
Investments in engineering education and research from NSF are
essential for having a workforce trained and ready to contribute to
industry, government, and academia. NSF is a major supporter of
engineering research and workforce initiatives funding 43 percent of
engineering and 83 percent of computer science academic fundamental
research. NSF-funded advancements touch every corner of our lives and
economy, from wireless systems to advanced manufacturing, and from new
tools to combat brain diseases to technologies to ensure our
cybersecurity. NSF supports engineering education at all levels,
ensuring the next generation of the U.S. engineering workforce is
appropriately prepared to contribute and innovate.
The NSF Directorate for Engineering (ENG) provides critical support
for engineering education and research across the breadth of the
discipline. These investments have dual outcomes of training future
engineers that will discover tomorrow's innovations, all while
furthering today's cutting-edge research. Engineering investments at
NSF provide critical advancements in areas such as resilient
infrastructure, advanced materials and manufacturing, and
bioengineering, in addition to equipping students with the skills they
need to be the next generation of technological leaders. Divisions such
as Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) support university research
and Engineering Research Centers. ENG grantees have robust partnerships
with industry, expand the boundaries of our understanding of how
students most effectively learn engineering, provide experiential
opportunities fundamental to engineering education.
The NSF Directorate for Computer and Information Science and
Engineering also plays a key role supporting engineering education and
research, particularly within the Division of Information & Intelligent
Systems, which supports efforts at the frontiers of information
technology, data science, and artificial intelligence, among other
areas. These investments are critical as we move into a world even more
reliant on human-technology interactions. The Division of Computer and
Network Systems has been building capacity within Minority Service
Institutions to contribute to both the knowledge base and human
resource base in computing and engineering.
ASEE strongly supports NSF Education and Human Resources (EHR)
funding to foster inclusive and effective learning and learning
environments. The STEM workforce, particularly engineers,
technologists, and computer scientists, drives our innovation and
economic development. We need to fully develop all of our Nation's
human talent in order to tackle pressing problems. Access to STEM
experiences and skills are a critical aspect of developing well-rounded
citizens, technological literacy, and the future STEM workforce. ASEE
supports EHR programs including Improving Undergraduate STEM Education
(IUSE) and Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE). The first is
critical for preparing professional engineers and enhancing engineering
educational experiences to broaden participation and retention, and the
latter works to revolutionize graduate studies to best prepare students
for STEM careers. ASEE supports the growth proposed in the President's
Budget Request for NSF programs that foster participation in science
and engineering from individuals from underrepresented groups.
NSF plays a key role ensuring the development of new tools for
teaching engineering design and analysis skills, which are under-taught
in today's K-12 classrooms. As noted in the 2009 National Academies
report Engineering in K-12 Education, engineering education has
received little attention yet has the potential to improve student
learning and achievement in other areas of STEM, increase awareness of
engineering careers, and increase technological literacy. Engineering's
focus on design and analysis enhances problem solving, teaches students
new ways to approach challenges, and encourages students to connect
science and math topics to real-world applications--all skills critical
to the future technical workforce. ASEE supports programs to fill
workforce needs including Advanced Technical Education (ATE) that
prepares advanced technicians for America's high-skills workforce and
graduate fellowships to create a pipeline of students knowledgeable and
excited about engineering.
national aeronautics and space administration
ASEE is supportive of the Administration's overall proposed
increase of 6.3 percent to $24.7 billion in funding for the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), especially in its Space
Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), which would see a 29.5 percent
increase to $1.425 billion. Of importance to ASEE, STMD activities
support the workforce development pipeline of future space engineers
and technologists by engaging directly with the academic community
through early career faculty programs, early-stage research grants, and
university-led multidisciplinary research institutes. The disruptions
to the STEM pipeline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic makes this work
even more crucial. STMD's broad portfolio of activities helps to meet
NASA's science objectives, establishes new commercial and academic
partnerships, and stimulates the growth of the Nation's technology
sector. STMD programs fill significant capability gaps for NASA and
better position the agency to meet its long-term strategic goals in
areas across all its directorates ranging from propulsion and power
generation to materials science and high-performance computing. ASEE
applauds the Administration's support of STMD's vital role and urges
the Committee to support STMD's ability to focus on a broad array of
NASA technology challenges, continue its engagement with the academic
and private sectors, and keep long-term focus beyond specific near-term
mission goals.
ASEE is also supportive of the Administration's proposed increase
for NASA's Office of STEM Engagement and asks that the Committee
support the proposed funding of $147 million for this office in fiscal
year 2022 and beyond. NASA STEM Engagement programs inspire students to
pursue engineering, science, and technology careers, and this office
plays a vital role coordinating STEM education programs throughout the
agency, including those at NASA centers. ASEE supports the continuation
of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (Space
Grant), which supports university consortia in all 50 States, funding
fellowships for engineering and other STEM students, while also
offering important resources for faculty professional development and
strengthening curricula. ASEE is also supportive of initiatives at the
NASA Office of STEM Engagement to broaden participation of
underrepresented groups in STEM and to bring engineering design and
analysis experiences to K-12 students.
Conclusion: NSF education and research investments have truly
transformed our world through engineering breakthroughs such as the
internet, fiber-optics, and medical imaging technology. These
investments keep our communities safe, lower healthcare costs, and spur
our economy. Today, engineering research is opening possibilities
through advances in areas such as artificial intelligence, biosensors,
and advanced materials. We ask that you robustly fund NSF at $10.2
billion to support critical education and research programs that will
be instrumental in the Nation's recovery from COVID-19. In addition, at
NASA we urge you to fund proposed increases for NASA's Space Technology
Mission Directorate and Office of STEM Engagement. Thank you for the
opportunity to submit this testimony.
[This statement was submitted by Sheryl Sorby, President, and
Norman Fortenberry, Sc.D., Executive Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of the American Society for Microbiology
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) appreciates the
opportunity to submit outside witness testimony for the Fiscal Year
2022 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations
bill in support of increased funding for the National Science
Foundation (NSF) and increased coordination of microbiome research by
the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in Fiscal Year
2022. ASM is one of the oldest and largest life science societies with
30,000 members in the U.S. and around the world. Our mission is to
promote and advance the microbial sciences, including programs and
initiatives funded by the Federal Government departments and agencies,
by virtue of the integral role microorganisms play in human health and
society. Microbial science is a cross-cutting endeavor, and our
members' federally funded research is fundamental to advances in human
health, agriculture, energy and the environment.
ASM calls on Congress to provide at least $10 billion for the
National Science Foundation in Fiscal Year 2022.
Investments by Congress in NSF-funded discoveries have strengthened
the science and technology sectors of the U.S. economy, boosted
workforce development and ensured America's global market
competitiveness. For over 70 years, the NSF has invested in basic
research and education at the frontiers of science and engineering,
including high risk and transformative research not supported by other
funding sources. NSF is the only Federal agency that supports
innovative basic research across all fields of science and engineering,
and its support of multidisciplinary research and education is critical
to promoting the next generation of scientists, improving the future of
the Nation's science and engineering enterprise, and maintaining our
global competitive edge. NSF is divided into seven directorates that
support science and engineering research and education: Biological
Sciences, Computer and Information Science and Engineering,
Engineering, Geosciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Social,
Behavioral and Economic Sciences, and Education and Human Resources.
Microbes are at the foundation of scientific discovery, and the NSF
is a key supporter of microbial science research, including microbiome
research, discovery of emerging pathogens, and global collaboration.
ASM members around the world are working to improve lives through
research on human and animal health, agriculture, energy, the
environment, and biothreats. NSFfunded research advances our
understanding of the 70 percent of emerging human pathogens that have
non-human origins, which pose serious threats to human health and
global health security, as we have recently seen with the emergence of
COVID-19. Investments in NSF research over several decades facilitated
the rapid sequencing and identification of the SARS-CoV-2 virus weeks
after its discovery in late 2019, which enabled infectious disease
experts to begin work early on to combat the spread of the virus.
The NSF has excelled in its congressionally mandated mission ``to
promote the progress of science; to advance the National health,
prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the National defense.'' The
NSF's dedication to progress is particularly notable in the area of
microbiome research. The Understanding the Rules of Life: Microbiome
Interactions and Mechanisms program is one example of this innovative
work. The broader NSF Rules of Life Big Idea aims to enable discoveries
that will improve our understanding of interactions within different
ecosystems, and to identify causal, predictive relationships across
different scales (spatial, temporal, levels of biological organization
and complexity) that help define the ``rules'' for how life functions.
It also seeks to develop research tools and infrastructure to further
Rules of Life research, and to provide the capacity to approach more
complex research questions.
The goal of the Microbiome Interactions and Mechanisms program
research within the Rules of Life Big Idea is to understand
interactions and mechanisms that govern the structure and function of
microbiomes. By integrating the wide range of accumulated data and
information on microbiome structure and function, new causal models of
interactions and interdependencies across scales and systems can be
generated. To continue to achieve its goals, it is critical that the
fiscal year 2022 appropriations bill robustly fund NSF.
ASM urges Congress to request an update from the Office of Science
and Technology Policy on the implementation and continuation of the
Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research.
Microbiome science aims to advance understanding of microbial
communities (microbiomes) for applications in areas such as health
care, food production, and environmental restoration to benefit
individuals, communities, and the environment. Understanding of the
microbiome has evolved significantly since the concept of the human
microbiome emerged roughly two decades ago. Today it is understood that
microbial communities exist on, in, and around people, plants, animals,
soil, oceans, and the atmosphere, making the microbiome relevant to all
living things. The rapid pace of discovery has led to greater
technology needs and data sharing infrastructure.
Launched in 2016, the National Microbiome Initiative pledged $121
million in funding from Federal agencies and $400 million in total cash
and in-kind contributions from 100 companies, foundations and academic
institutions. As part of this initiative, the Federal Microbiome
Interagency Working Group developed the Interagency Strategic Plan for
Microbiome Research, providing recommendations for improving
coordination of microbiome research among Federal agencies and between
agencies and non-Federal domestic and international microbiome research
efforts. The 5-year Strategic Plan envisioned coordinated microbiome
research activities across 21 government agencies, set out interagency
objectives, structure and operating principles, and noted several
research focus areas. As the Strategic Plan's term ends in 2022, OSTP
should evaluate the progress made, consider whether the Federal
investment has been adequate to fully realize the promise of this
initiative, and begin the process to develop a strategic plan for
interagency collaboration in this essential research for the next 5
years.
conclusion
ASM is particularly grateful to Congress for its commitment to
increased investments in the NSF in recent years. We urge Congress to
revisit OSTP's past commitment to microbiome research and to increase
funding for NSF in fiscal year 2022 to at least $10 billion. We look
forward to continued Federal investment in microbe-powered innovation.
[This statement was submitted by Allen Segal, Director of Public
Policy and Advocacy.]
______
Prepared Statement of the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals
On behalf of our over 2 million supporters, The American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) appreciates this
opportunity to submit testimony to the Senate Appropriations
subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA is the first humane organization established
in the U.S. and serves as the Nation's leading voice for animal
welfare. We respectfully request that the subcommittee consider the
following concerns when making fiscal year 2022 appropriations.
police encounters with pets
Media reports about violent encounters between law enforcement
officers and pets--most often family dogs--are commonplace across the
country. The ASPCA believes that the vast majority of these incidents
are avoidable. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) can assist in
reducing these incidents by collecting national data around them and
including techniques to handle police and dog encounters in law
enforcement de-escalation trainings. Tragedies like this take a serious
toll on communities, further eroding trust with law enforcement,
escalating tense situations, and endangering bystanders. On April 11,
the New Orleans Police Department (PD) shot and killed an 18-week-old
rescue puppy in his yard while responding to a 911 call. On March 23,
the Tampa PD shot the dog of the woman who had called them for help. On
February 26, an officer with the Lynchburg PD in Virginia shot and
killed a dog while attempting to take a man into custody for a mental
health evaluation. On November 16 of last year, an officer with the
Faulkner County Sheriff's Department in Arkansas shot and killed a
family dog after responding to the wrong residence. Shootings involving
pets often account for a significant percentage of the total firearms
discharges in a particular agency. Data from some municipalities
suggest that 25-75 percent of all police firearm discharges are
directed at dogs.\1\ One DOJ official estimated that several thousand
dogs annually are killed by law enforcement officers and described the
phenomenon as ``an epidemic''.\2\
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\1\ Bathurst, Cynthia, Donald Cleary, Karen Delise, Ledy VanKavage,
and Patricia Rushing. 2015. The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and
Encounters. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services; https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-p206-pub.pdf
\2\ Griffin, David; ``Can Police Stop Killing Dogs?.'' Police
Magazine; Oct. 29, 2014; https://www.policemag.com/341722/can-police-
stop-killing-dogs
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Additionally, research reveals that these incidents take a
disproportionate toll on communities of color. An analysis of officer-
involved shootings in Los Angeles County revealed that between 28-46
percent of all firearms discharges were directed at dogs, and these
shootings were geographically clustered in low-income communities of
color.\3\ This and other available data suggest that pit bull-type
breeds are far more likely to be shot and killed than are other dog
breeds. For example, from 2011 to 2014, police officers in Buffalo, New
York killed 91 dogs--74 of which were identified as pit bull-type
breeds.
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\3\ Stefano Bloch, Daniel E. Martinez. 2020. Canicide by Cop: A
geographical analysis of canine killings by police in Los Angeles.
Geoforum: 111. 142-154; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/
abs/pii/S0016718520300440
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Encourage documentation and tracking for incidents of police use of
force against pets:
Use of force reporting requirements among State and local law
enforcement agencies are inconsistent, and many agencies do not require
documentation for use of force incidents involving pets. Federally, no
nationwide data exists regarding the prevalence of these tragedies, or
for officer-involved shootings more broadly. DOJ's Federal Bureau of
Investigations operates a National Use of Force Data Collection, which
allows law enforcement to voluntarily provide data on use-of-force
incidents. The voluntary data, which currently reflects only 40 percent
of total law enforcement officer population, does not, apparently,
include incidents involving pets.\4\ A publication by the DOJ's Office
of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) recognized the lack of
data on this issue and urged law enforcement agencies to examine
questions like how often police officers discharge firearms in dog-
related incidents and how many dogs have been killed to better
understand and address this problem.\5\ Understanding the scope and
frequency of these incidents is fundamental to avoiding them.
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\4\ See ``What is Collected?'' https://crime-data-
explorer.app.cloud.gov/officers/national/united-States/uof
\5\ Bathurst, Cynthia, Donald Cleary, Karen Delise, Ledy VanKavage,
and Patricia Rushing. 2015. The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and
Encounters. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services; https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-p206-pub.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Provide resources and training to de-escalate police encounters with
pets and reduce violent incidents:
Sources indicate that officer trainings are beneficial to de-
escalate situations with dogs without resorting to lethal force.\6\
Several States including California, Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, Nevada,
and Illinois mandate training and created programs on proper responses
to encounters with dogs. The COPS office, which provides training for
police departments on a variety of topics, published The Problem of
Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters in 2011 and has adapted the
contents to a video training series. Funding for the use of such
trainings or creating incentives to do so could avoid these tragedies.
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\6\ Amendola, Karen, Valdovinos, Maria, Perea, Cesar. 2019. An
Evidence-Based Approach to Dog Shootings in Routine Police Encounters:
Regulations, Policies, Practices, and Training Implications. https://
www.policefoundation.org/publication/reducing-dog-shootings-in-routine-
police-encounters-regulations-policies-practices-and-training-
implications/
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The ASPCA requests that the subcommittee recognize the impact of law
enforcement's use of force in communities and the need to avoid
such incidents by including the following report language in
its FY22 Appropriations bill:
It has been estimated that thousands of dogs are killed annually by
law enforcement officers. Many States and municipalities do not require
that police shootings directed at pets be reported. However, data from
some localities suggests that anywhere from 25-75 percent of all law
enforcement firearms discharges are directed at dogs, and that these
incidents are geographically clustered in low-income communities of
color where police shootings involving people are also concentrated.
Police shootings directed at pets escalate encounters with policed
communities and erode trust in law enforcement. The Committee is
concerned about the lack of data and reporting requirements for such
encounters, and directs the U.S. Department of Justice to include
incidents involving pets in any nationwide Federal database created to
track law enforcement's use of force against people, or to provide
Congress with a report within 180 days on how the Department can
collect and maintain comprehensive data on law enforcement's use of
force against people and pets, as well as any policy recommendations
needed to implement that data collection. Further, the Committee
encourages the U.S. Department of Justice to include training
opportunities for police and dog encounters in the Community Oriented
Policing Service's grants made available for de-escalation training.
[This statement was submitted by Nancy Perry, Senior Vice
President, Government Relations.]
______
Prepared Statement of the American Society of Plant Biologists
addressing the national science foundation's fiscal year 2022 budget
The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) submits this
testimony for the official record to support at least $10.2 billion for
the National Science Foundation (NSF) for fiscal year 2022. ASPB
recognizes the difficult fiscal environment our Nation faces, but
believes that sustained investments in scientific research represents a
critical step toward economic recovery and continued global
competitiveness for our Nation.
ASPB would like to thank the subcommittee for its consideration of
this testimony and for its strong support for the research missions of
NSF.
ASPB, founded in 1924 as the American Society of Plant
Physiologists, was established to promote the growth and development of
plant biology, to encourage and publish research in plant biology, and
to promote the interests and professional advancement of plant
scientists in general. ASPB members educate, mentor, advise, and
nurture future generations of plant biologists; they work to increase
understanding of plant biology, as well as science in general, in K-16
schools and among the general public; they advocate in support of plant
biology research; they work to convey the relevance and importance of
plant biology; and they provide expertise in policy decisions world-
wide. Overall, ASPB members, as representatives of the society, work to
disseminate information and excitement about plant sciences, especially
through ASPB's advocacy, outreach activities, conferences, and
publications.
food, fuel, environment, and health: plant biology research and
america's future
Plants are vital to our very existence. They harvest sunlight,
converting it to chemical energy for food and feed; they absorb carbon
dioxide and produce oxygen; and they are the primary producers on which
most life depends. Indeed, plant biology research is making many
fundamental contributions in the areas of energy security and
environmental stewardship; the continued and sustainable development of
better foods, fabrics, and building materials; and in the understanding
of biological principles that underpin improvements in the health and
nutrition of all Americans.
Plant science has become that backbone of agricultural innovation,
and a thriving agricultural sector has become a cornerstone for
American economic success. Agriculture and agriculture related
industries comprise 5.4 percent of the U.S. GDP, contributing nearly $1
trillion and 21 million jobs to the economy.\1\ In fact, despite
persistent U.S. trade deficits, there has been a surplus in
agricultural trade since 1960. This surplus is projected to continue,
in spite of projected decreases in planted acres of major crops.\2\
These projections rely on steady increases in yields, a breakthrough
that is wholly dependent upon continued fundamental and applied
agricultural research in crop science and plant biology. To maintain
and increase U.S. agricultural productivity, critical investments in
basic biological sciences are needed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-
charting-the-essentials/ag-and-food-sectors-and-the-economy/
\2\ https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/92600/oce-2019-
1.pdf?v=3630.9
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In particular, plant biology is at the interface of numerous
scientific breakthroughs. For example, with high throughput
experimental approaches facilitating extraordinary syntheses of
information that are NSF-supported, plant biologists are using computer
science applications to make tremendous strides in our understanding of
complex biological systems, ranging from single cells to entire
ecosystems. Understanding how plants function ultimately will result in
better and more productive crops, new sources of fuel, and the
development of better medicines to treat diseases like cancer.
Despite the significant positive impact plants have on our Nation's
economy and in addressing some of our most urgent challenges, including
food and energy security, Federal investments in fundamental plant
biology research are modest. Nevertheless, plant scientists have
maximized and leveraged this funding to begin to understand the basic
functions and mechanisms of plants, providing a foundation for vital
advances in practical applications in agriculture, health, energy, and
the environment.
robust funding for the national science foundation
ASPB encourages strong support for the Directorate of Biological
Sciences (BIO) and proportional funding increases across all of the
scientific disciplines NSF supports. As scientific research becomes
increasingly interdisciplinary with permeable boundaries, a diverse
portfolio at NSF is needed to maintain transformational research and
innovation. NSF funding for plant biology specifically enables the
scientific community to address cross-cutting research questions that
could ultimately solve grand challenges related to a sustainable food
supply, energy security, and improved health and nutrition.
NSF BIO is a critical source of funding for scientific research,
providing the majority of the Federal support for non-medical basic
life sciences research at U.S. academic institutions and beyond. BIO
supports research ranging from the molecular and cellular levels to the
organismal, ecosystem, and even biosphere levels. These investments
continue to have significant pay offs, both in terms of the knowledge
directly generated and in deepening collaborations and fostering
innovation among communities of scientists.
The Biological Sciences Directorate's Plant Genome Research Program
(PGRP) is an excellent example of a high impact program that has laid a
strong scientific research foundation for understanding plant genomics
as it relates to energy (biofuels), health (nutrition and functional
foods), agriculture (impact of changing climates on agronomic
ecosystems), and the environment (plants' roles as primary producers in
ecosystems). ASPB asks that the PGRP be funded at the highest possible
level and have sustained funding growth to address 21st century
challenges.
ASPB is also encouraged by the ongoing efforts of the Reintegrating
Biology initiative. The Society hopes that these efforts will result in
innovative, cross-disciplinary efforts that advance both plant science
and biological research as a whole. Finally, ASPB is very pleased to
see NSF increase its support for biotechnology, both within BIO and as
proposed in the new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships
Directorate. Investments in biotechnology will transform agriculture,
energy, and healthcare, and fundamental and applied plant science
research have roles to play in each area.
Without significant and increased support for BIO and NSF as a
whole, promising fundamental research discoveries will be delayed and
vital collaborations around the edges of scientific disciplines will be
postponed, thus limiting the ability of the U.S. to respond to the
pressing scientific problems that exist today and the new challenges on
the horizon. Addressing these scientific priorities would also help to
improve the competitive position of the U.S. in a global marketplace.
continued support for nsf education and workforce development programs
As discussed above, many of the challenges brought by a changing
world will need be addressed specifically by plant scientists. A
significant--but sustainable--increase in crop productivity will be
needed to match the demand for food expected from the rate of
population growth. At the same time, climate change will present new
trials for crops and other plant ecosystems. These challenges will
require efforts to increase productivity beyond current practices,
including improvement in crop water use efficiency and enhanced crop
photosynthesis efficiency and performance, to name just a few
approaches. More knowledge and innovation will be needed to replace
chemicals from non-renewable sources (from fuels to biomedical
applications) with plant-derived metabolites. These types of
innovations will require contributions from basic and applied plant
science fields and collaboration from other sciences and engineering.
To tackle these challenges, a strong and diverse community of plant
scientists, with increased involvement from women and marginalized
scientists, will be needed. However, the current training pipeline does
not appear prepared to ensure the availability of this workforce. The
number of Ph.D. degrees awarded in the U.S. in biomedical sciences in
the last two decades has increased at an unsustainable rate, even
triggering warnings from members of the National Academy of Sciences;
however, this trend has not been paralleled by increases in plant-
related Ph.D. degrees. In fact, plant science doctoral degrees, both
basic and agronomy-related, have remained stagnant during this time
period. Clearly, a strong investment in plant science research, both
basic and applied, renewed efforts to transform public perception of
plant biology and plant biologists, and a push to increase the number
of students entering the pipeline leading to plant science degrees are
necessary to change these trends. Developing the workforce that will
contribute the solutions to future challenges is urgent.
The NSF is a major source of funding for the education and training
of the American scientific workforce and for understanding how
educational innovations can be most effectively implemented. NSF's
education portfolio impacts students at all levels, including K-12,
undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate, as well as the general
public.
ASPB urges the subcommittee to support expanding NSF's fellowship
and career development programs--such as the Postdoctoral Research
Fellowships in Biology, the Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) and the
Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) programs--thereby providing
continuity in funding opportunities for the country's most promising
early career scientists.
ASPB urges support for NSF to further develop programs aimed at
increasing the diversity of the scientific workforce by leveraging
professional scientific societies' commitment to provide a professional
home for scientists throughout their education and careers and to help
promote and sustain broad participation in the sciences. Discrete
focused training and infrastructure support programs for Hispanic
Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and
Tribal Colleges and Universities remain vitally important, because they
foster a scientific workforce that reflects the U.S. population.
ASPB urges support for education research that enhances our
understanding of how educational innovations can be sustainably and
most effectively implemented in a variety of settings. NSF Education
and Human Resources programs provide opportunities to expand NSF's
research and evaluation efforts to address scale-up and sustainability.
ASPB encourages continued support for education research programs
within NSF's Education and Human Resources portfolio with a focus on
understanding how previous investments in educational strategies can be
made most effective.
Grand research challenges will not be resolved in a year, an
administration, or a generation, but will take continued attention and
investment at Federal research agencies, such as the NSF, over decades.
Thank you for your consideration of ASPB's testimony. For more
information about ASPB, please visit www.aspb.org.
______
Prepared Statement of the Animal Welfare Institute
fiscal year 2022 funding priorities for the u.s. department of commerce
(doc) and the u.s. department of justice (doj).
u.s. department of commerce
North Atlantic Right Whale-Related Research and Development--$20
million
In 2020, North Atlantic right whales were designated as critically
endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN). Elevated mortalities of the species from entanglements in
fishing gear and vessel strikes have been declared an Unusual Mortality
Event (UME) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) since 2017. The annual documented rate of anthropogenic
mortality and serious injury, due to both entanglement in gear and
vessel strikes, has exceeded the population's potential biological
removal level (PBR) since 1995.
In October 2020, scientists from the New England Aquarium released
a new population estimate for North Atlantic right whales, indicating
that the population numbered only 356 as of the end of 2019.\1\ Of
these 356 whales, researchers estimate 70 breeding females remain.
Without intervention, the current combination of low birth rates and
increased mortalities could leave the species functionally extinct
within 20 years.\2\
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\1\ New England Aquarium (2020) Statement on North Atlantic right
whale population estimate. October 29, 2020. Available at https://
www.neaq.org/about-us/news-media/press-kit/press-releases/statement-on-
north-atlantic-right-whale-population-estimate/
\2\ Cecco, L. (2020). Humans pushing North Atlantic right whale to
extinction faster than believed. The Guardian. October 30, 2020.
Available at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/30/north-
atlantic-right-whale-extinction-faster-than-believed
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Right whales are extremely vulnerable to being caught in the
vertical buoy lines used in lobster and crab trapping gear.
Entanglement can lead to drowning, reduced mobility, and, in some
cases, a long, painful death from starvation. Collisions from vessels
of all sizes can also cause serious injuries, such as blunt force
trauma, propeller cuts, and broken bones. Three North Atlantic right
whale calves were killed or seriously injured by vessel strikes in U.S.
waters in the last 13 months alone. In February 2021, an adult whale
was confirmed dead due to injuries from entanglement. Two other
entangled whales have been added to the serious injuries list this
year.
Studies have shown that mortalities from known entanglements have
continued to increase: from 21 percent (1970-2002) to 51 percent (2003-
2018).\3\ Entanglements caused as many as 85 percent of diagnosable
deaths from 2010 to 2015. In February 2021, a study coauthored by
leading North Atlantic right whale scientists found that from 1990-
2017, observed carcasses only accounted for 36 percent of North
Atlantic right whale mortalities.\4\ These ``cryptic mortalities,''
i.e., deaths caused by human activities without an observed carcass,
represent a larger proportion of the total mortality than previously
believed.
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\3\ Sharp, S, et.al (2019). Gross and histopathologic diagnoses
from North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis mortalities between
2003 and 2018. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 135(1), 1-31.
doi:10.3354/dao03376)
\4\ Pace, R. et al. (2021). Cryptic mortality of North Atlantic
right whales. Conservation Science and Practice. 3. 10.1111/csp2.346.
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The final fiscal year 2021 appropriations package included $5
million for North Atlantic right whales within the Marine Mammals, Sea
Turtles, and Other Species line item. Within this funding, $1 million
was directed to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) for the continuation of a pilot program developing and field-
testing new fishing gear technologies designed to reduce entanglements.
We appreciate Congress' concern for this species and trust that it
will recognize that a substantial increase in funding is necessary if
we are to save North Atlantic right whales from extinction. Along with
50 other NGOs, AWI submitted a letter to House and Senate CJS
Appropriations subcommittees that included a proposed spending plan.
Within that plan, we believe funding should be appropriated to NOAA to
develop and implement new rules aimed at reducing the mortality rate of
North Atlantic right whales by vessel strikes, fishing-gear
entanglements, and other threats. There must also be investment in
reducing vessel-strike risk in high-traffic areas as well as a
transition to whale-safe fishing gear. We believe the pilot program to
refine and field test innovative fishing gear technologies, such as
ropeless gear, should be expanded, including the development of
geolocation technologies. Lastly, surveys and monitoring, enforcement,
disentanglement, stranding response, and plankton recorder surveys are
crucial to the conservation of this species.
We encourage Congress to direct investment to the development of
ropeless technologies instead of expensive, short-term investments in
``weak rope.'' The use of 1,700-lb breaking strength lines (known as
``weak rope'') may decrease the severity of entanglement injuries
suffered by right whales but does not reduce the likelihood of
entanglement in the first place nor the sub-lethal impacts of
entanglement on whales. This gear also does not reduce the risk of
serious injury or mortality for right whales who are less than 2 years
old.\5\
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\5\ Knowlton et al. (2016).
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NOAA estimates Americans are willing to pay $4.38 billion annually
for the recovery of the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Further,
in 2008, this species generated an estimated $2.3 billion in sales in
the whale watching industry and across the broader economy.\6\ Research
has found large whales are worth about $2 million each over their
lifetimes. This value is based on their contributions to carbon
sequestration, which combats climate change, as well as their ability
to enhance fisheries and provide ecotourism value. Overall, the
estimated economic value of the planet's whale population is over $1
trillion.\7\
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\6\ NOAA Fisheries (2020, February 24). Protected species economics
research. Retrieved from https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/
socioeconomics/protected-species-economics-research
\7\ Chami, R., Cosimano, T., Fullenkamp, C., & Oztosun, S. (2019).
Nature's solution to climate change. International Monetary Fund:
Official Website./Finance&Development, 56(4), 34-38. Retrieved from
https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2019/12/natures-solution-to-
climate-change-chami.htm
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If we are to save this species, it will require investment and
cooperation among Congress, agencies, scientists, and industry. We hope
the subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
recognizes the urgency of this situation and invests in protections for
North Atlantic right whales.
Unusual Mortality Event Fund--$4 million with at least $750,000
dedicated to the current UME of Atlantic Florida manatees
Marine mammals are important indicator species of ocean health.
Monitoring the health of marine mammals, especially during Unusual
Mortality Events (UME), can reveal emerging threats, potential impacts
of human activities, and the effectiveness of management actions. A UME
is defined as ``a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant
die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate
response.'' There are currently 10 active UMEs around the country in
every ocean (Alaska ice seals, West Coast gray whales, Northeast
pinnipeds, Southwest Florida bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic minke
whales, North Atlantic right whales, Atlantic humpback whales,
Guadalupe fur seals, Atlantic Florida manatees, and Florida East Coast
manatees). In the newest UME to be declared, the 2021 Atlantic Florida
manatee, nearly 750 manatees have died this year alone. Rescue
organizations are hampered by the lack of facilities and funds for
responding to overwhelming numbers of live manatees in need of rescue
and rehabilitation.
Since 1991, 70 marine mammal UMEs have been declared. The UME
Contingency Fund was established through the Marine Mammal Protection
Act to enable the National Marine Fisheries Service to reimburse marine
mammal stranding network partners for costs related to caring for and
treating live animals that strand as part of UMEs; collecting,
preparing, and sending biological samples to the National Marine Mammal
Tissue Bank and other diagnostic laboratories to investigate the causes
of UMEs; and collecting important marine mammal health data to inform
and improve future UME responses and marine conservation. Although
Congress created this fund in 1992, it provided appropriations only in
2005; all other contributions to the Fund have been through voluntary
assistance. Considering the growing number of UMEs, $4 million should
be allocated to the Unusual Mortality Event Contingency Fund to enable
robust marine mammal stranding response efforts, with $750,000
dedicated to the current Atlantic Florida manatee UME.
John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program--$4
million
The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program
(Prescott Grant Program), a program under NMFS, provides competitive
grants to marine mammal stranding network organizations to do the
following: (1) rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured, or distressed
live marine mammals, and (2) investigate the events surrounding, and
determine the cause of, the death or injury of marine mammals. Over the
past 20 years, the Prescott Grant Program has been vital to protecting
and recovering marine mammals across the country while also generating
critical information regarding marine mammals and their environment. As
the sole source of Federal funding for the National Marine Mammal
Stranding Network, which is comprised of over 90 member organizations
within 23 States, robust funding is required for the Prescott Grant
Program to enable it to continue its vital work.
Enforcement and Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP)--$4 million
The Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) was established in
2016 to require U.S. importers of certain fish and fish products to
provide and report key data, with the aim of uncovering illegal,
unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and/or seafood fraud and
preventing it from entering US commerce. The program initially oversaw
imports of 11 species, including sharks and sea cucumbers, two marine
species that are increasingly threatened by IUU fishing. In 2019, two
additional species, shrimp, and abalone, entered SIMP, thereby doubling
the volume of imported products covered by SIMP. The addition of shrimp
has implications for the critically endangered vaquita, of which only
about 10 remain. The use of illegal gillnets for catching shrimp in the
Gulf of California, and the subsequent bycatch of vaquitas, has been a
major factor in the latter species' decline.
A 2021 report ``Seafood Obtained via Illegal, Unreported, and
Unregulated Fishing: U.S. Imports and Economic Impact on U.S.
Commercial Fisheries,'' compiled by the U.S. International Trade
Commission found that $2.4 billion worth of seafood imports derived
from IUU fishing was imported in 2019 (11 percent of total seafood
imports). Over 13 percent of the U.S. imports caught at sea were
estimated to be caught using IUU fishing practices. Top species
included swimming crab, wild-caught warmwater shrimp, yellowfin tuna,
and squid. The report noted that IUU-sourced seafood is a threat to the
livelihood of U.S. fishermen. These practices also pose risks to marine
ecosystems, public health, and human rights.
In January 2020, the U.S. Government allocated $8 million to fight
IUU fishing and bolster SIMP as part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade
agreement (USMCA) that was approved in January 2021. As part of the
agreement, funding will go to NOAA to help it cooperate with the
Mexican Government in fighting illegal fishing through 2023. Additional
funding of $4 million is necessary to ensure full enforcement of SIMP
in fiscal year 2022.
Marine Mammal Commission (MMC)--$5.25 million
The Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) is an independent Federal agency
established by Congress in 1972 under the MMPA. Responsible for
overseeing the proper implementation of the MMPA, the MMC provides
comprehensive, independent, science-based oversight of all Federal and
international policy and management actions affecting marine mammals.
The MMC's work is crucial to maintaining healthy populations of marine
mammals, including whales, manatees, dolphins, seals, sea otters,
walruses, and polar bears, and ensuring their survival for generations
to come. Additionally, the MMC seeks to ensure that Alaska Natives can
meet their subsistence needs through hunting of marine mammals. We are
grateful that Congress rejected last year's budget request defunding
this agency and instead funded the MMC at $3.769 million in fiscal year
2021. In order for the MMC to fully fulfill its obligations, we ask
that $5.25 million be appropriated for fiscal year 2022.
u.s. department of justice
Environment and Natural Resources Division/Environmental Crimes
Section--Additional $2 million
AWI asks the subcommittee to provide an additional $2 million, over
and above the amount that would otherwise be appropriated, to the
Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice's Environment
and Natural Resources Division, to be designated for the Section's work
on animal cruelty crime.
Congress has taken significant steps in the last decade to
strengthen Federal laws to protect animals from cruel treatment. For
those efforts to be meaningful, it is imperative that the Federal
Government's enforcement efforts be robustly supported. The attorneys
in the Environmental Crimes Section are tasked with ensuring that
justice is served when the Federal statutes and enforcement regimes
that provide for the humane treatment of captive, farmed, and companion
animals across the country are violated. These laws include the Animal
Welfare Act, the Horse Protection Act, the Humane Methods of Slaughter
Act, the 28-Hour Law, the Animal Crush Video Statute, the Animal
Fighting Venture Prohibition Act, and, since 2019, the Preventing
Animal Cruelty and Torture Act.
This is a tremendous amount of responsibility, and it is a
responsibility that both Congress and the American public expect to be
executed vigorously. The resources available to bring criminal
prosecution under these laws has not kept pace with the improvements
made in the laws. Given the increased workload the Section has taken on
in just the last couple of years, a $2 million increase in its funding
is warranted.
[This statement was submitted by Nancy Blaney, Director, Government
Affairs.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Anti-Defamation League
funding to counter domestic violent extremism, hate crimes, and
discrimination in voting
On behalf of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), I write to request
that you designate increased funding for the department of Justice's
efforts to combat domestic violent extremism, prevent and prosecute
hate crimes against Jews, Jewish institutions, and other targeted
communities, and challenge discrimination in voting by vigorously
enforcing the Voting Rights Act.
Countering Violent Domestic Extremism
On January 6, we watched as an insurrection fueled by violent
conspiracy theories and white supremacy gripped the Nation and attacked
our democracy. Unfortunately, this act of domestic terrorism was not a
surprise; it is a threat ADL has been warning about for many years, and
one we had warned law enforcement about once this specific threat
became clear, even before the tragic events unfolded.
ADL recommends that Congress make investments that adapt to the
threat from domestic extremists, which is severe and growing. The
majority of violence committed against Americans by extremists is now
homegrown, and we must reorient our counterterrorism capabilities
accordingly. To address this threat, the Congressional Budget Office
estimates that an additional 175 FBI field agents, 45 additional
employees, 25 U.S. Attorney office personnel, and 18 additional DHS
analysts are needed, as well as a budget to support reporting and
coordination. These funds for personnel, training, and reporting will
help catalyze a range of activities to better understand the domestic
terror threat, to ensure resources are used proportionate to the threat
posed, and to work across agencies to better prepare to keep
communities safe. The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act (H.R. 350/S.
963) would in part ensure resources are used based on the threat of a
terrorist movement. While we work to support the passage of the DTPA,
personnel for the offices and training opportunities for State and
local partners can and should be funded separate and apart from the
bill. ADL supports $11 million in fiscal year 2022 and an estimated
$184 million over 5 years to increase resources and staffing to help
counter domestic terrorism. ADL also requests that report language
reflect the need for transparency and threat-proportionate
appropriations.
In addition, ADL recommends increased investment in research that
closes gaps in our ability to prevent domestic extremism that will
otherwise endure as an increasingly dangerous and destabilizing force
in American communities. Data should drive policy. ADL requests $20
million above current levels to the Office of Justice Programs,
dedicated specifically to research and data related to domestic violent
extremism issues.
Eliminating Extremism in Law Enforcement
ADL urges the Committee to recognize and address the fact that some
public safety officers are extremists, as evidenced by the
participation of active law enforcement personnel in the attempted
insurrection of January 6. Additionally, FBI assessments dating back
more than 15 years, among other sources, have noted that such
extremists seek out positions in law enforcement and work to recruit
law enforcement personnel into their ranks in order to gain access to
sensitive security-related information as well as tactical knowledge
and training. The consequences of this infiltration are potentially
severe, ranging from deterioration of police-community relations to
destruction, conflict, and death resulting from extremist officers'
activities. ADL requests that the Committee encourage the Justice
Department to provide the highest priority to Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) program applicants and law enforcement
agencies that request support for screening applicants and personnel
for persistent racism and/or violent extremist ideologies or
affiliations, and further encourage the Department to prioritize COPS
grants to program applicants and law enforcement agencies that require
their employees to complete training on extremism. ADL also asks that
the Committee support improved security clearance policies, procedures,
and trainings to ensure that individuals whose possible adherence to
violent extremist ideologies raises questions about their judgment or
trustworthiness do not have security clearances, including directing
the Department to report no later than 90 days after enactment of this
act on its progress in developing these improved policies, procedures,
and trainings.
Clearinghouse for Online Extremism
With domestic violent terrorism posing a growing threat, we must
seek creative ways to address the critical role that social media plays
in fueling the rise of extremism. However, we must not empower law
enforcement to engage so thoroughly in social media investigations that
civil liberties would be at risk. ADL proposes the creation of an
independent nonprofit organization, mirroring the founding of the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, to investigate
online threats proactively with careful parameters to ensure that the
broad nature of these investigations does not provide surveillance
powers to law enforcement, but is independent. ADL requests $500,000 to
the National Institute of Justice for a six-month study into the
feasibility, costs, and operational options for an independent
clearinghouse for online extremist content.
Strengthening Hate Crimes Data Collection
A more complete understanding of where, when, and against whom hate
crimes occur is a necessary component of an effective and coordinated
campaign to eradicate this scourge. In the nearly 30 years during which
the FBI has compiled data pursuant to the Hate Crime Statistics Act,
however, DOJ has yet to produce information that paints an accurate and
comprehensive picture of hate crime. Multiple factors contribute to
deficits in our knowledge about this phenomenon, including victimized
communities' distrust and avoidance of law enforcement agencies; lack
of training for officers in recognizing and investigating bias
motivations; and frontline agencies' limited capacity to maintain and
share records with DOJ combined with the lack of a reporting mandate.
Congress can and must support stakeholders in overcoming these
challenges by providing funding for data improvement programs that we
expect will soon be authorized by the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act. ADL
recommends that you provide total funding of at least $15 million for
grant programs to State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to
implement the National Incident-Based Reporting System, to create
State-run hate crime reporting hotlines, and to conduct training and
develop protocols for identifying, analyzing, investigating and
reporting hate crimes. In addition, we urge you to adopt report
language that urges DOJ to support hate crime statistics improvement
through its other funding programs including the Edward Byrne Memorial
Justice Assistance Grants program, as well as language that urges the
FBI to increase its outreach to, and consider developing awards or
other incentives for, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement
agencies, to encourage them to provide substantive and accurate hate
crime statistics.
State and Local Police Training on Recognizing and Investigating Hate
Crimes
ADL is alarmed at increases in reports of hate crime. In spite of
declining law enforcement agency participation, the FBI's Hate Crime
Statistics Act reports have documented year-to-year growth in the
number of recorded hate crimes in recent years, culminating in the most
deadly year on record in 2019, in which at least 51 people lost their
lives in bias-motivated attacks. Anecdotal data captured by community-
based organizations and surveys that ask Americans about their
subjective experiences indicate that hate crime is a far more
widespread and devastating phenomenon than even the FBI's report
demonstrates. Behind each victim is an entire community of people who
share the characteristics for which the person was attacked, and who
experience the fear and instability that these acts cause. The Federal
Government's leadership is indispensable to the critical task of
improving effectiveness at tracking, mitigating the harms caused by,
and ultimately, preventing destructive bias-motivated aggression. ADL
requests $100 million for grants to State, local, and Tribal law
enforcement agencies to conduct educational outreach and training on
hate crimes and to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, as authorized
by section 4704 of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes
Prevention Act (Public Law 111-84).
Community Relations Service
The Community Relations Service saves lives and preserves community
cohesion, and must be taken to scale to meet expanding demand resulting
from COVID-19-related hate crimes targeting the Asian-American Pacific
Islander community, scapegoating of Jews, Muslims, and members of
immigrant communities for the actions of foreign nations and entities,
and other increases in discrimination and hate. CRS's efforts are
symbolically important and practically effective. For example, after a
gunman killed a worshipper and wounded three others at the Chabad of
Poway, CA, on April 27, 2019--exactly 6 months after the shooting at
the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh--members of the surrounding
community asked CRS to help reestablish community safety and rebuild
residents' confidence that they could safely attend religious services.
Within days of the shooting, CRS brought the local U.S. Attorney's
Office together with leaders of local faith communities to assess
tensions, identify concerns, and share best practices for addressing
hate crimes and protecting religious institutions. CRS served as a
liaison between community stakeholders and the State and Federal
agencies involved in investigating the shooting and also worked with
stakeholders to convene continuing conversations, including a Bias
Incidents and Hate Crimes forum held by an interfaith coalition of San
Diego-area religious communities and an August 2019 training that
brought the U.S. Attorney's Office back together with faith community
leaders to build capacity to prevent and respond to hate crimes. ADL
supports $40 million for the Community Engagement Relations program to
offer services in more communities in need.
Voting Rights Act Enforcement by the Voting Section
Before, during, and after the 2020 Presidential Election,
disinformation about threats to election security and integrity spread
widely, and in significant part due to some political figures' repeated
public critiques of normal procedures such as mail voting and of
extraordinary measures undertaken to avoid COVID-19-related perils,
including proactive mailing of mail ballot applications and expansion
of early voting hours and periods. Election administrators, Federal and
international experts at agencies like the Department of Homeland
Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and
independent audits of paper records of votes cast have all affirmed
that election results were valid, and no significant or widespread
fraud or irregularities occurred. Nonetheless, according to the Brennan
Center for Justice, as of March 24, 2021, State lawmakers had
introduced 361 bills that would restrict access to the ballot in 47
States' current legislative sessions. These measures take direct aim at
aspects of the voting process that disproportionately affect voters of
color and preserving equal access to elections in 2021 and beyond will
depend upon the strength and readiness of the most capable and expert
voting rights prosecutor in the Nation, the Civil Rights Division's
Voting Section.
The Voting Section requires expanded capacity to respond to the
States and localities that already have adopted discriminatory voting
restrictions or are poised to follow suit. The Voting Section also will
soon undertake monitoring, evaluation, and enforcement of anti-
discrimination standards in the post-2020 Census redistricting cycle
which will be the first to occur in the absence of the protective
mechanisms of the Voting Rights Act's fully-functional preclearance
process. As a result, Section attorneys will not receive explanation
and analysis of new district maps from jurisdictions with long
histories of acting deliberately to limit marginalized voters'
opportunity to elect representatives of their choice, and will instead
have to exponentially increase original review of as many as hundreds,
or thousands, of new plans. As we consider the work before the Voting
Section, finally, we are mindful of the need for more capacity to
ensure the effective implementation of Section 203 of the Voting Rights
Act after new coverage determinations are published in calendar year
2021. To manage these critical tasks, ADL requests an additional $5
million for the Civil Rights Division for additional attorney positions
to conduct Voting Rights Act enforcement activities.
[This statement was submitted by Max Sevillia, Vice President,
Government Relations, Advocacy, and Community Engagement.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Association for Psychological Science (APS)
supporting increased appropriations for the national science foundation
(nsf)
highlights of aps recommendations for fiscal year 2022
--APS supports the Administration's recommended funding level of
$10.2 billion for NSF in fiscal year 2022. In immediate terms,
increased funding is necessary in fiscal year 2022 to help the
research community recover from COVID-19 and its effects on
research, education, and the professional development of the
next generation of scientists. In the longer term, a bold
approach to NSF funding advances NSF's transformational Big
Ideas initiatives; protects core programs that sustain science
and engineering fields; builds and operates world-class
research infrastructure, including the human capital that
conducts and supports research; and trains a diverse, inclusive
future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
workforce so that the U.S. can remain globally competitive.
--NSF's Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic (SBE)
Sciences conducts research that increases our fundamental
understanding of human development, cognition, behavior, and
more. One of the best ways to mitigate the crises created by
the COVID-19 pandemic is through an understanding of human
behavior. Supporting SBE is important to our ability to recover
from the problems arising from COVID-19 as well as to prevent
or mitigate economic, health, and security problems arising
from other national and international problems. Scientific
research supported by SBE also enables discovery in other
critical areas that range from addressing the needs of an aging
population, to strengthening racial equity and limiting bias,
to preparing our military with the insights it needs to
understand behavior in a changing world. Through its various
core programs, as well as its contributions to cross-
directorate NSF investments, SBE supports approximately 5,000
scientists, educators, and students in a typical year.
Unfortunately, SBE has often been a popular target for budget
cuts and messaging amendments. APS urges the Committee to
recognize the important contributions of NSF's Social,
Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate with supportive
report language and implied funding increases.
--NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recognizes and
supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM
disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and
doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The program
encourages the best and brightest students--a diverse cohort--
to pursue STEM as a career and recognizes those individuals who
propose to conduct meritorious scientific research capable of
broad impacts; it sets promising students on a trajectory for
success in their scientific careers. Given the significant
disruptions that COVID-19 has caused for the future careers of
student scientists, NSF should be strengthening its support for
students. APS urges the Committee to provide the resources
necessary to fund no less than 2,000 awards in fiscal year 2022
and urges the program to grow to 3,000 in future years.
statement of aps executive director
Madam Chairwoman and Members of the subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to provide testimony as you consider funding priorities for
Fiscal Year 2022. I am Robert Gropp, Executive Director of the
Association for Psychological Science (APS). APS is a nonprofit
scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of scientific
psychology for the benefit of science and society. APS's 30,000 members
are scientists and educators at the Nation's universities and colleges,
conducting research supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The research funded by NSF's Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
Directorate (SBE) provides a fundamental understanding of the human
condition. As the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic and its
effects, essential tools at our disposal are behavioral in nature,
bringing the science supported by SBE to the forefront. SBE-supported
scientists develop and employ rigorous methods to discover principles
of human behavior at levels ranging from cells to society and from
neurons to neighborhoods. We urge the Committee to include supportive
report language and implied funding increases for the SBE Directorate
in the Fiscal Year 2022 CJS Appropriations bill and report.
Madam Chairwoman, APS joins the scientific community in supporting
a fiscal year 2022 appropriation of $10.2 billion for NSF. This funding
level would advance innovation, discovery, and productivity; help us
face current and future societal challenges; and boost our economy
given the ways science, engineering, and math support so many of our
country's jobs.
recognizing the leadership of the subcommittee
Madam Chairwoman, as the leading voice for scientific psychology in
all its forms, APS recognizes and appreciates your leadership and the
leadership of this subcommittee in supporting Federal research. We
applaud your commitment to maintaining our Nation's economic growth,
national security, and overall global competitiveness through
investment in science. We are grateful for the appropriations the
agency received in fiscal year 2021, yet we respectfully recognize that
more is required to address the effects of historical underinvestment
in fundamental research in the United States. According to NSF, in
fiscal year 2020, 42,727 applications were received, but only 12,172
were funded. Many of these unfunded applications were deemed
meritorious by independent scientific reviewers. When deserving
proposals go unfunded, scientific progress and the resulting benefits
to society are delayed or lost.
The potential impact of these missed opportunities is even starker
when considering the return on investment in scientific research and
the significant investments that other nations are making in comparable
research areas. According to the National Science Board's 2020 Science
and Engineering Indicators, ``Where once the U.S. was the uncontested
leader in science and engineering, we are now playing a less dominant
role.'' The United States was the largest R&D performer in 2017,
followed by China. To remain at the forefront of scientific discovery
and continue leading the world in science and engineering, we must
invest strategically and robustly now. NSF increases the
competitiveness and growth of our country, but also of each State as
well. In fiscal year 2020, for example, New Hampshire research
institutions were competitively awarded a total of $42,904,000 in NSF
grant funding, and Kansas research institutions were awarded a total of
$44,239,000.
funding for the national science foundation and policy issues
As previously noted, APS recommends an fiscal year 2022 funding
level of $10.2 billion for NSF, a funding level that makes clear that
scientific research is a national priority.
APS does not recommend that Congress allocate funding at the
directorate level. We do encourage Congress to provide sufficient
funding to allow NSF to make additional and strategic new investments
in SBE. As mentioned previously, this research is key to responding to
COVID-19 and its effects, including the ways the pandemic has affected
disproportionately those from disparity groups. Reports from NSF
indicate that the SBE community is applying at record rates for funding
to address behavioral elements of COVID-19, and that these applications
are exceptionally meritorious and capable of broad and immediate
impacts.
In addition to offering potential solutions to COVID-19's effects,
SBE provides critical support to the behavioral science community
broadly. Despite being the smallest directorate at NSF, SBE funds 55
percent of all university-based social and behavioral science research
in the United States. In 2020, SBE awarded approximately $1.9 million
and $983,000 in fiscal year 2020 research grants to the Chairwoman and
Ranking Member's home States of New Hampshire and Kansas, respectively.
We therefore urge the Committee include the following report language:
Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE).--The
Committee supports SBE and recognizes the fundamental
importance of the research it supports in advancing scientific
understanding of critical challenges facing our Nation,
including increased misinformation, polarization, and bias. SBE
sciences also afford insights into advancing public health,
defense and security, education and learning, and the interface
of humans and technology. SBE funds over half of our Nation's
university-based behavioral science research, yet it is among
the smallest NSF research directorates. Because the Committee
believes SBE research provides an evidence-based understanding
of human behavior, it recommends an increase over the fiscal
year 2021 levels for SBE activities commensurate with its
potential for impact.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship
Program (GRFP) is the country's oldest fellowship program that directly
supports graduate students in various science, technology, engineering
and mathematics fields. These fellows are anticipated to become
knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research,
teaching, and innovations in science and engineering; they are crucial
to maintaining and advancing the Nation's technological infrastructure
and national security as well as contributing to the economic well-
being of society at large. Importantly, they enable the most promising
candidates from groups historically underrepresented in science to
choose science as a career.
Over the last several years, both GRFP program solicitations and
the Administration's budget requests state that NSF is planning to
reduce the number of awards to 1,600 down from the previous award level
of 2,000 awards. It is only when Congress intervenes with directive
report language in the CJS Appropriations reports that the awards are
brought up to the steady level of 2,000 per year.
Given that many students are suffering disruptions or delays to
their education resulting from COVID-19, NSF should be doing more to
support the careers of student scientists. A cut in the number of GRFP
awards sends an unintended message to those at early career levels that
NSF's support is declining. APS urges the following report language be
included in the fiscal year 2022 report supporting these important
training grants.
Graduate Research Fellowship Program.--The Committee notes
that the Graduate Research Fellowship program (GRFP) has a long
history of selecting recipients who achieve high levels of
success in their future academic and professional careers and
recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF
supported sciences, engineering, and mathematics, including the
field of behavioral science. In recognition of the outstanding
contributions of this program to launch the careers of talented
graduate students as they become lifelong leaders who
contribute to scientific innovations and teaching, the
Committee has provided the resources necessary to fund more
than 3,000 grants in fiscal year 2022 and urges the program
continue to grow in future years.
There is significant support in Congress and the Administration to
expand the National Science Foundation with increases in funding as
well as a new Technology and Innovation Directorate. APS appreciates
the enthusiasm and attention to science and technology, and we
wholeheartedly support efforts to grow scientific advancement. We
request that Congress ensure that its efforts further strengthen NSF's
unique mission of supporting fundamental research in all fields. We
also encourage Congress to continue to support NSF's initiatives that
ensure the U.S. science and technology workforce reflects the U.S.
population, increase the number of leaders in science from historically
underrepresented backgrounds, and support funding for and outreach to
deserving colleges and universities that are not typical recipients of
NSF support.
summary and conclusion
APS shares your commitment to fostering innovation and economic
competitiveness through investing in our Nation's research
infrastructure. While we request $10.2 billion for NSF, even more
Federal funding for the agency could result in more research that can
lead to new knowledge, new discoveries, and possibly products,
services, and new industries. Additional SBE research will continue to
help us understand patterns of stability and change at the individual,
group, organizational, and societal levels that can be applied to
promote the progress of science and to advance national health,
prosperity, and welfare. Continued support for the Graduate Research
Fellowship program at current levels, or even higher, provides training
support for our future scientists and engineers.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide this testimony. and thank
you for your leadership.
[This statement was submitted by Robert Gropp, Executive Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of CAST
national science foundation
Chairwoman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran and Members of the
subcommittee, since 1984, CAST (originally the Center for Applied
Special Technology) has worked relentlessly to ensure that our Nation
is one where learning has no limits for all individuals. We pioneered
Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a set of principles and guidelines
for inclusive curriculum design that is now included in the Every
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Higher Education Opportunity Act
(HEA), the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st
Century Act (Perkins V) and the National Education Technology Plan.
CAST is a non-profit organization that uses educational technology
coupled with our expertise in the learning sciences to ensure all
learners can and do reach their full potential. With grants provided by
the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Departments of Education
(ED) and Labor (DOL) as well as the private sector, we work to ensure
the full power of UDL is utilized to harness technology and
instructional practices to remove barriers to learning in digital as
well as physical settings. UDL encourages the design of flexible
learning environments that anticipate learner variability and provide
alternative routes or paths to success; UDL acknowledges that
variability across all learners is the norm rather than the exception.
UDL provides both viable alternatives for all learners to access
blended and online education and provides a responsive framework to
support educators in their professional learning and application in any
teaching environment. CAST's aim is to create a level playing field
where all learners have equitable opportunities to succeed.
In fiscal year 2022, CAST requests: (1) National Science
Foundation: receive a 20 percent overall increase. (2) National Science
Foundation--Education and Human Resources: receive a 16 percent
increase from $1.1B to $1.287B.
Since pioneering UDL more than 30 years ago, CAST has brought UDL
into K-12 schools, into postsecondary settings and increasingly into
career and technical education programs including STEM. Currently,
through public-private partnerships, including funding provided by NSF,
CAST is working to increase equity, diversity and inclusion of all
students in STEM including English Learners, students with low
literacy, and students with disabilities by: developing accessible STEM
educational resources and making them more widely available to teachers
and students; increasing engagement of [all] students, youth, adults in
STEM education/STEM careers; and, ensuring STEM teachers have
opportunities to be trained and receive a credential in the use of UDL.
Examples of successful initiatives led by CAST and funded and/or
co-funded by NSF include:
STEMfolio: The Career Exploration and Readiness Environment for
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CEE-STEM) program is
led by CAST with funding through NSF. CEE-STEM provides an e-portfolio
called STEMfolio, which supports non-traditional high school students
to collect information, reflect and record information regarding STEM
careers of interest, chronicle their STEM learning in both classroom
and job sites related to those careers, and take actions to connect
with STEM postsecondary and employment opportunities. For educators,
rubrics are provided so that teachers can evaluate students'
understanding of various careers and the quality of materials in the
student portfolio. STEMfolio is explicitly designed to increase
diversity and inclusion in STEM, by helping marginalized students see
the relevance and achievability of STEM career paths. By partnering
with YouthBuild USA in the design and piloting of the tool, CAST has
made sure that STEMFolio supports STEM learning and career pathways for
young adults who are members of ethnic minority groups and who are
economically disadvantaged, many of whom have dropped out of
traditional high school paths and may also be justice-involved or be
young parents.
UDL for Learning Science Notebook (SNUDLE): With NSF and ED
funding, the SNUDLE project is designed to support elementary school
students with learning disabilities in active science learning. Study
results have shown the tool's support for science learning and the
science inquiry process have statistically significant effects on
students with disabilities science performance and their motivation for
science learning.
Co-Organize Your Learning (CORGI): With NSF and ED funding, this
project is designed to enhance student engagement and learning through
a Google application (app) designed for students and teachers to use to
collaboratively answer questions requiring higher order reasoning.
Multi-Gen STEM Makerspaces Project is a Makerspace initiative
designed to increase access to STEM engagement, multi-disciplinary
learning and opportunity by residents of low-income communities.
Makerspaces have cropped up in schools, libraries, museums, and other
settings, but low-income communities have not had the same access to
these resources and their learning opportunities as have more affluent
ones. CAST is changing that by working in partnership with an
affordable housing complex in Stamford, CT. With NSF funding, we are
co-designing makerspace guidelines, workshops and a Multi-Gen Makers
Playbook that can be hosted and sustained in affordable housing
complexes across the country to provide an engaging, accessible route
to embed STEM learning in families' lives, allowing caregivers,
children, young adults, and neighbors to gather and share their
existing knowledge and skills, collaborate authentically and build on
it, using STEM to meet personally relevant goals, to pursue a STEM
career pathway, or to nurture a hobby or interest.
Advanced Technological Education: Making Community College
Technician Education More Accessible for Everyone (AccessATE). Through
support from NSF, the project goal is to support the ATE community and
provide ATE grantees with the tools and knowledge to increase the
accessibility and usability of their resources and activities. CAST is
providing technical assistance on accessibility and UDL to ATE Centers
and recipients of ATE research grants. Partners include: Internet
Scout, the Accessible Education Materials Center, DeafTEC, Human
Engineering Research Laboratories and the National Center for
Accessible Media. The AccessATE work specifically supports: Community
college programs (e.g., Corrections, Manchester Community College, CT);
and Marginalized rural youth (increasing access to work-based learning
through outdoor recreation).
Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI). This public-
private initiative to ``secure U.S. global leadership in advanced
manufacturing'' brings CAST together with career and technical
education schools, industry partners, and colleges to produce prototype
career exploration modules that showcase the varied pathways into these
new industries. The goal is to increase the number of students from
under-represented populations and backgrounds pursuing careers in these
nascent fields. Partners are: ARMI (industry and business), ATE
community and career and technical education (CTE) via Federal Perkins
funds.
As you can see, continuing to support NSF's education portfolio is
essential, especially as the agency seeks to leverage the UDL
framework. Funding for this work is critical to mitigating the current
impact of digital, in-person or hybrid learning and, instead, achieving
the inclusive potential of flexible learning environments because the
U.S. population of learners is predictably diverse. Federal investments
made by NSF to support teachers and other educators, as well as
learners of all ages must plan for this diversity. To ensure equity, it
is vital that all learners, including K-12 students, hard-to-engage
youth, first-time career seekers, or adults desiring new opportunities,
have access to STEM workforce development as well as career pathways
and programs that are designed with the variability of their learning
in mind. Continuing to invest in educational innovations that
incorporate effective implementation of UDL while prioritizing the need
to include UDL as part of the infrastructure of STEM education,
including faculty training and expanding community and individual
awareness creates equity and makes sense.
CAST appreciates the opportunity to provide recommendations to the
subcommittee regarding the fiscal year 2022 appropriations bill and
urges you to expand investments in the NSF as recommended. We look
forward to working with you as you develop a final appropriations bill
that supports the NSF and also recognizes UDL as a vital component to
STEM education and career training to increase and sustain a vital
workforce.
[This statement was submitted by Linda G. Gerstle, CEO.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Coastal States Organization, National
Estuarine Research Reserve, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, IOOS
Association, and Sea Grant Association
support for fiscal year 2022 appropriations to promote climate
resilience and adaptation for the nation's oceans, coasts, and great
lakes
This joint statement is submitted on behalf of the non-profit
organizations listed above who share a deep concern for the health of
the Nation's oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. The members of our
organizations work as partners to assist our coastal communities
enhance their resilience by leveraging each other's contributions and
strengths in an effort to ensure we maximize the use of our resources
towards synergistic outcomes i.e., ``a whole that is greater than the
sum of the parts.''
America's coasts are highly desirable places to live, with growing
populations, however, at this interface between land and water, coastal
dynamics are constantly in flux, bringing a unique set of challenges:
--COVID-19. The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and
compounded economic and social challenges at many levels,
particularly for disadvantaged communities.
--Climate Change. Coastal residents are increasingly threatened by
hurricanes, fires, flooding, typhoons and tsunamis, as well as
chronic challenges, including coastal inundation (due to rising
sea levels and land subsidence), erosion, and increasing storm
intensity.
--Racial Equity. Historically underserved and underrepresented
communities, particularly Black, Indigenous and people of
color, are disproportionately impacted by weather, climate, and
disease impacts.
--Economic Recovery. Loss of jobs and market-related impacts have
been acutely felt in coastal communities.
Coastal resilience is a complex and continuously evolving issue and
effectively addressing it requires a collaborative framework of
Federal, State, and local partners. NOAA's partner programs--Coastal
Zone Management, Sea Grant, National Estuarine Research Reserves,
National Marine Sanctuaries and the Integrated Ocean Observing System--
work together to provide tailored information, planning resources,
protected land and water areas, science and science translation that
provide a comprehensive and integrated set of services to address
national priorities effectively at the local, State and regional level.
Depending on geography and the specific challenge, each of these
partners provides a critical tool in the toolbox needed to support
communities in addressing coastal resilience and climate adaptation:
--Innovative science is necessary to develop new coastal resource
management, protection, and restoration techniques.
--Sustained observations and accurate data collection are necessary
to inform innovated science.
--Modeling and visualization tools are necessary to translate data
into meaningful information to inform coastal decision-making.
--Coastal zone management policies informed by data and science are
necessary to ensure wise management of the coasts.
--Policies to enforce wise coastal management, resilience planning,
implementation of coastal restoration and resilient
infrastructure projects, and timely and robust coastal hazard
response are necessary to translate data and science into
effective coastal management
--Education and communication resources for best practices and risk
communication are necessary to ensure that the public has
reliable and actionable information regarding coastal hazards.
--Conservation, protection, and stewardship of coastal places is
necessary to provide coastal protections from coastal hazards
and to study sentinel-sites to inform coastal adaption and
hazard mitigation efforts.
If any of these tools is missing, or Federal investments do not
adequately support each of these tools, efforts to address coastal
climate resilience and adaptation will be hampered and less effective.
The immense challenges facing our coastal communities and ecosystems
are much too large for any one organization to be able to solve alone.
Thriving and collaborative partnerships are essential to supporting the
vision of safe and sustainable coasts. Each of the partners here play a
critical role in advancing coastal resilience and adaptation and
actively work collaboratively to advance these goals.
Over 126 million residents--40 percent of the population of the
United States--live in coastal counties occupying only 10 percent of
the U.S. landmass. These counties employ 56 million people, resulting
in $3.4 trillion in wages annually, and produce more than $8.3 trillion
in goods and services. Weather- and climate-related hazards, and the
resulting loss of life as well as environmental and economic impacts,
have increased at an alarming rate. Since 1980, the Nation experienced
285 weather and climate disasters where overall damages reached or
exceeded $1 billion. The cost of these 285 events exceeds $1.875
trillion. Just in the last 5 years (2016-2020), the Nation was
subjected to 81 events that resulted in nearly 4,000 deaths and damages
that exceed $600 billion.
These weather and climate coastal hazards threaten critical coastal
infrastructure, water and food supplies, and lives and livelihoods.
These hazards can create both governance challenges and social
instability and have a disproportionate impact on under resourced
communities and communities of color. The increasing physical and
economic damages, social justice implications, and community
devastation is testing governments at all levels, and have shown that
more is needed to ensure that our coastal communities are prepared for,
have taken mitigation measures to reduce the impact of, and are able to
respond to and recover from major episodic and chronic weather and
climate threats. To ensure coastal communities are prepared to address
increasing coastal hazards, a robust investment in a networked
resilience initiative is necessary.
Sea Level Rise in New Hampshire.--New Hampshire Seacoast
communities experience increasingly frequent and severe storm impacts.
This can lead to devastating flooding, as seen in three back-to-back
Nor'easters in 2018 that knocked out power to millions in New England,
drove erosion that carved up the coast, and floated dumpsters down main
streets in Hampton, NH. University of New Hampshire researchers with
support from New Hampshire Sea Grant in partnership with staff at the
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Service (NHDES)'s Coastal
Program spearheaded the Coastal Landowner Technical Assistance Program
(LTAP)--to guide residents through assessing and mitigating flooding
and erosion risk on their properties. Since launching in 2019, LTAP has
helped over 70 participants at 25 flood- and/or erosion-prone sites.
LTAP provides consistent technical assistance to coastal landowners to
help understand their potential coastal flood risks and restoration
opportunities, clarify goals for managing their property, and identify
conceptual options that may enhance the resilience of their properties,
neighborhoods, and community's natural resources.
South Carolina, Delaware, North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia--
Using Data to Prepare for Hurricanes and Severe Storm Impacts.--Downed
power lines, flooding, damaged buildings--some hurricane impacts are
easy to spot. Others, like changes in water salinity that impact local
fisheries, are harder to assess. Not knowing where such changes occur,
or how long they linger, is a perennial challenge for coastal decision
makers. To meet this need, the National Estuarine Research Reserve
System-Wide Monitoring Program (NERRS SWMP) and the Integrated Ocean
Observing System (IOOS) along the East Coast partnered to track
salinity changes that resulted from Hurricanes Joaquin in 2015 and
Matthew in 2016. Both networks collect data that can be used to track
storm signals: NERRS data typically comes from nearshore and upstream
areas, and IOOS data is collected further offshore. By putting these
datasets together, you can paint a picture of a hurricane and its
impacts in near real-time as a storm moves along the coast and into the
watershed. The team found that, depending on the location, the changes
in salinity persisted for a week to more than a month after the storm
had passed. Using visualizations and data mapping, they showed the
magnitude and duration of these changes--powerful information for
managers of fisheries that are sensitive to salinity. By forming an
extended network of monitoring stations collecting data over large
geographic areas, NERRS and IOOS have the potential to accelerate
understanding of the science around a range of storm impacts and their
drivers.
Hawaiian Indigenous Seafoods, COVID, and Marine Conservation.--
Food, land, and people are closely interwoven in the mission of
Hawai`i's He`eia National Estuarine Research Reserve. In 2020, the
Reserve, Hawai'i Sea Grant Program, Paepae o He`eia and Kako`o `Oiwi
tied these threads together to help food service workers hit hard by
the COVID-19 pandemic with a professional development experience based
on Indigenous seafood. Revitalizing Indigenous food systems and
associated food culture is a central component of coastal and marine
conservation in the Hawaiian Islands. In this 7-week training,
participants explored the history, ecology, cultural practices,
cultivation, and harvesting techniques of Indigenous seafoods and
learned how to prepare and preserve them. The food service industry was
one of the hardest hit in Hawai?i during the pandemic, with a 58
percent loss of full-time employees between January and April 2020. In
addition to professional development, training organizers worked to
support employee retention, increase public understanding of local
foods, and strengthen partnerships between Indigenous seafood
practitioners and local restaurants. By providing a stipend to
participants, the program also was a short-term source of income to
workers facing unemployment or underemployment due to the pandemic.
Participants have become informal educators, able to introduce and
explain native foods and their preparation techniques to the public.
Collaboration Enhances Hazard Resilience in Washington.--The
Washington Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM), Washington Sea Grant
(WSG), and the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR)
are longstanding partners in addressing Federal hazard resilience
objectives along the State's 3,000-mile marine coastline by applying
scientific and technical innovations to coastal management policy and
community assistance programs. The team worked with science partners
and pilot communities to produce localized sea level rise projections
that are relevant to existing planning and funding processes. The
project relied on Washington Sea Grant expertise to rapidly improve the
scientific information and tools to evaluate risk, CZM planning and
design guidance to support local adaptation strategies and NERR
leadership to develop a new climate resilience series in the State's
Coastal Training Program. A redesigned website for the Washington
Coastal Hazards Resilience Network provides improved access to related
technical information and case histories. The net effect has been
greater collective capacity in Washington to support local initiatives.
Building Alaskan Community Resilience to Harmful Algal Blooms.--The
economic, environmental and health impact of harmful algal blooms
(HABS) is increasing around the country as new species emerge and
existing problems grow worse. For example, in Alaska the State saw its
first paralytic shellfish poisoning fatality in more than a decade last
year. The impacts of HABs on shellfish threaten public health and
Alaska's economy, which includes an estimated $12.8 billion in economic
output related to the annual commercial and wild shellfish harvest each
year. In response to this growing threat, the Alaska Ocean Observing
System supported detection and early warning of harmful algal blooms
through the deployment of sensors, development of forecasts and data
integration and management. The Kachemak Bay National Estuarine
Research Reserve initiated an ongoing HABs community monitoring program
that is helping citizens, businesses, and the State--which lacks a
shellfish monitoring program--respond to the challenge. Working
together--the Reserve joined the Alaska Sea Grant Program and the
Alaska Ocean Observing System to form the statewide Alaska Harmful
Algal Bloom Network. This collaboration is helping to understand and
track HABs and their impacts on a harvest that yields 36 million pounds
of wild food annually. These programs work with local shellfish
growers, Tribes, and resource managers to support phytoplankton
monitoring, shellfish sampling, workshops, risk communication training,
public service announcements, and weekly monitoring reports.
Oregon Shoreline Armoring.--Oregon Sea Grant (OSG) and the Oregon
Coastal Zone Program within the Oregon Department of Land Conservation
and Development (DLCD) was tasked with addressing shoreline armoring
(the practice of using physical structures to protect shorelines from
coastal erosion) in Goal 18 of Oregon's statewide land use planning
goals on conserving and protecting Oregon's beaches and dunes, and on
reducing hazards to human life and property. A diverse focus group,
including a program manager from the Oregon Department of
Transportation, a director of a public utility, a county planner, a
city manager, an engineering geologist, an economist and a land use
attorney, was asked to address key topics related to shoreline
armoring. Permits for armoring are limited to areas of development
prior to 1977, when goal 18 was implemented. The topic is
controversial, with OSG playing a neutral role. The group ultimately
produced a consensus report that is used by DLCD in its management of
the Oregon coast.
In conclusion, we urge the subcommittee to strongly support
programs and initiatives in the fiscal year 2022 budget for NOAA) that
collectively help strengthen our coastal communities' resilience
specifically:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$107.9 million in fiscal year 2022 for $40 million for National Oceans
the National Sea Grant College Program and Coastal Security Fund
and $15 million for Sea Grant
Aquaculture..
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$36.8 million for the Integrated Ocean $88.5 million for Coastal
Observing Program. Management Grants and $50.45
million for Coastal Zone Mgt
and Services
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$32 million for National Estuarine $35 million for NOAA Education
Research Reserve System operations and programs
$10 million for procurement,
acquisition & construction.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$72 million for National Marine $6 million for the Digital
Sanctuaries operations and $8.5 Coast Program
million for procurement, acquisition &
construction.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes research, education, conservation,
and resource management programs funded by this subcommittee are
investments in the future health, resiliency, and well-being of our
coastal communities which will result in returns of improved quality of
life, as well as environmental and economic outcomes many times over
the Federal investment. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this
joint statement.
______
Prepared Statement of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is pleased
to share our views on the Department of Commerce's fiscal Year 2022
budget and has identified the following funding needs:
$109.0 million for Salmon Management Activities of which:
-- $26.5 million for Mitchell Act Programs to support on-going
operation and maintenance of the program and produce the
targeted fish mitigation numbers; and
-- $43.5 million for the Pacific Salmon Treaty in annual
operations for the implementation of the 2019-2028
Agreement.
$70 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund to
support on-the-ground salmon restoration activities.
$4 million for Columbia River Pinniped Management to support
implementation of the MMPA Section 120(f) permit issued by
NOAA-F in 2019
$80.8 million for Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) in
NOAA National Ocean Service budget
-- $69.5 million supports IOOS Regional Associations, including
the NANOOS (Northwest Associations of Network Ocean
Observing Systems) regional association, which serves
Oregon and Washington.
-- $11.3 million supports IOOS National program in the
Navigation, Observation and Positioning budget line.
Background: The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
(CRITFC) was founded in 1977 by the four Columbia River treaty Tribes:
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated
Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, Confederated Tribes
and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and the Nez Perce Tribe. CRITFC
provides coordination and technical assistance to the Tribes in
regional, national and international efforts to protect and restore
fisheries and fish habitat.
In 1855, the United States entered into treaties with the four
Tribes.\1\ The Tribes ceded tens of millions of acres of our homelands
to the U.S. and the U.S. pledged to honor our ancestral rights,
including the right to fish at all usual and accustomed places.
Unfortunately, a long history of hydroelectric development, habitat
destruction, and over-fishing by non-Indians brought the salmon
resource to the edge of extinction with 12 salmon and steelhead trout
populations in the Columbia River basin listed under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Treaty with the Yakama Tribe, June 6, 1855, 12 Stat. 951;
Treaty with the Tribes of Middle Oregon, June 25, 1855, 12 Stat. 963;
Treaty with the Umatilla Tribe, June 9, 1855, 12 Stat. 945; Treaty with
the Nez Perce Tribe, June 11, 1855, 12 Stat. 9.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today, the treaties form the bedrock of fisheries management. The
CRITFC Tribes are among the most successful fishery managers in the
country, leading restoration efforts and working with State, Federal,
and private entities. CRITFC's comprehensive plan, Wy-Kan-Ush-Mi Wa-
Kish-Wit, outlines principles and objectives designed to halt the
decline of salmon, lamprey, and sturgeon populations and rebuild the
fisheries to levels that support Tribal ceremonial, subsistence, and
commercial harvests. To achieve these objectives, the plan emphasizes
strategies that rely on natural production, healthy rivers, and
collaborative efforts.
Several key regional agreements were completed in 2008. The
Columbia Basin Fish Accords set out parameters for management of the
Federal Columbia River Power System for fish passage. New agreements in
U.S. v. Oregon and the Pacific Salmon Commission established fishery
management criteria for fisheries ranging from the Columbia River to
Southeast Alaska. The U.S. v. Oregon agreement also contains provisions
for hatchery management in the Columbia River basin. We have
successfully secured other funds to support our efforts to implement
these agreements, including funds from the Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA), the Department of Interior, and the Southern Fund
of the Pacific Salmon Treaty, to name just a few. Continued Federal
funding support is needed to accomplish the management objectives
embodied in the agreements.
Salmon Management Activities
Columbia River (Mitchell Act) Hatchery Program: We request the
Mitchell Act be funded at $26.5 million for fiscal Year 2022. The
Mitchell Act enables Federal agencies to work with the Lower Columbia
River treaty Tribes and the States of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho to
establish and operate a series of hatcheries and passage facilities to
improve declining fish runs in the Columbia River, ensure conservation
of these critical natural resources, maintain economically viable
Tribal, commercial, and sports fisheries and provide prey for Southern
Resident killer whales. Today, the Mitchell Act funds 60 programs that
produce approximately 40 million fish annually--nearly 30 percent of
the total salmon and steelhead production in the Columbia Basin.
The request for an additional $4.5 million in Mitchell act funds
above the fiscal Year 2021 funding level ($22 million) is to ensure
that mitigation hatcheries maintain levels of production and meet new
operating requirements consistent with Federal obligations. There is an
obligation to treaty Tribes and other stakeholders for mitigation and
in order to reach mitigation responsibilities, there must be full
hatchery production.
Pacific Salmon Treaty Program: CRITFC supports the U.S. Section
recommendation of $43.5 million for implementation of the revised
Pacific Salmon Treaty (Treaty).
The Department of Commerce principally funds programs conducted by
the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska and the NMFS.
However, the cost of programs conducted by these States to fulfill
national commitments created by the Treaty continue to be substantially
greater than the funding provided in the NMFS budget. Consequently,
they have supplemented the Federal Treaty appropriations from other
sources, including their general funds. Many of those funding sources
are limited or no longer available and this has been exacerbated by the
ongoing global pandemic.
The $20 million increase in the fiscal Year 2020 budget and the $5
million in the fiscal year 2021 budget were greatly appreciated,
however it falls short of what the U.S. Section estimates is needed to
fully implement the revised Annex Chapters to the Pacific Salmon
Treaty.
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Program (PCSRF): The PCSRF program
was developed in 2000 by the State of Alaska, the Pacific Northwest
States, and the treaty Tribes since the renewal of the Pacific Salmon
Treaty in 1995 to fulfill the unmet needs for the conservation and
restoration of salmon stocks shared in the Tribal, State, and
international fisheries. Since that time, the number of entities
eligible for receiving funding has grown.
PCSRF has funded 401 Yakama, Umatilla, Warm Springs, Nez Perce, and
CRITFC Tribal salmon recovery projects. These projects have contributed
greatly to the PNW effort to avoid extinction of Columbia Basin salmon
species and their habitat. Accomplishments include 4,581 stream miles
monitored; 413 miles of stream made accessible to salmon; 4,971 acres
of riparian area treated; 11,341 acres conserved by acquisition or
lease; and 2 million salmon fry/smolts released annually. PCSRF is
vital to fulfill the region's goal of full salmon recovery and
sustainability of the fishery and provide for meaningful exercise of
the treaty-reserved rights of the lower Columbia River treaty Tribes.
The co-managers have developed an extensive matrix of performance
standards to address accountability and performance standards, which
includes the use of monitoring protocols to systematically track
current and future projects basin-wide. The PCSRF projects implemented
are based on the best science, adequately monitored, and address the
limiting factors affecting salmon restoration. Projects undertaken by
the Tribes are consistent with CRITFC's salmon restoration plan and the
programmatic areas identified by Congress.
We recommend a funding level of $70 million for the PCSRF fiscal
Year 2022 allocation. Long-term economic benefits can be achieved by
making PCSRF investments on-the- ground to rebuild sustainable,
harvestable salmon populations into the future.
Columbia River Section 120 (f) Pinniped Removal Program: Since
2002, sea lions in the Columbia River have significantly impacted
endangered and threatened stocks of salmon and steelhead. Sea lions
also prey on Pacific lamprey and mature sturgeon below Bonneville Dam,
and on listed salmon and steelhead runs in the Willamette River and
other tributaries to the Columbia River. Thirty-two wild salmon
populations bound for the upper Columbia and Snake rivers are
vulnerable to predation by sea lions immediately below Bonneville Dam.
Other ESA-listed salmon and steelhead populations passing through the
lower Columbia River when sea lions are feeding include lower Columbia
River chinook, lower Columbia River steelhead, middle Columbia River
steelhead, Snake River basin steelhead, upper Willamette River chinook,
and upper Willamette River steelhead. All six of these are listed as
``threatened'' under the ESA.
Despite non-lethal and limited lethal-take measures, the number of
salmon and steelhead consumed by sea lions below Bonneville Dam more
than doubled between 2006 and 2015, as larger Steller sea lions
increased in numbers and began to take a higher toll; management and
Federal authorization was initially focused on California sea lions and
not Steller sea lions. In response, Congress amended the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA) in December 2018 to provide State and Tribal
resource managers greater flexibility to manage sea lions. In August,
2020, the Yakama, Nez Perce, Umatilla, and Warm Springs along with
Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, received a MMPA Section 120(f) permit
from the National Marine Fisheries Service to actively manage pinniped
populations in the lower Columbia River and its tributaries. The
authority under this permit increases the scope and scale from earlier
management efforts and expands lethal removal authority to also include
Steller sea lions. This permit expands the area of potential removals
and will increase removal activity from 3 months per year to 10 or more
months per year. Previously, removing sea lions required a multistep
process which included branding the animals and identifying repeat
offenders. This new authority will streamline that process and, as a
result, will increase the number of trappings and removals. In order to
fully implement the Section 120(f) permit, the States and Tribes are
requesting $4 million in Federal funds. This will supplement current
State and Tribal contributions.
Regional and National Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) in
NOAA National Ocean Service budget: CRITFC supports the Commerce
Department's recommendation of $69.5 million for IOOS Regional
Associations, and $11.3 million in the Navigation, Observations and
Positioning line for IOOS national program efforts.
The Commerce Department's budget justification requests increased
funding for the National IOOS office to create and foster natural and
economic resilience, including the creation of a Marine Life Program in
IOOS, and to improve data management and cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) to
enhance Regional IOOS expertise for stakeholder engagement and co-
development of IOOS decision support products and services.
IOOS is the Nation's premier coastal and Great Lakes observing
program, providing information that helps protect lives, economies, and
our environment. Fully funding IOOS consistent with the Commerce
Department's budget request will maintain and improve critical program
management and system development. Prior years' funding levels for IOOS
have been insufficient to fully fund the identified regional needs for
observation and modeling that are essential for understanding threats
to Columbia River salmon in the estuary and ocean.
In 2020, CRITFC assumed responsibility for the Coastal Margin
Observation and Prediction (CMOP) program, a modeling and observation
system covering the Columbia River estuary and coastal ocean. CMOP is
funded as a component of NANOOS (Northwest Ocean Observing System, the
Regional Association serving Oregon and Washington. As a Regional
Association, NANOOS works with local experts, scientists, managers,
industry, and stakeholders within the community to understand needs,
identify priorities, and determine cost-effective solutions. NANOOS is
committed to addressing national priorities in a manner that is
tailored to the unique needs of our region and that will make a
difference to stakeholders and constituents.
In summary, the CRITFC and our four member Tribes have developed
the capacity and infrastructure to become the regional leaders in
restoring and rebuilding salmon populations of the Columbia Basin. Our
collective efforts protect our treaty-reserved fishing rights and
provides healthy, harvestable salmon populations for all citizens to
enjoy. We will be pleased to provide any additional information that
this subcommittee may require.
Contact: Paul Ward, Director of Government Affairs,
warp@critfc.org.
[This statement was submitted by Jeremy Takala, Chairman.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership
On behalf of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL), which
represents our Nation's leading ocean science, research, and technology
organizations from academia, industry, and the larger nonprofit sector,
I appreciate the opportunity to submit for the record our fiscal year
2022 funding priorities for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The last year brought unprecedented challenges to our Nation and
our world, challenges whose impacts we will be feeling for years to
come. As our Nation moves from relief to recovery to resilience, it is
critically important the Federal Government continue to invest in
sciences outside the medical realm, increasing support for our ocean
science agencies and programs. As the world's leading maritime nation,
the success of our National economy is deeply tied to that of the
maritime, or ``blue'' economy, and a resilient national recovery must
include a significant revitalization of the blue economy. The blue
economy has weathered previous recessions better than the overall
economy; by 2016, employment had increased by 14.5 percent compared to
pre-recession levels (2007), dwarfing the 4.8 percent employment growth
of the National economy. Projections also show the growth of the blue
economy is likely to outpace that of the global economy. While a strong
pillar of our economy, the blue economy is not exempt from the negative
impacts of COVID, and it's clear that its revitalization will be
critical to ensuring our post-COVID economic prosperity.
Investing in ocean science and technology, in addition to growing
the blue economy, will allow us to understand our changing ocean and
climate, enable science-based decision making on topics ranging from
resource management to offshore wind, protect our coastal communities,
enable resilience, and strengthen our National security. NOAA, NSF, and
NASA each play important roles in understanding our Earth system--
including the ocean, in educating our Nation's citizens to create a
more environmental- and ocean-literate society; in growing a diverse
and equitable Federal workforce; and much more. Additionally, these
agencies are already heavily invested in climate research, and it is
necessary to support and grow these existing programs, as well as the
opportunity to grow coordination and collaboration across related issue
areas.
I appreciate and support the administration's widespread increases
to ocean agencies and programs in the president's budget request.
However, I was disappointed in the flat funding ($3 million) proposed
for the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP). Given the
current energy surrounding the program, due in part to its
reauthorization in fiscal year 2021, and the increasingly important
role of cross-sectoral partnerships, a more robust investment would
ensure the rapid and flexible creation of multisector partnerships to
solve complex ocean problems and to advance the economic,
environmental, and national security interests of the United States.
Increased investment would also signal to non-Federal partners the
government's acknowledgement of the importance of their role and the
potential for partnerships to advance our ocean enterprise. To fully
utilize NOPP and facilitate the success of projects promoting national
goals related to ocean knowledge, I respectfully request the
subcommittee provide at least $20 million in NOPP funding--$10 million
to NOAA and $10 million to NASA, and I also encourage strong support of
the program through NSF. Of the $10 million to NOAA, at least $1
million should be directed to the Ocean Research Advisory Panel (ORAP),
NOPP's statutory Federal Advisory Committee Act body, as NOAA is now
statutorily required through the fiscal year 2021 reauthorization to
provide administrative and technical support.
national oceanic and atmospheric administration
I respectfully request at least $7.2 billion for NOAA (3 percent more
than the request).
To make the best, proactive management decisions possible, it is
necessary that we first understand our ocean. So much of our ocean
remains unknown-more than 80 percent is unexplored, unmapped, or
unobserved. We must grow our Nation's ability to both observe and to
explore the ocean. I respectfully request at least:
--$100 million for the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (130
percent more than the request), the only Federal organization
dedicated to ocean exploration. Due to the cooperative nature
of the enterprise, I also request report language addressing
the importance of collaboration and coordination among Federal
and State agencies, academic institutions, industry, Indigenous
communities, philanthropy and other oceanographic partners to
maximize return on investment and advance shared data, science
and public engagement, and innovative technology.
--$69.5 million for the U.S Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)
regional system (equal to the request), which includes at least
$40.2 million for the National network of regional coastal
observing systems; $2.5 million to install high-frequency radar
systems to close gaps in the surface current mapping system,
$3.5 million to support underwater gliders; $2.5 million to
streamline observations, coastal resiliency, and coastal
climate observations; $3.5 million to expand pilot projects for
a National Harmful Algal Bloom Observing Network; and $4.3
million for ocean technology and modeling innovation.
Additionally, I request at least $7.3 million for the Program
Office. I also support language in the request around the
establishment of a Marine Life Program and the $15 million in
external grant funding to expand marine life observations
(which should include activities around eDNA and 'omics),
support analysis, and forecast implications of climate change.
Finally, I support authorizing language around maintaining and
expanding the Ocean Noise Reference Station Network (in
coordination with IOOS) and request $1.5 million for this work.
--$66.8 million for the Sustained Ocean Observations and Monitoring
Program (SOOM) (equal to the request) to maintain observations
to better understand and respond to changing ocean conditions.
SOOM, whose funding has remained essentially flat since fiscal
year 2005, funds an array of monitoring capabilities necessary
to understand the long-term impacts of the changing climate; to
enhance hurricane forecasting, tsunami warning systems, and
storm surge monitoring; to improve weather forecasting; to
assess and plan for environmental variability and change; and
to sustainably manage marine ecosystems.
--$10 million for Uncrewed Systems (150 percent more than the
request) within the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
to advance research and evalution for operational readiness,
including testing and evaluation in partnership with academia,
industry, and other non-governmental organizations in support
of the CENOTE Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-394). I respectfully
request at least half the funding be for uncrewed maritime
systems and that, to the extent practicable, funds be
competitively awarded in open competition.
NOPP is not the only partnership program that brings great benefit
to the ocean science community. Many programs at NOAA advance
cooperation and coordination between Federal and non-Federal partners
and provide extramural funding opportunities. I respectfully request at
least:
--$42 million for the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Competitive Research Program (NCCOS CRP) (equal to the
request), which has supported coastal and Great Lakes States
and U.S. territories with groundbreaking and innovative
research over the last 30 years. The $68.5 million has funded
113 projects around a variety of topics, including harmful
algal blooms (HABs), hypoxia, coastal change, and regional
ecosystems. However, the program has received many more
proposals than it has funded, with more than $441 million
requested. Continuing to grow this account is necessary to
support the increasing demand for these funds to address HABs
and hypoxia challenges.
--$115.7 million for the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea
Grant) (equal to the request) and $15 million for Sea Grant
(Marine) Aquaculture (15 percent above the request). For
decades, Sea Grant has supported coastal and Great Lakes
communities, improving community and economic resiliency,
ensuring healthy coastal ecosystems, and advancing
environmental literacy and workforce education.
The importance of STEM education and extensions programs cannot be
overstated. Expanding and growing our ocean-STEM pipeline to reach
underserved and underrepresented communities is an imperative, as the
ocean sciences severely lack diversity. This will also benefit the
ocean-STEM pipeline and associated workforce, whose stability and
diversity are at risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lingering
inequities. I respectfully request at least:
--$50 million for NOAA's Office of Education (22 percent more than
the request), including a $20 million increase for NOAA's Bay-
Watershed Education and Training and Environmental Literacy
Program grants (ELP). Sustained and adequate funding for these
programs advances NOAA's mission, grows the STEM workforce, and
strengthens our economy. As the longest-standing and most
comprehensive national grants program with a focus on
environmental literacy, ELP grants have and will continue to
keep our coastal communities--and our Nation as a whole--safe,
secure, and prosperous.
national science foundation
I respectfully request at least $10.2 billion for the agency (equal to
the request).
I thank the subcommittee for providing $127 million in fiscal year
2019 to finish out the 3-year funding profile to complete construction
of all three Regional Class Research Vessels (RCRVs). With more modern
technology and abilities than previous generations, these long-awaited
RCRVs will provide even more access to the marine realm, and I
respectfully request the subcommittee maintain full operational and
maintenance support for these critical research vessels, including
funding needs related to COVID-19 delays and impacts. I appreciate the
committee's efforts to bring the RCRVs online and believe now is the
time to initiate conversations focused on ensuring continued access to
Global Class Research Vessels in the future.
NSF's Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) supports basic research
from the ocean to the poles to the atmosphere. GEO is only growing in
relevance to NSF's mission, particularly as we gain a better
understanding of the impacts of a changing climate on everything from
the ocean and human health to its role as an essential element of our
National security. This research will help our Nation meet the
challenges of today, particularly around the changing climate, from
understanding, adapting to, and mitigating the impacts of change to
predicting environmental hazards and extreme events. I respectfully
urge strong support for GEO to help us understand our global
environment.
STEM education at NSF plays a vital role in securing our National,
homeland, economic, energy, food, and water securities. Broadening the
backgrounds of scientists to represent all people across our Nation,
better reflecting our diversity of gender, race, class, and
perspective, is critical for all STEM fields. A diverse, STEM-literate
workforce strengthens our Nation's economy and is vital to maintaining
the Nation's leadership in science and technology innovation. It is
imperative to reinforce the importance of funding Federal programs that
empower underrepresented groups to become the next generation of ocean-
STEM leaders at every educational and technical level. The NSF INCLUDES
(Inclusion across the Nation of Communities and Learners of
Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science) program aims
to increase access to and participation in STEM learning by demographic
groups with historically low participation in these fields. Programs
such as this--that support a more diversified academic core in the
science and technology workforce--are key to ensuring the inclusion of
underrepresented groups and in growing our blue economy, and I
respectfully urge strong support for NSF INCLUDES.
U.S. investment in scientific ocean drilling over the past 55 years
has been vital to the health and sustainability of our Nation and our
planet. Scientific ocean drilling has been and will continue to be a
foundational platform to make advances of acute societal relevance and
resilience. For example, it has allowed us to grow our understanding of
past climate change and sea level rise and is critical to our
understanding of future climate risk and the assessment of possible
adaptation and remediation scenarios. Additionally, it has been and
will continue to provide the critical insights and state-of-the-art
monitoring data that will enable more reliable forecasts and
assessments related to understanding the tectonic processes that result
in mega-earthquakes and tsunami, which cause some of our planet's
deadliest and most costly natural disasters, impacting highly
vulnerable communities. Scientific ocean drilling also provides an
opportunity to grow our STEM leadership and to diversify our workforce
and represents one of this Nation's most successful, productive, and
impactful investments advancing national STEM education and basic
research. Maintaining U.S. leadership in scientific ocean drilling--
through beginning to take actions necessary to build and support
operations of a new drill ship to carry the International Ocean
Discovery Program beyond the 2024 horizon that it is scheduled to end--
is of the utmost importance.
national aeronautics and space administration
Understanding our home planet is central to NASA's mandate, and
space provides a unique perspective from which to understand Earth on a
planetary scale. To grow our understanding of Earth--and to better
prioritize understanding the changing climate--I respectfully request
at least $9 billion for the Science Mission Directorate (14 percent
more than the request) and at least $2.5 billion for NASA Earth Science
(9 percent more than the request). This should include support for the
agency's Earth-facing missions, specifically the Plankton, Aerosol,
Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission and the Climate Absolute Radiance
and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Pathfinder instrument. Both were
recommendations from the 2007 Earth Science decadal survey.
Education programs bringing students into the STEM pipeline are
critically important and need to increase their outreach to attract and
retain underserved and underrepresented students in STEM fields. I
request at least $147 million for the Office of STEM Engagement (equal
to the request).
By maintaining and growing these funding levels across all three
agencies, the committee would also be supporting our Nation's
leadership on recently announced U.S.-led initiatives that are part of
the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
[This statement was submitted by Dr. Alan P Leonardi, President and
CEO.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Consortium of Social Science Associations
support of fiscal year 2022 funding for the national science
foundation, census bureau, national institute of justice, and bureau of
justice statistics
On behalf of the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA),
I offer this written testimony for inclusion in the official committee
record. For fiscal year 2022, COSSA urges the Committee to appropriate:
--$10.2 billion for the National Science Foundation
--$2 billion for the Census Bureau
--$42 million for the National Institute of Justice
--$50 million for the Bureau of Justice Statistics
First, allow me to thank the Committee for its long-standing,
bipartisan support for scientific research. Strong, sustained funding
for all U.S. science agencies is essential if we are to make progress
toward improving the health and economic competitiveness of the Nation.
The need for increased investment in science has become even more
pronounced in light of the disruptions caused over the past year by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
COSSA serves as a united voice for a broad, diverse network of
organizations, institutions, communities, and stakeholders who care
about a successful and vibrant social and behavioral science research
enterprise. We represent the collective interests of all STEM
disciplines engaged in the rigorous study of why and how humans behave
as they do as individuals, groups and within institutions,
organizations, and society.
Social and behavioral science research is supported across the
Federal Government, including at the National Science Foundation and
the Department of Justice. Further, Federal statistics produced by the
Census Bureau and other Federal statistical agencies provide data
needed to conduct social science research to inform policy decisions.
Taken together, Federal social and behavioral science and statistical
data help provide answers to complex, human-centered questions.
In short, knowledge derived from social and behavioral science
research has made our population healthier, our democracy fairer, our
Nation safer, and our economy stronger, and not just in times of
crisis. Without these sciences, policymaking on major national and
global issues would not be based on evidence, and billions of dollars
would be wasted.
national science foundation
COSSA joins the broader scientific community in support of $10.2
billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in fiscal year 2022.
The U.S. scientific enterprise, including NSF, requires stability,
predictability, and sustainable funding growth, as well as Federal
policies that are patient and can tolerate a reasonable amount of risk
in order to achieve the greatest payoff.
Supporting All of STEM
NSF is the only U.S. Federal agency tasked with supporting basic
research across all fields of science. NSF supports about a quarter of
all federally funded basic scientific research conducted at colleges
and universities nationwide and serves as the largest single funder of
university-based basic social and behavioral science research. Though
NSF's Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE)--one
of seven research directorates at NSF--represents less than five
percent of the entire NSF research budget, it supports around two-
thirds of total Federal funding for academic basic research in the
social and behavioral sciences (excluding psychology). As the primary
funding source for the majority of our disciplines, stagnant or reduced
funding for SBE has an outsized impact on the social and behavioral
science community. As increased investment is made in NSF, we are
hopeful the social, behavioral and economic sciences will see
commensurate investments.
Further, while by far the smallest of the research directorates,
SBE's impact is huge. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering
and Medicine stated in its 2017 consensus report, The Value of Social,
Behavioral, and Economic Sciences to National Priorities,\1\ that
``nearly every major challenge the United States faces-from alleviating
unemployment to protecting itself from terrorism-requires understanding
the causes and consequences of people's behavior. Even societal
challenges that at first glance appear to be issues only of medicine or
engineering or computer science have social and behavioral
components.''
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\1\ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24790/the-value-of-social-
behavioral-and-economic-sciences-to-national-priorities
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Keeping NSF Competitive
Authorizing proposals for NSF have surfaced in the last year,
particularly proposals to create new directorates at the agency
focusing on technology transfer and convergence research. The bills
would authorize significant funding increases to achieve their goals,
which is greatly appreciated and needed. COSSA hopes that any effort to
embolden NSF to continue exploring the frontiers of science will be met
with a commitment to maintaining the agency's defining characteristic,
which is to be the incubator for basic scientific discovery across all
areas of science. NSF's investigator-initiated, discovery-driven
identity is what makes it special and has kept the American science
enterprise at the leading edge of innovation. We look forward to
working with the authorizing committees to develop a roadmap for NSF
that keeps it at the upper echelon of innovation and urge appropriators
to stay mindful of NSF's longstanding, unique role as part of the U.S.
scientific enterprise.
census bureau, u.s. department of commerce
COSSA requests that the Committee appropriate $2 billion for the
Census Bureau in fiscal year 2022. Social scientists across the country
rely on the Census Bureau for accurate, timely, objective, and relevant
data to better understand the U.S. population and to produce findings
that help us shape policies that better serve the American people.
After a decade in which the Census Bureau received inconsistent and
delayed funding, had to curtail essential research and testing of
operations, and experienced significant pandemic-related disruptions,
investments are needed to not only help the agency recover, but to also
help it improve the collection and delivery of official statistics for
the Nation. A modest increase in funding in fiscal year 2022 could help
the Census Bureau recover from years of postponed enhancements, sustain
and strengthen its mission, and pursue numerous necessary operational
innovations. In March 2021, GAO kept the Census on its list of ``High
Risk'' government operations, in part due to these factors.
These efforts are intended to provide the public and private
sectors with more robust, granular and timely data for decision-making.
COSSA supports efforts in Congress to provide the Bureau with greater
authority for multi-year funding, beginning in fiscal year 2022, to
strengthen the innovations necessary to consolidate and integrate
legacy surveys and systems into a new, more nimble data collection and
dissemination model.
In addition, COSSA calls on Congress to fully fund the American
Community Survey (ACS) and maintain its status as a mandatory Federal
survey. The ACS is the only source of comparable, consistent, timely,
and high-quality demographic and socio-economic data for all
communities in the U.S. As a component of the Decennial Census, the ACS
is a ``mandatory'' national survey. The disruptions to the 2020 Census
caused by the pandemic and natural disasters will likely have an impact
on the quality of census data at smaller geographic levels, particular
in rural areas. The Census Bureau needs additional funds to expand the
ACS sample size (which has not been expanded since 2011) to produce
more timely, granular data for a significant number of geographies and
sub-populations than currently achievable. This would provide
communities more timely data to fill in any gaps in the 2020 results.
national institute of justice, u.s. department of justice
COSSA requests that the Committee appropriate at least $42 million
for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) within the U.S. Department
of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP). NIJ serves as the
research arm of the Department of Justice, filling an important role in
helping the agency to understand and implement science-based strategies
for crime prevention and control. It supports rigorous social science
research that can be disseminated to criminal justice professionals to
keep communities safe.
Despite our growing need for objective, science-backed solutions,
over the past decade, NIJ's purchasing power has dropped by 36 percent
due to the combined effect of declining appropriations and inflation.
Compounding this pressure are Congressionally-mandated directives for
specific activities, nearly always without the inclusion of additional
funding to the agency's bottom line. Nearly 40 percent of NIJ's fiscal
year 2021 appropriation is directed to Congressionally requested
research, not including a number of additional projects requested
without allocated funding.
bureau of justice statistics, u.s. department of justice
COSSA urges the Committee to appropriate at least $50 million for
the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) within OJP. As the Department's
principal statistical agency, the Bureau of Justice Statistics produces
high-quality data on all aspects of the United States criminal justice
system, including corrections, courts, crime type, law enforcement
personnel and expenditures, Federal processing of criminal cases,
Indian country justice statistics, and victims of crime.
Despite a growing demand from policymakers, researchers, and other
stakeholders for high-quality criminal justice data across an expanding
array of variables, BJS has also faced significant budgetary challenges
over the past decade. The agency's purchasing power has dropped by more
than 37 percent since fiscal year 2011 due to the combined effect of
declining appropriations and inflation. This decline in funding has a
direct impact on BJS's ability to release its data in a timely manner.
Over the past several years, the release of numerous reports and
datasets have been delayed--in some cases by several years. In
addition, annually collected data has been combined into 2-year
reports, further increasing the lag between collection and public
release. Data users' frustrations have been exacerbated by the fact
that BJS's overall dissemination practices are antiquated and out of
step with current best practices for statistical agencies. The agency's
website has not had a significant update since at least 2011 and lags
its peer statistical agencies in terms of usability, accessibility, and
visualizations. BJS needs additional investment to ensure it has the
resources to produce and release data in a timely manner, as well as to
enhance its capacity to disseminate the invaluable data to stakeholders
who rely on it.
Thank you for the opportunity to offer this statement. Please do
not hesitate to contact me should you require additional information.
[This statement was submitted by Wendy A. Naus, Executive
Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Court Appointed Special Advocates/Guardian ad
Litem
Chairman Leahy, Chair Shaheen, Vice Chairman Shelby, Ranking Member
Moran, and Members of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit remarks
on the Department of Justice (DOJ) fiscal year 2022 budget including
funding of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program through
the Office of Justice Programs' State and Local Law Enforcement
Assistance Account at the fiscal year 2022 President's budget request
level of $14 million.
CASA/GAL advocacy is a well-established model strongly associated
with improved long-term outcomes for child victims, for which the need
continues to be critical. With Congressional support at the requested
level, the CASA/GAL network in 49 States and the District of Columbia
will enhance and advance specialized training, tools, and resources to
continue delivering vital one-on-one best-interest advocacy that
addresses the complex and ever-evolving needs of traumatized children
who have been victimized by one or more primary caregivers.
Emerging issues such as the commercial sexual exploitation of
children and our Nation's growing opioid epidemic--for which children
account for an increasing number of victims--both necessitate a greater
specialization within one-on-one advocacy, with a keen and deliberate
focus on progressing toward the call within the Victims of Child Abuse
Act to serve every child victim. As we enrich CASA/GAL advocacy to
encompass evolving direct service needs, our National network will
further strengthen its capacity to serve over 276,000 child victims of
abuse and neglect.
Child victimization and maltreatment by primary caregivers is
distressingly on the rise, and with it, so too rises the impact on the
child and society. Traumatized victims of child abuse and neglect face
significant and multiple risk factors, most notably, juvenile
delinquency, adult criminality, and poor educational performance that
affects future employment and stability. These issues result in a hefty
impact on Federal, State and local spending--at least one-quarter of
the DOJ budget is dedicated to our Nation's prison system, and at the
same time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
estimates the economic and social costs of child abuse and neglect to
total $124 billion nationwide per annum. Local CASA/GAL programs offer
an effective service to child victims of abuse and neglect that
improves outcomes, increases the efficient functioning of our court
systems, and saves hundreds of millions in Federal and State taxpayer
dollars annually in the process.
CASA/GAL programs are, at the heart of their operation, a highly
effective leveraging of community-based resources to provide dedicated
and sustained one-on-one advocacy for child victims and advise the
courts of the child's best interests and needs throughout abuse and
neglect proceedings. Research has shown that the presence of a caring,
consistent adult in the life of a child victim is associated with
improved long-term outcomes. These efforts, which focus on helping the
child find a safe, permanent home where they can both heal and thrive,
require thorough background screening, specialized training, and
resources to promote a nationwide system of programs that adhere to and
assure the highest quality of services and care for the child victim.
CASA Program funds through DOJ achieve and uphold national standard
setting, assessment, accountability, and evaluation across nearly 950
local, State, and Tribal programs to promote improved child outcomes
and effective stewardship of public investments in victim advocacy.
Evidence-based practices, intensive technical assistance, direct
program guidance and partnerships, and national program standards and
quality assurance processes all lie at the foundation of effective
CASA/GAL program service delivery in communities across the Nation.
Given the nature of the CASA/GAL advocates' intensive work with
child victims of abuse and neglect, standards of rigorous screening,
training, supervision, and service are implemented nationwide, with
congressional support, to ensure consistent quality for victims who
directly benefit from having their needs and rights championed in the
courtroom and in the community. Comprehensive pre-service, in-service,
and issue-focused training curricula--including training in
disproportionality, cultural competency, and working with older youth--
ensures a cutting edge approach to victim services centered on the
child thriving well into the future as a member of the community.
Federal support is foundational to the solid and high-quality
functioning of a national child advocacy network for victims of abuse
and neglect.
As the needs of child victims of abuse and neglect grow and change,
so must the specialization of one-on-one advocacy and services by CASA/
GAL programs. Since the Victims of Child Abuse Act was passed, the
landscape of victims' services for children has evolved significantly.
Researchers and practitioners know more now than ever about trauma, and
its associated impacts on child development, as well as the significant
and multiple risk factors and issues faced by abused and neglected
children such as mental health/post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
commercial sex trafficking, overmedication, and the growing effects of
substance abuse and the opioid epidemic in particular. Further, we know
that youth of color in particular face very significant challenges--in
addition to victimization--on their path to a thriving adulthood. CASA/
GAL advocates bring one-on-one attention and a dedicated focus to each
of the issues that the child victim faces, but additional resources are
needed to enhance and build their knowledge base as part of a
continuous advocacy development process.
These complex issues warrant adaptive and responsive training,
technical assistance, and resources, while continuing on a trajectory
of maintaining quality care and services within current CASA/GAL
caseloads and also simultaneously building the capacity to take on
additional cases when appointed by the court. National CASA/GAL
Association is committed to continuous improvement of training,
technical assistance, and resource delivery to strengthen and support
local CASA/GAL programs and State organizations to help advocates
remain at the forefront of emerging child welfare issues.
Federal support at the requested level is instrumental to bridging
advocacy training and best practice tools into multiple and new
emerging issue areas including child sex trafficking, substance abuse
and opioid-overuse, and the overmedication of child victims, for
example. Advocates need to be well versed in warning signs for these
issues, as well as the available services, resources, and coordination
of community and court efforts in order to best address the child
victim's case.
Fiscal year 2022 funding of $14 million will be targeted to
fortifying resources and training generally for CASA/GAL programs, and
in key focus areas including commercial sexual exploitation, children
impacted by substance abuse disorders, children of incarcerated parents
and young people aging out of foster care, based upon existing best
practices and models. In addition, this Federal funding will be used to
target resources to serve over 276,000 child victims of abuse and
neglect, and continue efforts toward the development of State CASA/GAL
organizations in the States currently without this resource that
enhances support of program service delivery in local communities.
Additional projects include sustaining development of training on best
practices in addressing the needs of children impacted by the opioid
epidemic and other forms of substance abuse, child sex trafficking,
unaccompanied children and addressing racial disproportionality in
child welfare and the need for racially and culturally sensitive
recruitment and matching of CASA/GAL advocates.
According to the most recent government data available, the number
of child maltreatment cases has increased to over 700,000 per annum.
This remains a significant population with equally significant and
complex issues and risk factors. Without the benefit of a specially
trained CASA/GAL advocate that is able to devote dedicated time and
attention to the details of the case, the child victim faces a complex
and cumbersome court process and foster care system that is
overwhelmed, overburdened, and under-resourced. Our ability as a
national network to serve every child victim of abuse and neglect is
directly tied to strengthening and expanding a foundational and
interwoven program of advocate training, technical assistance,
standards, tools, and resources that are funded with DOJ support.
While children who are the victims of maltreatment have suffered
deep layers of trauma, these experiences do not have to be their only
life story. Juvenile detention and adult incarceration do not have to
be the path to their future. Substance abuse, PTSD, homelessness, and
joblessness do not have to be the basis of their experiences. We can
change their trajectory, together, with congressional support.
Caring, dedicated, and extensively trained CASA/GAL advocates bring
about positive changes in the lives of child victims. Full funding is
needed to continue expanding the advocate pipeline, enhance the
training, resources, and services provided to and through CASA/GAL
programs, and strengthen outcomes for future members of our Nation's
workforce.
We urge the subcommittee to support the President's fiscal year
2022 budget request for the Court Appointed Special Advocates Program
to address the overwhelming need for dedicated advocacy on behalf of
child victims of abuse and neglect. Thank you for your consideration.
[This statement was submitted by Tara L. Perry, Chief Executive
Officer.]
______
Prepared Statement of CRS Remembered
Nos Quoque Servivit
Dear Representative De Lauro and Senator Shaheen:
CRS Remembered, a private membership organization of retired and
former employees of the Community Relations Service (CRS)of the U.S.
Department of Justice, respectfully urges the subcommittee on Commerce,
Justice, Science, and Related Agencies to provide CRS with a budget of
not less than $50-million.for its community peace building efforts.
As you know CRS is the only Federal agency that is specifically
dedicated to working with community groups and local government
agencies to prevent, de-escalate, and resolve community-wide conflicts
based on race, color, and national origin. It was established by
Congress at a time in 1964 when our country was experiencing increasing
levels of divisive racial tensions . In this regard at the signing of
the historic 1964 Civil Right Act President Lyndon Johnson said,
``come, let us reason together.'' Clearly, now is the time for Congress
to step up again to support the ideals of a democratic society that
comes together to work out its racial. Ethnic and other social
differences thru dialogue at a peace table instead of thru
confrontation and violence at the street level.
As the U.S. again hits historic levels of polarization and
division, America needs CRS (the nation's peacemaker) to effectively
help civic non-governmental organizations and local government agencies
resolve local conflicts arising out of differences based on race color,
national origin and other underlying personal human attributes.
Unfortunately, CRS is now down to just 16 peacemaking mediators for the
entire number of States and territories under its jurisdiction.
President Biden's fiscal year 2022 budget requests $20-million for CRS,
a funding level is simply not enough to make a dent in the enormous
problem of endemic intracommunity divisiveness that plagues our Nation
today.
In closing we again urge you to invest in America's domestic
peacebuilding capacity by providing at least $50-million to CRS to also
include a funding a grants program to support domestic locally-based,
non-profit peace making groups.
[This statement was submitted by Miguel J. Hernandez on behalf of
CRS Remembered.]
______
Prepared Statement of Cynthia Mousseau, JD
On Behalf of New England Innocence Project and the National Innocence
Network
innocence and forensic science programs at the departments of justice &
commerce
My name is Cynthia Mousseau and I serve as a Staff Attorney at the
New England Innocence Project (NEIP). On behalf of NEIP and as a member
of the Innocence Network, a coalition of approximately 60 local
innocence organizations working to exonerate the innocent and prevent
wrongful convictions nationwide, thank you for the subcommittee's
critical funding increases and strong support for innocence and
forensic science programs in fiscal year 2021. Thank you also for
allowing me to submit written testimony for the record as you consider
appropriations requests for fiscal year 2022. I urge you to please
increase funding for the following programs at the Bureau of Justice
Assistance at the Department of Justice and at the National Institute
of Standards and Technology at the Department of Commerce, including:
--$15 million for the Wrongful Conviction Review Program at the
Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance
(BJA) (the Wrongful Conviction Review Program is part of the
Capital Litigation Improvement Program);
--$15 million for the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing
Program at DOJ/BJA
--$25 million for the Department of Commerce's National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) to support and conduct
foundational forensic science research, including $2 million
for technical merit evaluations.
These innocence and forensic science programs increase the fairness
and accuracy of the criminal legal system; address arbitrary racial
disparities and inequities; provide the strongest possible forensic
science tools to legal system stakeholders; and generate greater public
safety for our Nation.
Data from the National Registry of Exonerations show that the
number of exonerations has significantly increased since Federal
innocence programs--the Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing and
Wrongful Convictions Review programs--began receiving funding in 2008
and 2009, respectively. Between 2009 and 2016, the total number of
exonerations increased by 82 percent. This dramatic increase is in part
a result of the decision to invest in these programs.
2019 set the record for the highest number of years individuals
lost to being wrongfully convicted--an average of 13.3 years per
exoneree. More than 25,000 life years have been lost to wrongful
incarceration. The National Registry of Exonerations currently lists
more than 2,800 exonerations since 1989. Half of the people exonerated
are Black, and innocent Black people spend approximately 45 percent
longer wrongfully imprisoned than innocent white people. This racial
disparity holds true across different types of convictions. Investing
in innocence and forensic science progams helps to increase the
accuracy, equity, and integrity of the criminal legal system.
The New England Innocence Project (NEIP), headquarted in
Massachussetts, is the only innocence organization serving Vermont,
Maine, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Federal grant funds help expand
its reach into States that have insufficient resources to meet their
needs. With the support of Federal funds, NEIP has provided direct
representation and/or support that has resulted in 16 exonerations over
the past 17 years. 5 recently released exonerees collectively spent 160
years in prison. Additionally, NEIP has: (1) organized a work group
with the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, the Massachusetts public
defender agency's innocence program, and the Massachusetts State Police
Crime Lab to establish a pilot program to identify wrongful convictions
caused by erroneous microscopic hair analysis; (2) conducted numerous
trainings throughout New England for prosecutors, defense attorneys,
law enforcement, judges, and the public to raise awareness and prevent
causes of wrongful conviction, including eyewitness misidentification,
false confessions, flawed forensic science, and racial bias; and (3)
provided technical assistance for the proper implementation of
conviction integrity units.
Cases without DNA evidence are difficult and often take many years
to complete. It is a long, arduous, and resource intensive process to
prove an individual's innocence after he/she has been wrongfully
convicted. An average case at NEIP requires years of work and thousands
of dollars to adequately investigate and litigate. During this very
long time, the innocent person is languishing behind bars.
Freeing innocent individuals and preventing wrongful convictions
through reform also greatly benefits public safety. Every time DNA
identifies a wrongful conviction, it enables the possible
identification of the person who actually committed the crime. Such
true perpetrators have been identified in more than half of the DNA
exoneration cases. Unfortunately, many of these individuals went on to
commit additional crimes while an innocent person was convicted and
incarcerated in their place.
To date 375 individuals in the United States have been exonerated
through DNA testing, including 21 who served time on death row.
However, the value of Federal innocence and forensic science programs
is not to just these exonerated individuals. It is important to fund
these critical programs because reforms and procedures that help to
prevent wrongful convictions also enhance the accuracy of criminal
convictions and result in a fairer and more accountable system for
victims of crime.
wrongful conviction review program
We know that wrongful convictions occur in cases where DNA evidence
may be insufficient or unavailable to prove innocence. The National
Registry of Exonerations currently lists more than 2,800 exonerations
since 1989, the vast majority of which did not have the presence or
benefit of testable DNA. The Wrongful Conviction Review Program
provides critical support to ensure that experts are available to
navigate the complex landscape of post-conviction litigation, as well
as oversee the thousands of volunteer hours local innocence
organizations leverage to help investigate these complex non-DNA cases
and support the significant legal work they require. The Wrongful
Conviction Review Program has contributed to approximately 37
exonerations over the past 4 years.
For example, in 2019, Darrell Jones, who was wrongfully convicted
of murder and served 32 years, was freed as a result of the work of the
Committee for Public Counsel Services Innocence Program. The Wrongful
Conviction Review Program provided funding that enabled his team to
hire an investigator who identified exculpatory witnesses as well as
two forensic experts. In 2020, Arturo Jimenez, who was wrongfully
convicted of murder and served 25 years, was freed because the Wrongful
Conviction Review program funded an investigator who uncovered key
evidence that helped the Northern California Innocence Project secure
his exoneration.
The Wrongful Conviction Review Program provides funding to local
innocence organizations so that they may provide this type of expert,
high quality, and efficient representation for innocent individuals.
The program's goals also are to help alleviate burdens placed on the
criminal legal system through costly and prolonged post-conviction
litigation and to identify, when possible, the person who actually
committed the crime.
In recent years, approximately 10-15 percent of local innocence
organizations received Wrongful Conviction Review funding. To continue
and expand this important work, I urge you to provide $15 million for
the Wrongful Conviction Review Program in fiscal year 2022. (Please
note the Wrongful Conviction Review Program is part of the Capital
Litigation Improvement Program.)
I also urge you to include in the fiscal year 2022 report for the
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill
the final fiscal year 2021 report language for the Wrongful Conviction
Review program. It described the need for legal representation and
investigation services for individuals with post-conviction claims of
innocence. It also directed at least 50 percent of funds appropriated
to the Capital Litigation Improvement and Wrongful Conviction Review
grant programs support Wrongful Conviction Review grantees providing
high quality and efficient post-conviction representation for
defendants in post-conviction claims of innocence. It also clarified
that Wrongful Conviction Review grantees shall be nonprofit
organizations, institutions of higher education, and/or State or local
public defender offices that have in-house post-conviction
representation programs that show demonstrable experience and
competence in litigating postconviction claims of innocence. Finally,
the report language directed that grant funds shall support grantee
provision of post-conviction legal representation of innocence claims;
case review, evaluation, and management; experts; potentially
exonerative forensic testing; and investigation services related
supporting these post-conviction innocence claims.
the bloodsworth post-conviction dna testing program
The Bloodsworth Program supports States and localities that want to
pursue post-conviction DNA testing in appropriate cases. Grantees range
from State and local prosecutor offices to law enforcement agencies and
crime labs, which can collaborate with local innocence organizations
when appropriate. For example, an Arizona grant allowed the State's
Attorney General's Office to partner with Arizona Justice Project to
create the Post-Conviction DNA Testing Project that canvassed
incarcerated individuals, reviewed cases, located evidence, and filed
joint requests with the court to release evidence for DNA testing. In
addition to identifying the innocent, Arizona Attorney General Terry
Goddard noted that the ``grant enable[d] [his] office to support local
prosecutors and ensure that those who have committed violent crimes are
identified and behind bars.''
The Bloodsworth program is a powerful investment for States seeking
to free innocent individuals and identify the individuals who actually
committed the crimes. The program has resulted in the exonerations of
at least 51 wrongfully convicted persons in 14 States. The person who
actually committed the crime was identified in 13 of those cases. In
2020, an additional 5 people were exonerated through the program. The
success of this program both in generating individual exonerations
while supporting broader system review when problems arise has made it
popular--DOJ has reported in recent years that it has received twice as
many qualified applicants as it has funding to grant.
For example, Virginian Thomas Haynesworth, who was wrongfully
incarcerated for 27 years, was freed thanks to Bloodsworth-funded DNA
testing that also revealed the person who actually committed the crime.
The culpable person in that case went on to terrorize the community by
attacking 12 women, with most of the attacks and rapes occurring while
Mr. Haynesworth was wrongfully incarcerated. Given the importance of
this program to both innocent individuals and public safety, I urge you
to provide the $15 million to continue and expand the work of the
Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Program in fiscal year 2022.
forensic science improvement
To continue the critical work to improve forensic science, and help
prevent wrongful convictions, I urge you to provide $25 million for
NIST to support foundational forensic science research, including $2
million to conduct technical merit evaluations.
As the Federal entity that is both perfectly positioned and
institutionally constituted to conduct foundational forensic science
research, NIST's work will improve the validity and reliability of
forensic evidence, a need cited by the National Academy of Sciences
2009 report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A
Path Forward. NIST's reputation for innovation will result in
technological solutions to advance forensic science applications and
achieve a tremendous cost savings by reducing court costs posed by
litigating scientific evidence.
Additionally, some forensic science methods have not yet received
an evaluation of their technical merit and NIST needs additional
support to conduct these vital reviews. The forensic science activities
and research at NIST will help to improve forensic disciplines and
propel forensic science and the criminal legal system toward greater
accuracy and reliability, and as a result, help prevent wrongful
convictions and improve system equity.
conclusion
Thank you for your leadership in ensuring the accuracy, equity, and
integrity of our Nation's criminal legal system. I urge you to support
all of the aforementioned programs, including the Wrongful Conviction
Review and Bloodsworth grant programs at DOJ's Bureau of Justice
Assistance, as well as NIST forensic science research at the Department
of Commerce. If you have questions or need additional information,
please contact Jenny Collier, Federal Policy Advisor to the Innocence
Project, at jcollier@colliercollective.org.
______
Prepared Statement of the Daughters of Penelope
fiscal year 2022 funding: vawa, voca programs & crime victims fund
Chairwoman Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member Jerry Moran, and
distinguished Members of the Commerce, Justice, and Science
Appropriations subcommittee, the Daughters of Penelope (DOP), an
international service organization for women of Greek heritage and
Philhellenes, which is dedicated in part to supporting victims of
domestic violence, is requesting support for Victims of Crime Act
(VOCA) (Office of Justice Programs--OVC) and Violence Against Women Act
(VAWA) (Office of Violence Against Women--OVW) programs at the
Department of Justice. Specifically, we request a Crime Victims Fund
cap for fiscal year 2022 to be set at least at $2.65 billion and
without any transfers to programs not authorized under the VOCA
statute. Further, we call for the Senate to pass S.611, VOCA Fix to
Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021. Moreover, we support the
Biden administration's strong proposed investment request of $1 billion
for VAWA programs and for Congress to pass a strong bipartisan-backed
reauthorization of VAWA.
voca programs & crime victims fund
The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) created the Crime Victims Fund
(CVF), which serves as a mechanism to fund compensation and services
for the Nation's victims of Federal crime. The Fund is comprised of
money from criminals, and by law, the Fund is dedicated solely to
victim services. For example, the Fund is used to help pay for State
victim compensation and assistance programs and grants to victim
service providers. A considerable amount supports victims' out-of-
pocket expenses such as medical and counseling fees, lost wages, and
funeral and burial costs. According to the Department of Justice, in
fiscal year 2018, Victim Assistance programs funded 7,417 unique State
and local victim service organizations through over 9,472 grant
awards.\1\ These agencies provided services to nearly millions of
victims of crime, including victims of murder, assault and sexual
assault, domestic violence, child abuse, stalking and elder abuse, and
others.
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\1\ https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1160581/download, Page
59.
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The Crime Victims Fund is financed by fines, forfeitures, or other
penalties paid by Federal crime offenders. Therefore, the Crime Victims
Fund is not funded by taxpayer dollars. However, it is unfortunate
Congress often carves out funds from the CVF to use as offsets for
other government programs. Because CVF is comprised of non-taxpayer
dollars, it should not be considered available for use for non-VOCA
programs in the Federal budget. Moreover, according to a previous
statement of the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus, ``not only does
raiding the Crime Victims Fund violate the intent of the law, but it
violates the [VOCA] statute itself...'' Therefore, we recommend to the
subcommittee that the Fund be used only for programs authorized under
the VOCA statute. However, recent appropriations bills passed by
Congress, and previous administrations' budget requests, have carved
out funds from the Crime Victims Fund for non-VOCA authorized programs.
As examples, the fiscal year 2021 appropriations year-end legislative
package transferred $435 million from the CVF to VAWA programs. We
request the elimination of transfers that harm the Fund's long-term
viability and ability to commit fully to crime victims. Another
unfortunate development has been that over the course of the last
decade, the Department of Justice has brought fewer Federal criminal
cases and has instead entered into deferred prosecution and non-
prosecution agreements. The monetary penalties from these agreements
are deposited into the General Treasury rather than into the CVF,
resulting in the loss of billions of dollars. This has resulted in
catastrophic cuts to VOCA. Grants have decreased by 70 percent over the
last 4 years. This is why we support swift passage of S.611, VOCA Fix
to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 and sincerely thank the
U.S. House of Representatives for passing its companion bill, H.R.1652.
Finally, we recommend setting the Crime Victims' Fund cap to at least
$2.65 billion. Congress established an appropriation cap on funds
available for distribution intended to maintain the CVF as a stable
source of support for future victim services. At the cap level,
Congress will not only ensure the continuation of enhanced services to
victims to meet their needs, but it also does not contribute or add to
the National debt or deficit because these are non-taxpayer funds.
vawa programs
Domestic violence is a pervasive, life-threatening crime affecting
millions of individuals across our Nation regardless of age, gender,
socio-economic status, race or religion. The statistics are alarming.
According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV): \2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ NNEDV Domestic Violence Fact Sheet, accessed https://nnedv.org/
wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Library_General_DV_SA_Factsheet.pdf
--More than 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence,
and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
--Approximately 8 million women are raped, physically assaulted, and/
or stalked by a current or former intimate partner each year.
--1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have experienced rape in her or his
lifetime.
--Nationwide, an average of 3 women are killed by a current or former
intimate partner every day.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
and The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)
2015 Data Brief:
--In the United States, intimate partner contact sexual violence,
physical violence, and/or stalking was experienced by 36.4
percent (or 43.6 million) of U.S. women during their
lifetime.\3\
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\3\ https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/2015data-
brief508.pdf
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--One in 4 women and 1 in 10 men have experienced physical violence
by an intimate partner during their lifetime.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/NISVS-infographic-
2016.pdf
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--In 2015, 1,270 women and men were murdered by an intimate partner
(e.g. husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend).\5\
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\5\ https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/NISVS-
StateReportBook.pdf
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Also, of concern, are the following stats:
--On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an
intimate partner in the United States. During 1 year, this
equates to more than 10 million women and men.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-
a.pdf
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--Nationwide, an average of 3 women are killed by a current or former
intimate partner every day.\7\
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\7\ NNEDV Domestic Violence Fact Sheet, accessed https://nnedv.org/
mdocs-posts/domestic-violence-and-sexual-assault-factsheet/
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--Approximately 15.5 million children are exposed to domestic
violence annually.\8\
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\8\ Ibid.
Our Nation's response to intimate partner and domestic violence is
driven by VAWA programs. Each of these programs is critical to ensuring
that victims are safe, that offenders are held accountable, and that
our communities are more secure. Thanks to VAWA, steady progress has
been made there are many victims who still suffer in silence. A 2019
24-hour survey of domestic violence programs across the U.S. found that
although 19,159 Hotline calls were answered (averaging more than 13
calls every minute). However, 11,336 requests for services (such as
emergency shelter, transportation, or legal representation) went unmet
because programs lacked the resources to provide them.\9\ Sixty-eight
percent of the unmet services were for Housing and Emergency Shelter.
In total, 77,226 victims were served in 1 day. The unconscionable gap
between need and resources only widens.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ 14th Annual National Domestic Violence Counts National Summary.
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daughters of penelope's work to support domestic violence shelters
Why are VAWA and VOCA programs important to the Daughters of
Penelope? In addition to our chapters supporting domestic violence
shelters in their respective local communities, the Daughters of
Penelope is a national sponsor and stakeholder of two domestic violence
shelters--Penelope House in Mobile, Alabama, and Penelope's Place in
Brockton, Massachusetts. In the past, the Daughters of Penelope has
supported WIN Hellas, which is an NGO based in Athens, Greece that is
active in the prevention of violence against women.
Penelope House was the first shelter established in Alabama when it
opened its doors in 1979. Since then, Penelope House is recognized as a
model shelter for others to emulate. VAWA and VOCA grant funding has
been critical in helping Penelope House to meet its mission of
providing safety, protection, and support to victims of domestic
violence and their children through shelter, advocacy, and individual
and community education. Penelope House has been awarded VAWA and VOCA
grants from the following programs: Shelter Services, Court Advocate
Program, and Transitional Living Program. Portions of these grants help
to fund the case managers, case and court advocates, and children's
counselors and program coordinators, among other employees who help to
provide the life-saving support to domestic violence victims and their
children.
statistics--effectiveness and importance of vawa & voca grant funding
--VOCA/VAWA grant funding comprised 30 percent of Penelope House's
2020 budget.
--VOCA is the largest source of Penelope House's funding.
Penelope House's Court Advocacy Program is funded by VOCA & VAWA.
Its 2020 stats, which were greatly impacted by the coronavirus
pandemic, for clients served were:
--Adult Clients: 5,997
--Children: 5,344
--Court Appointments with Clients: 4,078
--Clients Assisted to obtain protection from abuse or no contact
orders: 1,000
VOCA supports the salaries and benefits for seven Court/Victim
Advocates who provide services to victims of domestic violence
throughout Mobile, Washington, Clarke and Choctaw Counties of Alabama
as they navigate within the court system. (VOCA grant funding has
become increasingly important to Penelope House because Penelope
House's services has been expanded to include more counties in
Alabama.)
VAWA supports a full-time Court Advocate Administrative Assistant
and a portion of the salary for a Court/Victim Advocate for the Court
Advocacy Program. The Court Advocate Administrative Assistant provides
administrative support to Court/Victim Advocates and assistance to the
Court Advocacy Supervisor. The assistant also collects and complies
program data needed for the evaluation of the Court Advocacy Program.
The Court Advocate Administrative Assistant is dually trained to serve
as a Court/Victim Advocate when necessary, in case of illness or any
other absence of court advocates. Thus, a victim will not have to be
alone as he/she attempts to navigate within the court system.
Penelope House's Emergency Shelter Program is funded by VOCA. It's
2020 service stats--again adversely impacted due to the pandemic-were:
--Adults sheltered: 252
--Children sheltered: 273
--Total Client Service Hours: 10,536.5
--Total Nights of shelter provided: 4,881
--Crisis calls: 1,419
--Meals Served: 14,573
recommendation
The Daughters of Penelope (DOP) is requesting support for Victims
of Crime Act (VOCA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs,
which are vital to DOP programs that serve its mission. Specifically,
we request a Crime Victims Fund cap for fiscal year 2022 to be set at
least $2.65 billion and without any transfers to programs not
authorized under the VOCA statute. We also support the Biden
administration's strong investment request of $1 billion VAWA programs.
The Crime Victims Fund is not funded by taxpayer dollars. Therefore,
the cap can be sustained or raised without adding to the National debt
or deficit and transfers (or carve outs) must be eliminated in fiscal
year 2022 and going forward.
Clearly, as the missions of domestic violence centers across the
country, such as Penelope House, have expanded into jurisdictions due
to the unfortunate increased need to provide victims' services, the
viability of the CVF and VOCA and VAWA grants have become increasingly
important to meet the victims' needs. Moreover, it is estimated the
COVID-19 pandemic caused an estimated 8.1 percent increase in domestic
violence incidents due to stay-at-home orders.\10\ Thank you for the
opportunity to present and submit our written testimony before the
subcommittee.
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\10\ https://phys.org/news/2021-04-domestic-violence-pandemic.html
[This statement was submitted by Elena Saviolakis, Executive
Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of Demand Progress
transparency and the public availability of opinions issued by the
justice department's office of legal counsel
Dear Chairman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the
Committee:
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on improving
transparency and accountability for legal opinions rendered by the
Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice.
Background
The Office of Legal Counsel's (OLC) core function, according to an
OLC memoranda, is to provide ``controlling advice to Executive Branch
officials on questions of law that are centrally important to the
functioning of the Federal Government.'' \1\ This legal advice ``may
effectively be the final word on the controlling law,'' yet it is
routinely withheld from both Congress and the public.\2\ This
withholding in effect creates secret law that controls agency actions
but is shielded from both public debate and Congressional oversight.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Department of Justice, Memorandum for Attorneys of the Office
re: Best Practices for OLC Advice and Written Opinions, July 16, 2010,
available at: https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/olc/legacy/
2010/08/26/olc-legal-advice-opinions.pdf
\2\ Id.
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Secrecy undermines accountability. Congress must understand how the
Executive branch interprets the Constitution and implements laws
enacted by Congress. Allowing OLC legal opinions to remain the sole
province of the Executive branch thwarts Congress's lawmaking and
oversight prerogatives. It removes consequences for agency decisions
and short-circuits the public feedback process integral to our
democracy.
Secrecy also poisons the operations of the Office of Legal Counsel.
Public scrutiny would create an invisible but persistent pressure for
the promulgation of responsible, high quality, objective legal
opinions. By contrast, OLC legal opinion secrecy ensures the most
salient incentive for OLC attorneys is to lean towards a legal opinion
that a given administration desires--not the legal opinion that best
reflects the law. There are high profile examples of this happening.\3\
Building transparency into the process helps ensure that OLC legal
analyses face scrutiny by Congress, scholars, and members of the
public.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ See, for example, a Statement by Sen. Patrick Leahy at a
February 26, 2010 hearing before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
entitled The Office of Professional Responsibility Investigation into
the Office of Legal Counsel Memoranda, in which he said, ``The
fundamental question here is not whether these were shoddy legal memos.
They were shoddy legal memos. Everybody knows that. . . . It failed to
cite significant case law; it twisted the plain meaning of statutes.
The legal memoranda were designed to achieve an end.'' (emphasis
added). See also
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In December 2004, 19 former senior DOJ officials--including the
now-nominee for Assistant Attorney General for OLC, Christopher
Schroeder--endorsed a document calling for increased transparency,
entitled Principles to Guide the Office of Legal Counsel.\4\ One
principle was that ``OLC should publicly disclose its written legal
opinions in a timely manner, absent strong reasons for delay or
nondisclosure.'' \5\ According to the Principles document, public
disclosure of written legal opinions is important because:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ ``Principles to Guide the Office of Legal Counsel'' (Dec. 21,
2004), available at: https://
scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://
www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=2927&context=faculty_scholarship.
In 2020, a related statement was released by the American Constitution
Society, entitled ``The Office of Legal Counsel and the Rule of Law,''
and a comparable constellation of legal experts contributed to that
document. It endorses a strong presumption in favor of publishing final
OLC opinions, disclosing its classified, privileged, and sensitive
material to Congress when an agency relies upon OLC advice to justify a
major policy decision or executive action, and releasing a public index
of its memos. https://www.acslaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/OLC-
ROL-Doc-103020.pdf
\5\ Id.
Such disclosure helps to ensure executive branch adherence to
the rule of law and guard against excessive claims of executive
authority. Transparency also promotes confidence in the
lawfulness of governmental action. Making executive branch law
available to the public also adds an important voice to the
development of constitutional meaning-in the courts as well as
among academics, other commentators, and the public more
generally-and a particularly valuable perspective on legal
issues regarding which the executive branch possesses relevant
expertise.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Id. (emphasis added)
A similar statement on the Office of Legal Counsel and the rule of
law was released in October 2020, with significant contributions from a
comparable array of legal experts.\7\ It endorsed publication of and
transparency for OLC opinions. Specifically, the statement endorsed: a
strong presumption in favor of publishing final OLC opinions;
disclosing OLC advice deemed classified, privileged, or sensitive to
congressional committees when an agency relies upon that advice to
justify a major policy decision or executive action; and releasing a
public index of its memoranda. ``OLC exercises a form of public trust,
and because its views of the law's meaning shape executive action and
policy, Congress and the public both have compelling interests in
understanding the legal basis of executive action.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ ``The Office of Legal Counsel and the Rule of Law,'' American
Constitution Society
(October 2020), available at: https://www.acslaw.org/wp-content/
uploads/2020/10/OLC-ROL-Doc-103020.pdf.
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Recommendations
The good news is Congress can remedy this secret law problem. Our
request is twofold. First, direct the Office of Legal Counsel to make
its opinions publicly available upon promulgation, except in narrow
circumstances. Second, direct the Office of Legal Counsel to release an
index of all current OLC opinions and keep it up-to-date.
We note that OLC legal opinions are rendered both as ``formal
opinions'' and ``informal advice.'' Both constitute legal advice that
is binding within the Executive branch, follow a formal approval
process, have precedential value within OLC, and are tracked in an OLC
database. The major distinction is only the format in which the advice
is rendered: a ``formal opinion'' is turned into a carefully formatted,
written document and some are published online, whereas ``informal
advice'' may be rendered as an email or in verbal form, which is then
reduced to a memo for the record. Accordingly, we would apply the
principle of transparency first articulated in the Principles document
to disclosure of OLC legal opinions regardless of format.
The default rule must be that OLC legal opinions will be made
publicly available contemporaneously with their issuance. While there
will be exceptions to public disclosure, those exceptions should be
narrow, constrained, and used only when absolutely necessary. Congress
should still be informed.
Congress should also direct OLC to publicly release an index of all
its opinions and to keep that list up to date. It should contain the
full name of the opinion; the date it was finalized or revised; each
author's name (i.e., the person who signed it); each recipient's name;
identify whether the opinion has been withdrawn; and other salient
information.
There is precedent for an index. The FOIA Improvement Act, enacted
in 2016, established a 25-year limit for the Executive branch to assert
deliberative process privilege as an exemption to a FOIA request.\8\ A
resulting lawsuit brought by the Knight First Amendment Center, Francis
v. DOJ, resulted in an agreement whereby the DOJ is producing indexes
of OLC opinions more than 25 years old.\9\ Similarly, the 2020
statement by legal experts endorsed indices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Public Law 114-185 (114th Congress). https://www.congress.gov/
bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/337
\9\ The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University is
publishing the index on its website. https://knightcolumbia.org/
reading-room/olc-opinions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are aware of some limited disclosure provisions within the 2010
Office of Legal Counsel Memorandum for Attorneys of the Office: Best
Practices for OLC Legal Advice and Written Opinions.\10\ It fails,
however, to include a presumption of disclosure and creates multiple
veto points. The last dozen years have demonstrated that this
memorandum does not go far enough to protect the integrity of OLC legal
opinions or confidence in the work of OLC attorneys. Indeed, the 2020
statement by legal experts declares ``OLC itself has been in crisis for
some time.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ See ``Best Practices for OLC Legal Advice and Written
Opinions,'' Office of Legal Counsel (July 2010), available at https://
www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/olc/legacy/2010/08/26/olc-legal-
advice-opinions.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Legislative Text
The committee report accompanying the House CJS Appropriations
Committee included language in fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2020
that, if written into bill text, would favorably resolve the issue.\11\
We recommend that the Senate adopt that language:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ See Report, Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Appropriations Bill, 2021, H. Rpt. 116-455, p. 59, https://
www.congress.gov/116/crpt/hrpt455/CRPT-116hrpt455.pdf, superseded by
Joint Explanatory Statement, p. 61, https://docs.house.gov/
billsthisweek/20201221/BILLS-116RCP68-JES-DIVISION-B.pdf; see Report,
Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill,
2020, H. Rpt. 116-101, pp. 45-46, https://www.congress.gov/116/crpt/
hrpt101/CRPT-116hrpt101.pdf, superseded by Joint Explanatory Statement,
p. 30, https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/
democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/HR%201158%20-
%20Division%20B%20-%20CJS%20SOM%20FY20.pdf.
To serve the public interest, and in keeping with
transparency and the precedent of public reporting of judicial
decisions, the Committee asks the Attorney General to direct
OLC to publish on a publicly accessible website all legal
opinions and related materials, except in those instances where
the Attorney General determines that release would cause a
specific identifiable harm to the National defense or foreign
policy interests; information contained in the opinion relates
to the appointment of a specific individual not confirmed to
Federal office; or information contained in the opinion is
specifically exempted from disclosure by statute (other than
sections 552 and 552b of title 5, United States Code). For
final OLC opinions for which the text is withheld in full or in
substantial part, the Attorney General should provide Congress
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
a written explanation detailing why the text was withheld.
In addition, the Attorney General should also direct OLC to
publish on a publicly accessible website a complete index of
all final OLC opinions in both human-readable and machine-
readable formats, arranged chronologically, within 90 days of
the enactment of this act, which shall be updated immediately
every time an OLC opinion or a revision to an opinion becomes
final. The index shall include, for each opinion: the full name
of the opinion; the date it was finalized or revised; each
author's name; each recipient's name; a unique identifier
assigned to each final or revised opinion; and whether an
opinion has been withdrawn.
The language was superseded in the joint explanatory statement for
fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2020 that make the request more
diffuse and, in light of recent experience, was unduly deferential to
the Justice Department. As the underlying issue persists, we
respectfully suggest it is time to take a more robust approach.
To ensure an informed public, to protect against secret law, and to
allow Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities, OLC legal
opinions must be available to the public and Congress. Thank you again
for the opportunity to submit this testimony.
[This statement was submitted by Ginger McCall, Legal Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of Eli Parson, Graduate of the San Francisco Family
Treatment Court, San Francisco, California
On Behalf of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals
Chairwoman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and distinguished Members
of the subcommittee, I am honored to have the opportunity to submit my
testimony on behalf of the 1.5 million graduates of treatment court
programs and the 150,000 people the programs will connect to lifesaving
addiction and mental health treatment this year alone. Given the
overlapping crises of substance use and the COVID-19 pandemic, I am
requesting that Congress provide funding of $100 million for the Drug
Court Discretionary Grant Program and $30 million for the Veterans
Treatment Court Grant Program at the Department of Justice for fiscal
year 2022.
I am writing to you today as a treatment court graduate, father,
and advocate for parents and children affected by substance use
disorder. I am a 2008 graduate of the San Francisco Family Treatment
Court--a program of the family civil court system that allowed me to
remain a father while connecting me with the support, treatment
services, and parental coaching I needed to overcome a lifelong
substance use disorder. Without the support of the court, my now 13-
year-old daughter would be growing up in the child welfare system
without her father. Instead, she is a healthy, thriving teenager
preparing for her first year of high school with me by her side. The
treatment court drastically changed the trajectory of both our lives.
Since 2011, I have worked for the Homeless Prenatal Program, an
organization that serves, among other child welfare programs, the San
Francisco Family Treatment Court. In that role, I witness firsthand the
transformation and triumph families experience as parents overcome
substance use disorders and are reunited with their children. But I'm
also seeing the grips of twin crises on families coming to me for help:
the substance use epidemic and the ongoing effects of COVID-19,
including isolation and economic devastation. Treatment courts, such as
adult drug courts, veterans treatment courts, family treatment courts,
and others offer a public health and public safety response to these
crises as they seek to enhance and expand to serve more individuals in
their communities.
With overwhelming empirical evidence showing their effectiveness,
it is easy to see that treatment court programs across the country
merit continued funding. The Government Accountability Office finds the
drug court model reduces crime by up to 58 percent. Further, the Multi-
Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation conducted by the Department of Justice
confirmed drug treatment courts significantly reduce both drug use and
crime, as well as finding cost savings averaging $6,000 for every
individual served. Additional benefits include improved employment,
housing, financial stability, and reduced foster care placements.
Veterans treatment courts, which expand on the drug court model to
include veteran justice outreach specialists from the Department of
Veterans Affairs, volunteer veteran mentors from the community, and a
myriad of veteran-specific local, State, and Federal resources have
proven equally effective. As our heroes in uniform continue to
transition home, it is critical that we have interventions like
veterans treatment court in place to ensure they have the treatment,
structure, and support to transform the lives of those who will
inevitably struggle.
Beyond the numbers, treatment court programs are making a
difference in real families across the country, including mine. When my
daughter was born in 2007, child welfare services prevented me from
bringing her home from the hospital. At that time, I was in the midst
of a decades-long battle with substance use. Childhood trauma led me to
trying alcohol at age 12, using harder drugs by age 14, homelessness at
age 16, and a lifelong struggle with depression and anxiety. Leaving
the hospital empty-handed was the most painful moment of my life. It
was then I knew I had to do what I could to earn the right to bring my
daughter to the home she deserved. I knew I wanted to change--I just
needed help.
I found that help in the San Francisco Family Treatment Court.
Until I entered the program, my experience with the court system left
me feeling silenced in my own battle to be healthy and regain custody
of my daughter. In treatment court, I found hope for the first time,
something I'd longed to feel for years. Suddenly, I became an active
participant in a journey to finding my own health and safety so that I
could guarantee the same for my daughter when we were reunited. The
multidisciplinary team of the judge, child welfare officers, substance
use treatment providers, and others were committed to ensuring I
received the intensive outpatient treatment and other social services I
needed to ensure my daughter could be reunited with a father free of
substance use.
The services I received through this treatment court program
allowed me to realize my life's greatest achievement: fatherhood. My
daughter has never known the man sent away from the hospital that day
in 2007, and it's because of the San Francisco Family Treatment Court.
I'm not alone in my success. Treatment courts have reunited
thousands of families by connecting those with mental health and
substance use disorders with treatment options best suited to them,
including medication-assisted treatment when deemed appropriate by a
medical provider. Together, the court team offers the tools to overcome
addiction and past trauma to create meaningful, healthy relationships.
Continued support from the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program
at the Department of Justice ensures the nearly 4,000 treatment courts
in the United States today provide critical services to reunite loving
families. But we know there are many more who still need this
opportunity. I strongly urge this committee to recommend funding of
$100 million to the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program and $30
million to the Veterans Treatment Court Grant Program in fiscal year
2022, so families like mine continue to receive lifesaving services.
______
Prepared Statement of the Entomological Society of America
fiscal year 2022 appropriations for the national science foundation
The Entomological Society of America (ESA) respectfully submits
this statement for the official record in support of funding for the
National Science Foundation (NSF). ESA joins the research community by
requesting a robust fiscal year 2022 appropriation of $10 billion for
NSF, including strong support for the Directorate for Biological
Sciences (BIO). Through activities within BIO, NSF advances the
frontiers of knowledge about complex biological systems at multiple
scales, from molecules and cells to organisms and ecosystems. In
addition, the directorate contributes to the support of essential
research resources, including biological collections and field
stations. NSF BIO is also the Nation's primary funder of fundamental
research on biodiversity, ecology, and environmental biology.
NSF is the only Federal agency that supports basic research across
all scientific and engineering disciplines outside of the biomedical
sciences. Each year, the foundation supports an estimated 300,000
researchers, scientific trainees, teachers, and students, primarily
through competitive grants to approximately 2,000 colleges,
universities, and other institutions in all 50 States. NSF also plays a
critical role in training the next generation of scientists and
engineers through programs like the NSF Research Traineeship, ensuring
that the United States will remain globally competitive in the future.
NSF-sponsored research in entomology and other basic biological
sciences, which is primarily supported through NSF BIO, provides the
fundamental discoveries that advance knowledge and facilitate the
development of new technologies and strategies for addressing societal
challenges related to economic growth, national security, and human
health. Because insects constitute two out of every three animal
species, fundamental research on their biology has provided
foundational insights across all areas of biology, including cell and
molecular biology, genomics, physiology, ecology, behavior, and
evolution. In turn, these insights have been applied toward meeting
challenges in a wide range of fields, including conservation biology,
habitat management, livestock production, and pest management.
Insects have long played an essential role as model organisms for
understanding basic biological processes across all organisms,
including people. Insects are often ideal for biological models in
laboratory experiments because they are generally small and inexpensive
to obtain, they complete development rapidly, and they can be
maintained without the special facilities required for vertebrate
animals.
The common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, for example, has
been the subject of NSF-funded research that has profoundly transformed
the understanding of human health and development in countless ways.
Equally important, the ability to dramatically reduce the cost of
sequencing genomes has played a critical role in advancing science in
the last two decades. In 2018, entomologists were able to complete one
of the first genome sequences by a single lab for under $1,000 using
the fruit fly.\1\ This breakthrough not only expanded the accessibility
of genome sequencing but also changed the way scientists understand the
fruit fly itself as a model organism. Previously it was thought each
fruit fly was essentially genetically identical. This study revealed
there are significant differences in the sequences of many important
genes, indicating that genome variation is much greater than previously
believed. This will likely have tremendous medical value to patients,
health care workers, and scientists.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Solares, Edwin A et al. ``Rapid Low-Cost Assembly of the
Drosophila melanogaster Reference Genome Using Low-Coverage, Long-Read
Sequencing.'' G3 (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 8,\10\ 3143-3154. 19 Jul. 2018,
doi:10.1534/g3.118.200162
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
One NSF BIO-supported project that illustrates the broad reach of
basic entomological research is focused on insect genetics. With food
demands rising across the world, there is a need for sustainable,
alternative protein sources such as mass-reared insects. While there
are various problems associated with commercial insect production, many
of them can be addressed by studying and altering genomes to select
desirable life history traits.\2\ In August 2020, scientists from
Indiana University--Purdue University Indianapolis and Beta Hatch Inc.
published a draft genome assembly for the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio
molitor), a promising alternative source of protein for animal feed,
and perhaps even human consumption. The NSF-funded work used a new
sequencing technology that combines aspects of two sequencing methods
to create longer DNA sequences with lower error rates.\3\ This high-
quality draft genome is now available for researchers and industry as a
valuable tool for optimizing mass rearing of mealworms.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/
jiff2019.0057
\3\ https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/
disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=301188&org=BIO&from=news
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In another example of focused on genetics, NSF-funded researchers
at Tufts University discovered that two genes are allowing the European
corn borer moth to adapt to climate change by enabling synchronization
between their life cycle and seasonal environmental changes. The
invasive European corn borer moth is unique in its apparent ability to
perfectly time its life cycle with the seasons so that populations do
not die off from unexpectedly long or short winters. Genetic analysis
of moths from across a range of climates (longer summers and shorter
winters in the south, shorter summers and longer winters in the north)
in the United States revealed genetic variations in two genes (known as
clock genes) which were associated with development and generation
time. The results of this study suggest potential mechanisms with which
species will be able to adapt to changes in climate that expose them to
variable season lengths.
NSF BIO also supports the development of technologies that directly
impact economic sectors that are highly dependent on entomology. NSF
recently awarded funding for a Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) Phase I project aimed at ensuring healthier honey bee
populations through data analysis and modeling.\4\ The project seeks to
build newer and more robust algorithms capable of autonomously
analyzing data generated by networked sensors placed in beehives. The
information derived from the resultant data sets could then be used to
develop models capable of predicting the infiltration of pests and
disease in hives before it actually occurs. Ultimately, the successful
commercialization of this technology could revolutionize an entire
agricultural sector that has suffered significantly because of honey
bee colony collapse.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Symes, Ellie. SBIR Phase I: Data Analytics on Honeybee Hives
Using IoT Sensor Data. Award Number: 1746862
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), selects and
supports science and engineering graduate students demonstrating the
exceptional potential to succeed in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) careers. For example, multiple recent Fellows
have advanced the frontiers of knowledge about the biology of social
insects under changing environmental conditions. GRFP-sponsored
research investigating extreme phenotypic plasticity, wherein
environmental rather than genetic inputs lead to differences among
individuals, illuminated how developmental pathways may have been
altered during the evolution of sociality to create social insect
castes, such as queens and workers.\5\ Phenotypic plasticity is a key
mechanism of biological adaptation, and this scientific understanding
is vital to predicting whether insects and other life may adjust to
environmental change. The insights and tools derived from such
activities will better enable land managers and environmental
regulators to protect ecosystems vulnerable to climactic shifts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/221/23/jeb153163/
20481/Genetic-accommodation-and-the-role-of-ancestral
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to funding research, NSF BIO plays a critical role in
the curation, maintenance, and enhancement of physical-biological
collections. These collections and their associated data sets serve a
variety of purposes, and while they are particularly important to the
field of entomology, their value to the broader scientific enterprise
cannot be overstated. Physical collections enable the rapid
identification and mitigation of costly invasive pests that affect
agriculture, forestry, and human and animal health. This is only
achievable because such collections are continuously being updated to
reflect environmental changes, evolutionary developments, and shifting
migratory patterns of invasive species around the world. For example,
the GRFP supported a project which used natural history collections to
examine how the diversity of beneficial social insects have changed
with urbanization intensity over the past century.\6\ Researchers then
developed novel machine learning models to forecast how land use change
will affect biodiversity patterns in the future. Ongoing investment in
the training of the next generation of scientific leaders is essential
to promoting the American workforce in STEM and advancing basic
scientific discovery in NSF priority areas. NSF also supports workshops
designed to provide hands-on training in collections curation and
management, with a particular emphasis on students and early-career
researchers.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
showAward?AWD_ID=1906242&HistoricalAwards=false
\7\ Song, Hojun and Shockley, Floyd. Towards a Sustainable
Management of Insect Collections in the U.S. through the Entomological
Collections Management Workshop. Award Number: 1640919
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While collections-focused awards like those mentioned above are
encouraging, ESA is concerned by the inconsistent Federal support for
biological collections. Recent advancements in imaging, digitization,
and data collection and storage technologies have caused some to
question the necessity of continued support for existing biological
collections. ESA recognizes that technological development is spurring
substantive discussion about the future of biological collections.
However, while these new developments and advancements will hopefully
yield new benefits for biological research, they are not a replacement
for physical biological collections. Given their continuing relevance
and broad application to domestic homeland security, public health,
agriculture, food security, and environmental sustainability, ESA
firmly supports continued Federal investment in programs supporting
collections such as NSF's Infrastructure Capacity for Biological
Research.
Given NSF's critical role in supporting fundamental research and
education across science and engineering disciplines, ESA supports an
overall fiscal year 2022 NSF budget of $10 billion. ESA requests robust
support for the NSF BIO Directorate, which funds important research
studies and biological collections, enabling discoveries in the
entomological sciences to contribute to understanding environmental and
evolutionary biology, physiological and developmental systems, and
molecular and cellular mechanisms.
ESA, headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, is the largest
organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs
of entomologists and individuals in related disciplines. As the largest
and one of the oldest insect science organizations in the world, ESA
has approximately 7,000 members affiliated with educational
institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government.
Members are researchers, teachers, extension service personnel,
administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians,
consultants, students, pest management professionals, and hobbyists.
Thank you for the opportunity to offer the Entomological Society of
America's support for NSF research programs. For more information about
the Entomological Society of America, please see http://
www.entsoc.org/.
[This statement was submitted by Michelle S. Smith, BCE,
President.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Federal Managers Association
United States Marshals Service
Chapter 373
June 3, 2021
The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy The Honorable Richard C.
Chairmen Shelby
Committee on Appropriations Ranking Member
437 Russell Senate Office Building Committee on Appropriations
Washington, D.C. 20510 304 Russell Senate Office
Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen The Honorable Jerry Moran
Chairwoman Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Subcommittee on Commerce,
Science, and Related Agencies Justice,
Committee on Appropriations Science, and Related
506 Hart Senate Office Building Agencies
Washington, D.C. 20510 Committee on Appropriations
521 Dirksen Senate Office
Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
fiscal year 2022 appropriations, u.s. marshals service (usms)
Dear Chairs Leahy and Shaheen and Ranking Members Shelby and Moran:
The Federal Managers Association (FMA) \1\ is the oldest and
largest organization representing the interests of the 200,000
managers, supervisors, and executives serving in today's Federal
Government. It aims to promote excellence in public service. Despite
setbacks in consultation with USMS leadership in recent years,\2\ FMA
has maintained an active and influential chapter at the Agency for
nearly two decades.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ www.fedmanagers.org
\2\ http://fedmanagers.org/fma/files/ccLibraryFiles/Filename/
000000001510/FMA
%20to%20Director%20Washington%20re%20%20Consultation%20Agreement.pdf,
September 21, 2020
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
USMS FMA has long sounded the alarm about staffing levels at
USMS.\3\ The concerns in no way suggest that Congress has not
appropriated an adequate number of full-time equivalencies (FTEs) to
fulfill USMS duties.\4\ Rather, they speak to how Agency leadership has
disproportionately allocated its workforce into what has grown into
top-heavy headquarter divisions and staff offices, versus its 94
district offices throughout the country where the majority of work
assignments are carried out each day. An exhibit \5\ in a recent news
report \6\ confirms that district offices continue to be neglected. As
a result, we believe it is only a matter of time before the Agency is
no longer able to safely and consistently carry out its primary mission
of court security without risk of injury or worse to participants in
the judicial process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/02/us-marshals-
complain-system-unfairly-denies-them-promotion/154811/, February 12,
2019 (note sub-heading ``HQ Versus the Field'').
\4\ https://www.usmarshals.gov/duties/factsheets/index.html, viewed
June 3, 2021.
\5\ https://drive.google.com/file/d/
1qFXJktXtE2eH2lba5dqhlFUnTb_1gJQH/view, May 10, 2021.
\6\ https://dakotafreepress.com/2021/05/31/u-s-marshals-face-
contempt-for-disrupting-court-after-refusing-judges-order-to-disclose-
coronavirus-vaccination-status/, May 31, 2021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agency executives routinely suggest an interest in one Marshals
Service. Yet, we often hear from our constituents--and we agree--USMS
has seemingly grown into two separate components operating under the
same badge. Over the past decade the Agency has seen a significant
increase in the splitting of its workforce between 94 district offices
and 12 headquarter divisions and a variety of staff offices, the latter
that report through Arlington, VA.
Rather compelling is--for what may be the first time--a written
admission by the Agency's Chief of Staff in the aforementioned exhibit,
presumably representing the Director and Deputy Director,\7\ that
staffing shortages in district offices are adversely impacting the
ability to provide basic judicial security functions:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Questions have been raised where the Agency's leadership is
(i.e., why the Director and Deputy Director have delegated a response
to an Article III Judge from the Chief of Staff with no decisional
authority).
``The USMS takes seriously its court security responsibilities
and place the highest priority on maintaining the safety and
security of those involved in the judicial process. It should
be noted, however, the Marshals Service is currently at a
critical staffing level of 69 percent across the agency. The
District of South Dakota's DUSM staffing level is even lower at
only 65 percent. This severe staffing shortage contributes to
the limited number of trials and hearings which can be
supported simultaneously, as well as the staffing for any pre-
or post-trial appearances requiring the provision of court
security by DUSM personnel. Any widespread court orders or
other restrictions which would impose additional limitations on
the number of DUSMs available to provide court security and
other vital responsibilities further degrades our Nationwide
ability to support the judiciary and may negatively impact the
ability of courts to conduct their business when such security
is required.'' \8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Id.
Last year, the Courts called upon Congress for ``increased
appropriations for USMS to hire an additional 1,000 Deputy U.S.
Marshals (DUSMs) in accordance with the District Staffing Model'' to
provide for their security.\9\ Many Agency managers, however, make the
case that these 1,000 ``district'' operational employees have been
reassigned over time to build larger headquarter divisions and staff
offices at the expense of district offices, routinely creating staffing
shortages across the country to uphold the Agency's primary mission.
For example:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/
letter_to_congress_re_judicial_security_
funding_request.pdf, September 4, 2020, and https://www.uscourts.gov/
news/2020/09/09/
congress-urged-adopt-judicial-security-measures, September 9, 2020.
--Today, the Agency's Investigative Operations Division employs over
600 FTEs and contractors throughout the country, all reporting
through Arlington, VA, as opposed to the district chain of
command (i.e., United States Marshal and Chief Deputy U.S.
Marshal) in cities where the two groups are mere miles apart
from one another.
--During the previous Administration, the Agency dedicated nearly two
dozen DUSMs to its Judicial Security Division (JSD) in support
of protective operations for the Secretary of Education.\10\
Its cost was widely criticized for years and many questions
were raised on how and why it became a new USMS mission.\11\
The detail ended on January 8, 2021. Yet, it does not appear
the assigned DUSMs, most of whom were originally pulled from
districts years earlier, were returned to the most critically
understaffed offices. Instead, we are informed almost all were
reassigned to other headquarter programs, to include within JSD
to increase the size of the protection detail for the Deputy
Attorney General.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ Archived organizational chart, Judicial Security Division,
Protective Operations, Secretary of Education. [Exhibit A]
\11\ Letter to Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker from
Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Committee on the Judiciary,
December 7, 2018, [Exhibit B] and https://www.politico.com/news/2020/
11/03/devos-security-detail-millions-years-433977, November 3, 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Three dozen DUSMs and administrative employees (and one contractor)
are reportedly assigned to the Tactical Operations Division,
Strategic National Stockpile Security Operations. While
guarding the country's national stockpile is an important
responsibility, it is not one that necessarily falls within a
primary USMS mission.
The Agency uses a District Staffing Model to allocate positions to
its 94 district offices. Despite repeated requests over many years to
develop a similar model, one does not exist for USMS headquarters,
thereby allowing its offices to grow exponentially. Consequently, we do
not believe transparency exists with respect to how the Agency
strategically applies a staffing model exclusive to districts, thereby
positioning itself when levels drop, to argue for additional funding to
protect judges. Rather, it gives the impression Congress can only solve
a crisis in the making with more resources.
Before funding an additional 1,000 DUSMs, we urge the sub-committee
to consider examining the true need of so many additional positions at
taxpayer expense. After all, the Agency reports year after year it has
been unable to fill a number of DUSM openings, consistently incapable
of keeping up with attrition. A review of existing vacancies--even well
before the pandemic--will likely validate this point.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ We also suggest asking for the number of DUSM candidates
recruited, cleared, and currently ready to attend basic training if
1,000 positions were funded.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Across the country in other DOJ investigative components (i.e.,
ATF, DEA, FBI, and OIG) operational staff assigned in cities outside
their Washington, D.C. headquarters report through a local Special
Agent-in-Charge. Not so at USMS where hundreds of DUSMs report through
Arlington, VA, creating unnecessary and redundant layers of mid-level
managers in the same cities to separately supervise those assigned to
headquarter divisions and staff offices and those assigned to
districts.
A co-author of this letter managed USMS, Northern District of
Illinois, for more than 2 years from 2018-2020. His experience was
those headquarter employees assigned in Chicago were not routinely
available or required to support district operations, even on what were
``beyond-capacity days'' when staffing was so critically short the
district had difficulty safely carrying out the Agency's judicial
security and detention operation missions (i.e., when called to assist,
headquarter employees under separate chains of command often did not
show up at the U.S. Courthouse--without consequence--to support
judicial security operations). When confronted with the associated
risk, the Agency's Director said he believes USMS is ``different'' than
ATF, DEA, FBI, and OIG. We think not. Accordingly, we call upon
Congress to consider urging the Government Accountability Office to
conduct a study to examine any difference in organizational structures,
the associated risk, and unnecessary cost with redundant mid-level
managers between other investigative DOJ components and USMS where at
the latter employees could instead be hired at lower grades to staff
courtrooms and detention space in district offices.
The Agency's Chief Financial Officer acknowledges Congress
appropriates funds and positions to USMS as a whole unit (i.e., it does
not mandate where to internally allocate said funds or positions).\13\
ATF, DEA, FBI, and OIG seemingly and effectively manage their
organizational structures through local Special Agents-in-Charge. We
believe USMS could equally do so through its United States Marshals and
Chief Deputy U.S. Marshals that lead its district offices.
Alternatively, divisions unnecessarily and exponentially grow silos,
commonly termed throughout the Agency as ``empire-building,''
disproportionately leaving too many districts critically short staffed.
The current national average of 69 percent as reported by the Chief of
Staff is astonishing, not ignoring an acknowledgement many districts
operate at even lower staffing percentages.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ Email from Holley O'Brien, Chief Financial Officer, to Jason
Wojdylo, November 13, 2018. [Exhibit C]
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We hope the new USMS Director will avoid being bamboozled by
bureaucrats at USMS headquarters into believing congressional mandates
require continued growth of headquarter divisions and staff offices.
Instead, we renew our recommendation by urging him to shake-up the
organizational structure by issuing an immediate moratorium on hiring
all but critical vacancies exclusively in district offices and
immediately reassign staff in cities around the country to local
district chains of command, using the tested and successful model found
at other DOJ components.
The Director-nominee awaits Senate confirmation. With his swift
confirmation there is opportunity to get back to the basics by holding
USMS accountable to its judicial security mission. Doing so could avoid
the confrontation recently created in South Dakota between district
managers--under of the auspice of ``headquarters said so"--and the very
judiciary the Agency is sworn to protect.\14\ It raises questions
whether additional research by USMS \15\ may have advanced better
communication with the Judiciary.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ Id.
\15\ https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/hipaa-
vaccine-covid-privacy-violation/2021/05/22/f5f145ec-b9ad-11eb-a6b1-
81296da0339b_story.html, May 22, 2021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We urge Congress to expeditiously endorse five of the six judicial
security measures approved by the Judicial Conference of the United
States.\16\ We ask that the staffing proposal, however, be carefully
reviewed where immediate steps can instead be taken to reassign
existing USMS operational employees from bloated headquarter divisions
and staff offices back to critically understaffed districts.\17\
Otherwise, beyond the more important issue of safety at our U.S.
Courthouses and of the judicial process we question whether the
greatest opportunity for excellence in public service can truly be
achieved at USMS.
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\16\ https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/
letters_to_congressional_leadership_re_
judicial_security_0.pdf, August 19, 2020.
\17\ For the past 15 months hundreds of USMS employees and
contractors assigned to headquarter divisions and staff offices have
predominantly teleworked amid the pandemic. Conversely, their peers
assigned to districts mostly reported to district offices to carry out
the Agency's critical missions.
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Sincerely,
Dave Barnes Jason R. Wojdylo
President Vice-President for Law
Enforcement Operations
______
Prepared Statement of the Federation of American Societies for
Experimental Biology
nsf fiscal year 2022 funding
summary
Federal investments in fundamental research have led to remarkable
progress in the biological and biomedical sciences. Basic research was
the groundwork for the speed--months instead of years--in the
development of COVID-19 vaccines, and pre-clinical research, such as
animal studies, has been essential to every step of achieving medical
progress.
Despite Congress' bipartisan support for investing in science,
Federal funding for research has not kept pace, posing a threat to our
Nation's competitiveness. We face a real threat of losing our edge in
industries such as biotechnology if we do not prioritize increasing
investments in science and building a diverse workforce.\1\ The U.S.
spends less on research and development (R&D) than many countries. If
the U.S. is to be prepared to respond to future threats, our scientific
leadership must progress. According to Science Is Us, there is the
added benefit of jobs. STEM supports 69 percent of U.S. gross domestic
product, touches two out of three workers, and generates $2.3 trillion
in tax revenue.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ NSF Science Indicators 2018
\2\ STEM and the American Workforce. You've heard it before: STEM
jobs--... | by Science is US | Medium
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The Federal Government should commit to robust, predictable, and
sustained funding increases for science agencies.
national science foundation
With a mandate to support fundamental research across all fields of
science, engineering, and mathematics, the NSF is the cornerstone of
our Nation's scientific and innovation enterprise.
Among Federal science agencies, NSF has the unique capacity to:
Support multi-disciplinary research: By leveraging its portfolio
across the sciences, NSF funds cutting-edge research at the interface
of the physical, biological, and social sciences to tackle challenges
in creative ways, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and
geohealth.\3\
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\3\ NSF's 10 Big Ideas, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA
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Organize and lead research partnerships at speed and scale: The NSF
coordinates and leads interagency research endeavors, including
partnerships with NIH and DOE SC. These collaborations advance public
health and clean energy, the development of artificial intelligence,
and other national priorities.\4\
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\4\ NSF Collaborations with Federal Agencies and Others, National
Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA
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Train the next generation of scientists: NSF plays a key role in
supporting accessibility of scientific education, training scientists
who will work across different scientific disciplines, and broadening
participation in science and engineering among underrepresented and
diverse groups.\5\
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\5\ Education and Human Resources Directorate, National Science
Foundation, Alexandria, VA
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Despite its critical role in accelerating science and innovation,
NSF's budget has not grown in real terms in nearly 20 years. Recent
data demonstrates that NSF was able to fund only 22 percent of the
high-quality research proposals that were submitted, rather than the
National Science Board recommendation of 30 percent. In fiscal year
2019, approximately $2.8 billion was requested for about 4,262 declined
proposals that were rated Very Good or higher in the merit review
process.\6\
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\6\ Report on the National Science Foundation's Merit Review
Process, Fiscal Year 2019, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our recommendation ($10 billion) is $1.5 billion above fiscal year
2021 to support a five percent increase across the agency's core
research and education programs, establish a new grant program for
early-career fellowships as envisioned in congressional legislation,
fund more high-quality research proposals, and increase NSF's average
award size.\7 \\8\ NSF could also accelerate key priorities, including
Ten Big Ideas, Convergence Accelerators, Partnerships for Innovation,
I-Corp, and Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure.\9 \\10\
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\7\ American Innovation Act
\8\ Supporting Early Career Researchers Act
\9\ National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerators and NSF 10
Big Ideas Funding, Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Request to Congress,
National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA
\10\ Partnership for Innovation
FASEB Fiscal Year 2022 Recommendation: At least $10 billion for
NSF.
[This statement was submitted by Ellen Kuo, Associate Director,
Legislative Affairs.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and
Brain Sciences
fiscal year 2022 appropriations for the national science foundation
Chairwoman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the
subcommittee:
The Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences
(FABBS) is grateful for the opportunity to submit testimony for the
record in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget for
fiscal year 2022. FABBS represents 27 scientific societies and over
sixty university departments whose members and faculty share a
commitment to advancing knowledge of the mind, brain, and behavior. As
a leading member of the Coalition for National Science Funding, FABBS
joins the broader scientific community in urging Congress to fund NSF
with at least $10 billion in fiscal year 2022.
FABBS is grateful for the strong bipartisan and bicameral support
to re-invigorate Federal research and development at a time when our
global competitors are looking to surpass American investments. The
bipartisan United States Innovation and Competition Act recently passed
by the Senate would authorize more than $80 billion for the Foundation
over 5 years. This same commitment to growing NSF is reflected by
Members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee in the
bipartisan NSF for the Future Act recently passed out of committee,
which would authorize $78 billion over 5 years. Furthermore, the
President's budget request calls for over $10 billion in fiscal year
2022, a 20 percent increase over fiscal year 2021 appropriations.
This demonstration of support recognizes that NSF-funded research
pays long-term dividends in health, national security, and the
innovation and technologies driving our economy. In addition, NSF
research and programs provide the tools to develop a workforce equipped
for the challenges and technologies of the future and foster the next
generation of scientists--with a commitment to broad participation--
whose work will keep this country at the forefront of discovery.
Furthermore, Federal support for the NSF is vital to our research
infrastructure. NSF supports one out of every four basic research
projects at higher learning institutions across the United States.
Despite the critical importance of NSF, and the fact that the U.S.
has lost standing in international competitiveness, the agency remains
woefully underfunded. Due to budget constraints, NSF must decline
thousands of qualified proposals, of which nearly $3 Billion dollars'
worth are rated very good or higher. NSF Director Panchanathan has
indicated that proposals that do receive funding could produce better
research outcomes and provide better value by increasing the size and
duration of grants. In fact, he has said that NSF could double their
budget on the current research and researchers that go unfunded, and
``a quadrupling of the funding is just barely enough to be able to take
us to all the ideas being unleashed so that we might be far ahead of
the competition.''
FABBS members are grateful that NSF received $75 million in the
CARES Act and $600 million in the American Rescue Plan. These
appropriations have already led to important insights related to the
COVID-19 pandemic, while helping to alleviate the research
interruptions caused by the public health crisis and fund timely
research critical to helping our country slow the spread of COVID-19.
NSF has made more than 1,000 awards to address questions related to the
pandemic and its long-term consequences.
Behavioral, cognitive, and social scientists are producing tools
for policymakers, educators, and the general public to cope with and
recover from the unprecedented circumstances of the past year. They are
developing strategies to get students back on track, delineating best
practices for public health communication, and advancing knowledge to
foster resilience in the face of collective trauma and sustained
periods of stress. Robust investment in basic science in fiscal year
2022 is vital to accelerating the pandemic recovery and maintaining
American leadership in research and development.
FABBS scientists have a particular interest in the Social,
Behavioral and Economics (SBE) Sciences directorate, which provides an
estimated 62 percent of the Federal funding for fundamental research in
SBE sciences at academic institutions across the country.\1\ Thus, our
fields are heavily dependent on the NSF to inform discoveries from
expanding our understanding of the mechanisms of memory underlying
brain activity, to contributing to the design and assessing the social
and ethical consequences of new technologies, to better understanding
decision making and risk assessment with broad implications for health
and public policy. SBE is home to the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics (NCSES), a Federal statistical agency that
provides statistical information about the United States' science and
engineering (S&E) enterprise. NCSES collects, analyzes, and
disseminates data on research and development (R&D), the S&E workforce,
the condition and progress of science, STEM education, and U.S.
competitiveness in science, engineering, and technology R&D.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2021/pdf/28_fy2021.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to receiving support from SBE, FABBS members appreciate
critical funding from the Computer and Information Science and
Engineering Directorate (CISE), which funds research on topics such as
human-technology interaction and cyber-assisted learning; the
Biological Sciences (BIO) Directorate, which funds research on topics
such as sleep and circadian rhythms and sex differences in responses to
stress; and the Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate, which
funds research on increasing America's human capital through effective
education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
We recognize that Congress must balance competing budget priorities
while working to deliver a robust recovery from the pandemic. To that
end, increasing Federal investment in fundamental scientific research
across all sciences is critical to successfully managing the pandemic
recovery and ensuring the future prosperity, security, and health of
our Nation and its people. We urge you to provide NSF with at least $10
billion for fiscal year 2022. Along with the broader scientific
community, we believe that increased funding for fundamental scientific
research would set the NSF on a path to yield transformative benefits
to the country. We thank you in advance for your commitment to robust
funding in fiscal year 2022 and efforts to complete the budget in a
timely manner.
Thank you for considering this request.
FABBS MEMBER SOCIETIES
Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research
American Educational Research Association
American Psychological Association
American Psychosomatic Society
Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
Association for Behavior Analysis International
Behavior Genetics Association
Cognitive Neuroscience Society
Cognitive Science Society
International Congress of Infant Studies
International Society for Developmental Psychobiology
Massachusetts Neuropsychological Society
National Academy of Neuropsychology
The Psychonomic Society
Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology
Society for Computation in Psychology
Society for Judgement and Decision Making
Society for Mathematical Psychology
Society for Psychophysiological Research
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
Society for Research in Child Development
Society for Research in Psychopathology
Society for the Scientific Study of Reading
Society for Text & Discourse
Society of Experimental Social Psychology
Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology
Vision Sciences Society
FABBS AFFILIATES
APA Division 1: The Society for General Psychology
APA Division 3: Experimental Psychology
APA Division 7: Developmental Psychology
APA Division 28: Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse
Arizona State University
Binghamton University
Boston University
California State University, Fullerton
Carnegie Mellon University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
East Tennessee State University
Florida International University
Florida State University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University--Purdue University Indianapolis
Johns Hopkins University
Kent State University
Lehigh University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michigan State University
New York University
North Carolina State University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
The Ohio State University, Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences
Pennsylvania State University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Rice University
Southern Methodist University
Stanford University
Syracuse University
Temple University
Texas A&M University
Tulane University
University of Arizona
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, San Diego
University of Chicago
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Delaware
University of Houston
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota, Institute of Child Development
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Washington
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest University
Washington University in St. Louis
Yale University
[This statement was submitted by Juliane Baron, Executive
Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University
fiscal year 2022 programmatic allocations for education programs under
the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa) and national
science foundation (nsf)
Chair Leahy, Chair Shaheen, Vice Chairman Shelby, Ranking Member
Moran, and Members of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit public
testimony on the Fiscal Year 2022 Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies Appropriations bill. Specifically, FAMU supports the
President's fiscal year 2022 budget request for the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Education Partnership Program
with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) and the National Sea Grant
College Program, as well as the National Science Foundation's Education
and Human Resources education programs. These congressionally
authorized Federal programs have a direct impact on FAMU, our students,
our region and our Nation.
Florida A&M University, based in the State capitol of Tallahassee,
Florida, was founded in 1887 with only 15 students and two instructors.
Today, FAMU has grown to nearly 10,000 students and we are the highest
ranked among public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
according to the U.S. News and World Report National Public
Universities. Our University offers 56 bachelor's degrees, 29 master's
degrees, 12 doctoral degrees and three professional degrees. We are a
leading land-grant research institution with an increased focus on
science, technology, research, engineering, agriculture, and
mathematics.
The Federal Government is a key partner and resource for FAMU. The
Federal science agencies, in particular, support a wide range of the
University's education, research and training programs. In turn, we
produce highly-skilled graduates in critical disciplines and conduct
cutting edge research benefitting the Federal Government as well as the
Nation. FAMU strongly supports funding for two important education
programs under the Department of Commerce National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as education programs under
the National Science Foundation Directorate for Education & Human
Resources (EHR).
noaa education partnership program with minority serving institutions
(epp/msi)
FAMU is one of the four lead universities for the NOAA Education
Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI)
Cooperative Science Centers (CSCs), and as such we support the proposed
increase for the program in the President's fiscal year 2022 budget.
The goal of the EPP/MSI is to increase the number of students,
particularly from underrepresented communities, who attend Minority
Serving Institutions and graduate with degrees in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) relevant to NOAA's mission.
In August 2016 under the EPP/MSI program, NOAA awarded Cooperative
Science Centers (CSCs) to four universities under 5-year cooperative
agreements. This was the latest round of CSC awards since the program
was first established in 2001. FAMU is the lead university for the
Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems, one of the four CSCs. Our
partners include Bethune Cookman University, California State
University Monterey Bay, Jackson State University, Texas A&M University
(Corpus Christi), and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The
annual appropriation supports FAMU, along with other lead Minority
Serving Institutions, which partner with 24 additional U.S. colleges
and universities as part of the CSC program. The faculty and students
conduct research that further supports NOAA's mission.
In April 2021, FAMU hosted the first phase of the Tenth Biennial
NOAA EPP/MSI Education and Science Forum. The focus of the Forum is
expanding academic training in NOAA-mission STEM disciplines, through
partnership activities as well as promoting career opportunities for
STEM graduates in the public, private, and academic sectors.
Since 2001, NOAA EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Centers institutions
have awarded post-secondary degrees to over 2,300 students in fields
that support NOAA's mission. Over the same time period, these
institutions awarded over half of the doctoral degrees that were earned
by African Americans in both atmospheric science and marine science in
the United States. The President's fiscal year 2022 budget for NOAA's
Office of Education proposes a $3 million increase in funding for this
critical program, which supports NOAA-related research, increases
diversity of the STEM workforce and fosters American competitiveness in
STEM fields. We urge the subcommittee to support the President's budget
proposal and provide increased funding for the NOAA EPP/MSI program.
noaa national sea grant college program
FAMU also strongly supports the subcommittee allocating the
President's fiscal year 2022 budget request of $115.7 million for
NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program, which works to create and
maintain a healthy coastal environment and economy. The Sea Grant
network consists of a Federal/university partnership between NOAA and
34 university-based programs in every coastal and Great Lakes State,
Puerto Rico, and Guam. The network draws on the expertise of more than
3,000 scientists, engineers, public outreach experts, educators and
students to help citizens better understand, conserve and utilize
America's coastal resources.
The Florida Sea Grant program is a Statewide program headquartered
at the University of Florida. The program supports research, education
and extension to conserve coastal resources and enhance economic
opportunities for the citizens of Florida. Since 1997, faculty and
students at 13 participating institutions, including FAMU, have
received Federal funding from the Florida Sea Grant. In 2019, the
economic impact of the Florida Sea Grant program was $17.1 million and
resulted in 372 jobs created or sustained. The program also supported a
variety of research and training relevant to Florida's coastal
communities and related industries, including developing a model to
project future flood risks to support Florida's coastal resiliency
plans. The program augments the State's artificial reef efforts and
helps to protect, enhance and restore coastal habitat. Nationally, the
Sea Grant program had an economic impact of $412.4 million in 2020, far
exceeding the Federal investment in the program. The national program
helped to create or sustain 10,404 jobs and 998 businesses. It also
supported nearly 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students and fellows.
The President's fiscal year 2022 budget proposes to substantially
increase funding for the National Sea Grant College Program under
NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). Continued
funding for this program, which has been in existence for more than 50
years, is critical to supporting Great Lakes and coastal communities,
including those in Florida, through research, extension and education.
FAMU, as a member of the Florida Sea Grant program, urges the
subcommittee to support the President's budget proposal and fund the
Sea Grant program at the requested level of $115.7 million.
national science foundation (nsf) education programs
The NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR)
supports a wide variety of programs across all levels of education in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In particular,
FAMU supports funding for the broadening participation programs aimed
at increasing the participation of underrepresented populations in STEM
education and, ultimately, the STEM workforce. These programs include
the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program
(HBCU-UP). FAMU urges the subcommittee to support the President's
budget request of $46.5 million for HBCU-UP.
FAMU has received significant research funding through NSF,
including more than $4 million from NSF in fiscal year 2020. These
grants have funded a variety of scientific research projects as well as
programs to promote underrepresented minorities in STEM careers. FAMU
continues to pursue NSF funding for innovative projects and encourages
the subcommittee to provide robust funding for NSF's education
programs.
The President's fiscal year 2022 budget requests $1.28 billion for
NSF's EHR programs. The budget also proposes an increase in the HBCU-UP
program. Funding at the President's budget request for EHR and the
HBCU-UP would allow NSF to expand its important work of supporting STEM
education programs, particularly its broadening participation programs
directed at underrepresented populations.
We urge the subcommittee to support the President's proposed budget
increases for these critical NOAA and NSF education programs. We thank
you for your continued support of Federal postsecondary initiatives
that not only directly benefit our University but the region and the
Nation as well. Thank you for your consideration.
[This statement was submitted by President Larry Robinson, Ph.D.]
______
Prepared Statement of Futures Without Violence
June 22, 2022
The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen, The Honorable Jerry Moran,
Chairwoman Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Subcommittee on Commerce,
Science, and Related Agencies Justice,
Committee on Appropriations Science, and Related Agencies
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
Washington, D.C. 20510 United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairwoman Shaheen and Ranking Member Moran:
For more than 35 years, Futures Without Violence (FUTURES) has been
providing groundbreaking programs, policies, and campaigns that empower
individuals and organizations working to end violence against women and
children around the world. Striving to reach new audiences and
transform social norms, we train professionals such as doctors, nurses,
judges, and athletic coaches on improving responses to violence and
abuse. We also work with advocates, policymakers, and others to build
sustainable community leadership and educate people everywhere about
the importance of respect and healthy relationships.
-- To create a future without violence, we support $2 million
for VAWA's the National Resource Center on Workplace Responses
(Workplaces Respond) in fiscal year 2022. This authorized
program is currently funded at $1 million.
Futures Without Violence is a member of the National Campaign for
Funding to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, an alliance of over 30
national organizations that support full funding for gender-based
violence programs. Workplaces Respond is also supported by this
coalition. On behalf of FUTURES, please allow us to provide some
background on the Workplace Resource Center and the need for an
increase to $2 million for this national program that supports economic
security and safety for gender-based violence survivors.
Authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and funded
through the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against
Women (OVW), the National Resource Center on Workplace Responses is the
only national program focused on fostering survivors' economic security
by promoting their safety and well-being on the job, and helping
employers address how gender-based violence affects the workplace
overall.
Economic security is a critical protective factor for survivors, so
they have the resources necessary to seek safety, independence, and
long-term stability for themselves and their children. The pandemic's
disproportionate impact on women--especially women of color -has
further eroded survivors' ability to achieve economic self-sufficiency.
Women in the U.S. lost 5.5 million jobs in the first 10 months of the
pandemic, nearly 1 million more job losses than men;
--60 percent of survivors reported job loss due to impacts of abuse;
and
--Survivors are 5-6 times more likely to drop out of job training
programs due to the impacts of abuse and lingering effects of
trauma.
While we are entering the recovery stage of COVID, the fundamental
need to support survivors, particularly women of color, remains, and
the Workplace Resource Center has the effective results to meet this
need. Since it was created, the Resource Center has conducted
approximately 200 trainings and assisted nearly 20,000 people and
countless workplaces. Workplaces Respond has helped ensure victim and
workplace safety and productivity through:
--online-based resources;
--specialized education, training, and technical assistance for
private and public workplaces, and other workplace
stakeholders;
--awareness raising and outreach; and
--policies and practices to prevent and respond to violence impacting
workers and the workplace.
In the past few years, since the start of the #MeToo movement and
being inundated with requests, the Workplace Resource Center invested
in creating a new online resource hub that provides guidance for
employers, sample training curricula, and tools and strategies for
impacted employees. This was completed as funding remained level at $1
million.
For fiscal year 2022, we are requesting an increase in funding this
year to $2 million through this VAWA program to carry out expanded and
timely areas of work:
--Trauma-Responsiveness: In response to the devastating impact the
COVID-19 pandemic has had on women's employment, the Workplace
Resource Center seeks to engage employers through collaboration
and capacity building to help reconnect survivors to
employment. Building on strategies and tools our staff
developed for trafficking victim service providers and local
workforce development programs through a grant from DOJ's
Office for Victims of Crime, we propose a new, but
complementary initiative to ensure that survivors of domestic
violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking are
better able to access job and skill-building programs, secure
employment, and work within safe and trauma-responsive
workplaces. This collaborative model was developed through 11
local victim service and employer collaborations across 10
cities and States.
--Industry-specific Pilots: In the past, the Workplace Resource
Center has worked with local and regional-level hospitals, farm
workers, and restaurants to support industry-specific best
practices. We have started similar work with the fast food
industry this past year, and an increase in funding could
support a more robust demand for technical assistance and
training to develop replicable practices.
--Scale and Spread Strategy: In order to replicate the model of
employer engagement and foster local collaborations between
victim services providers and employers, the Workplace Resource
Center is in the process of instituting a Workplaces Respond
Institute, which will bring representatives from 14 different
localities to be trained on how to create a localized
prevention and education model for employers, engage workplaces
in better responding to violence impacting workers and the
workplace, and support survivors in achieving economic
stability.
--Federal employees: The public sector, which represents over 15
percent of the U.S. workforce, has always been under the
Workplace Resource Center's umbrella. Recently, there is
increasing interest from Federal agencies and OPM to re-engage
in this work using the existing Presidential Memorandum--
Establishing Policies for Addressing Domestic Violence in the
Federal Workforce; increased appropriations would support this
work.
For additional information, please contact Linda Seabrook, General
Counsel and Director of Workplace Safety & Equity,
lseabrook@futureswithoutviolence.org,, Kiersten Stewart, Director of
Public Policy and Advocacy, at kstewart@futureswithoutviolence.org, or
Sally Schaeffer, consultant, at sally@uncorkedadvocates.com.
[This statement was submitted by Esta Soler, President.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Geological Society of America
national science foundation and national aeronautics and space
administration
The Geological Society of America (GSA) supports strong and growing
investments in geoscience research and education at the National
Science Foundation (NSF) and National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA). We encourage Congress to appropriate $10 billion
for NSF in fiscal year 2022 and increases to NASA's Science Mission
Directorate and its Earth Science and Planetary Science Divisions.
Investment in NSF and NASA is necessary to secure America's future
economic leadership, both through the discoveries made and the talent
developed through their programs. For the United States to remain a
global leader, the Nation must provide greater investment in its
people, particularly women and individuals from other groups
traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. Earth and space science
at these two agencies play a vital role in American prosperity and
security by playing an integral role in understanding and documenting
mineral and energy resources that underpin economic growth; researching
and monitoring potential natural hazards that threaten U.S. and
international security; and determining and assessing water quality and
availability.
The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a scientific society
with members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100
countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA
enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the
geosciences in the service of humankind. GSA encourages cooperative
research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters
public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth
science education.
national science foundation
The Geological Society of America (GSA) appreciates the increase to
the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget in fiscal year 2021 and
thanks the Committee for recognizing the important role that the agency
plays in our country's global competitiveness. We urge Congress to
provide NSF at least $10 billion in fiscal year 2022.
Sustained increases beyond inflation are necessary to regain
America's science and technology leadership and to enable the
discoveries that lead to future innovations and industries. Data from
the Merit Review Process Fiscal Year 2019 Digest show that NSF receives
many more high-quality proposals than it can fund. In fiscal year 2019,
NSF was only able to fund 27 percent of the proposals received. The
report noted, ``Approximately $2.8 billion was requested for declined
proposals that were rated Very Good or higher in the merit review
process--proposals that, if funded, may have produced substantial
research and education benefits.'' The report States that National
Science Board members ``believe that the long-term health of the
research community and promised benefits to the Nation demand a funding
rate closer to the historical average of 30 percent or more.''
Increases in funding will allow NSF to continue to support its core
basic research in addition to growing investments in its Ten Big Ideas
and other transformational research. These big ideas are designed to
position the U.S. on the cutting edge of global science and engineering
leadership and will build upon and complement the basic research
occurring in the directorates.
Geoscience research is a critical component of the overall science
and technology enterprise and a key contributor to groundbreaking
research across disciplines at NSF. NSF's Directorate for Geosciences
is the largest Federal supporter of basic geoscience research at
universities. Increased investments in NSF's geoscience portfolio are
necessary to address such issues as natural hazards, energy and
minerals, water resources, education, and needed research funding due
to the coronavirus pandemic.
--There is a vital need to understand the abundance and distribution
of critical mineral resources, as well as the geologic
processes that form them, as articulated in the Energy Policy
Act of 2020. NSF's Division of Earth Sciences supports research
on the structure, composition, and evolution of the Earth and
the processes that govern the formation and behavior of the
Earth's materials. This research contributes to a better
understanding of the natural distribution of mineral and energy
resources.
--The quality and quantity of surface water and groundwater have a
direct impact on the wellbeing of societies and ecosystems, as
evidenced by flooding and drought impacts experienced across
the U.S. during the past year. NSF's research addresses major
gaps in our understanding of water availability, quality, and
dynamics, including the impact of both a changing climate and
human activity on the water system.
--The Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences provides critical
infrastructure and research funding for understanding our
planet, including weather and precipitation variability and
atmospheric and space weather hazards. NSF is a key partner in
obtaining data necessary to predict severe space weather
events, which affect the electric power grid, satellite
communications, and navigation systems. The Promoting Research
and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of
Tomorrow Act (PROSWIFT Act), which was signed into law in
October of 2020, highlights how NSF contributes to
understanding these research questions.
--Understanding the oceans is key to a sustainable future. The
National Research Council report Sea Change: 2015-2025 Decadal
Survey of Ocean Sciences highlights areas of research that are
need to make informed decisions, including: How can risk be
better characterized and the ability to forecast geohazards
like megaearthquakes, tsunamis, undersea landslides, and
volcanic eruptions be improved? What are the rates, mechanisms,
impacts, and geographic variability of sea level change? How
different will marine food webs be at mid-century? In the next
100 years? Additional support for NSF would allow researchers
to find answers to these essential questions.
--Natural hazards are a major cause of fatalities and economic
losses. NOAA found in 2020 alone, there were 13 severe storms,
seven tropical cyclones, one drought, and one wildfire that
resulted in a cost of $95 billion and 262 deaths. An improved
scientific understanding of hazards will reduce future losses
by informing effective planning and mitigation. We urge
Congress to support NSF investments in fundamental Earth
science research and facilities that underpin innovations in
natural hazards monitoring and warning systems. For example,
the Coastlines and People (CoPe) initiative aims to understand
the impacts of coastal environmental variability and natural
hazards on populated coastal regions.
national aeronautics and space administration
GSA requests increases to NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD)
and its Earth Science and Planetary Science Divisions. Increased
funding will be critical to implement the recommendations of the recent
National Academy of Sciences' Earth Science and Applications from Space
(ESAS) Decadal Survey report. The report notes,
``Earth science and applications are a key part of the Nation's
information infrastructure, warranting a U.S. program of Earth
observations from space that is robust, resilient, and appropriately
balanced.''
The data and observations from Earth observing missions and
research are a tremendously important resource for natural resource
exploration and land use planning, as well as assessing water
resources, natural disaster impacts, and global agriculture production.
GSA supports interagency efforts to ensure the future viability of
Landsat satellites as well as funding to increase the capabilities and
uses of multi-spacecraft constellations of small scientific satellites.
We appreciate congressional support in fiscal year 2021 for Earth
Science Missions, and request that Congress continue their funding in
fiscal year 2022. These missions will advance science frontiers and
provide critical data for society. For example, NASA's Plankton,
Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission will help monitor the
duration and impact of harmful algae blooms and The Climate Absolute
Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Pathfinder will enable
industry and military decision-makers to more accurately assess natural
hazards, such as flooding.
By looking at our planet as an integrated system, NASA's Earth and
climate science efforts are among the Nation's most effective tools to
understand and tackle climate change. Planetary research is directly
linked to Earth science research and cuts in either program will hinder
the other. To support missions to better understand the workings of the
entire solar system, planetary scientists engage in both terrestrial
field studies and Earth observation to examine geologic features and
processes that are common on other planets, such as impact structures,
volcanic constructs, tectonic structures, and glacial and fluvial
deposits and landforms. In addition, geochemical planetary research
studies include investigations of extraterrestrial materials now on
Earth, including lunar samples, meteorites, cosmic dust particles, and,
most recently, particles returned from comets and asteroids. We
appreciate past congressional support for this area and urge you to
continue to increase this important area to support priority areas
identified in the Planetary Science Decadal Survey.
support needed to educate future innovators
Earth scientists will be essential to meeting the environmental and
resource challenges of the twenty-first century, but a shortage is
expected in the future workforce. The Status of the Geoscience
Workforce Report 2018 found an expected deficit of approximately
118,000 geoscientists by 2026. It also highlighted the diversity of
careers supported by geoscience research. For example, the report found
that the majority of master's degree graduates found jobs in the oil
and gas industry and government, while environmental services, such as
environmental consulting and remediation of water and soil, hired the
highest percentage of geoscience bachelor's degree graduates. Other
industries hiring geoscientists include manufacturing, trade,
construction, information technology services, mining, and agriculture.
Increased NSF and NASA investments in Earth science education are
necessary to meet these workforce needs and develop an informed,
science-literate population.
For the United States to remain a global leader, the Nation must
provide greater investment in its people, including women and
individuals from other groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM
fields. NSF's Education and Human Resources Directorate researches and
improves the way we teach science and provides research and fellowship
opportunities for students to encourage them to continue in the
sciences. Similarly, NASA's educational programs, led by NASA's Office
of STEM Engagement and directorates, have inspired and led many into
science careers. GSA fully supports these efforts, as well as
additional programs to make the geoscience workforce more diverse, such
as NSF INCLUDES--Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners
of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science.
Please contact GSA Director for Geoscience Policy Kasey White to
learn more about the Geological Society of America--including GSA
Position Statements on water resources, planetary research, energy and
mineral resources, natural hazards, climate change, and public
investment in Earth science research.
[This statement was submitted by Kasey White, Director for
Geoscience Policy.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
fiscal year 2022 funding for the national science foundation
On behalf of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), we
are pleased to provide this written testimony to House Appropriations
subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies
for the official record. HFES urges the subcommittee to provide at
least $10 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the
fiscal year 2022 appropriations process. In addition, HFES supports
efforts by NSF to broaden participation in science for underrepresented
groups to ensure a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce and
research enterprise, such as the INCLUDES and ADVANCE initiatives.
These efforts are critical to not only fixing inequities in the U.S.
research enterprise but also to ensuring that the U.S. has the robust,
21st Century workforce needed to maintain its competitive edge in
technological innovation.
HFES is a multidisciplinary professional association with over
3,000 individual members worldwide, comprised of scientists and
practitioners, all with a common interest in enhancing the performance,
effectiveness, and safety of systems with which humans interact through
the design of those systems' user interfaces to optimally fit humans'
physical and cognitive capabilities. The Society and its members
strongly believe that investment in scientific research serves as an
important driver for innovation and the economy, national security, and
maintaining American global competitiveness. Funding for fundamental
research at NSF to address national and societal needs will be critical
as Congress looks at legislation to ensure the U.S. remains the global
leader in advancing science and technology. We thank the subcommittee
for its longtime recognition of the value of scientific and engineering
research and its contribution to innovation in the U.S.
human factors and ergonomics at the national science foundation
HFES and its members strongly believe that Federal investment in
NSF will have a direct and positive impact on the U.S. economy,
national security, and the health and well-being of Americans. It is
for these reasons that HFES supports robust funding for the Foundation
to encourage further advancements in the fields of technology,
education, defense, and healthcare, among others. In the past, NSF
funding for HF/E basic research has strengthened interdisciplinary
partnerships allowing for a multilateral approach to technology
research and development, including the human and user perspectives.
The benefits of this research are not confined to one field but rather
span across a range of disciplines to increase understanding of the way
humans interact with technology, as well as with each other.
In particular, NSF funds HF/E research to:
--Better understand and improve the effectiveness of how individuals,
groups, organizations, and society make decisions.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Decision, Risk & Management Sciences (DRMS) Program (http://
www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_
summ.jsp?pims_id=5423)
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--Improve understanding of the relationship between science and
engineering, technology, and society, in order to advance the
adoption and use of technology.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Science and Technology Studies (STS) Program (https://
www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_
summ.jsp?pims_id=505697)
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--Gain a better understanding of how humans and computers interact to
ensure the development of new devices or environments that
empower the user.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Human Centered Computing (HCC) Program (https://www.nsf.gov/
funding/pgm_
summ.jsp?pims_id=504958)
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--Inform decision making in engineering design, control, and
optimization to improve individual engineering components and
entire systems.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Operation and Design Cluster (http://www.nsf.gov/funding/
pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13473)
HF/E research will be especially critical as Congress and the
Federal Government work to develop, adopt, and broadly integrate
emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). HFES
recognizes that most systems that rely on AI will not operate
independently but will be initially programmed and trained by humans to
augment, collaborate, or perform specific tasks.
The HF/E profession has conducted detailed research on impacts of
AI on human performance, and HFES believes AI must be designed to
successfully support human capabilities and overcome known human
cognitive limitations, so that humans can understand the actions and
intentions of AI. More research is needed to understand how systems can
be designed to overcome AI biases, provide transparency and
explainability for human use, and provide clear interfaces for human-AI
interactions. Interdisciplinary research programs at NSF to address
these challenges, such as its Fairness in Artificial Intelligence
program \5\ and the AI Research Institutes,\6\ will be critical to
ensuring the U.S. achieves the promised benefits AI can bring to
society.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ NSF Program on Fairness in Artificial Intelligence in
Collaboration with Amazon (FAI) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/
pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505651)
\6\ Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes (https://
www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?
pims_id=505686)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
the value of human factors and ergonomics science
For over 50 years, the U.S. Federal Government has funded
scientists and engineers to explore and better understand the
relationship between humans, technology, and the environment.
Originally stemming from urgent needs to improve the performance of
humans using complex systems such as aircraft during World War II, the
field of human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) works to develop safe,
effective, and practical human use of technology. HF/E does this by
developing scientific approaches for understanding this complex
interface, also known as ``human-systems integration.'' Today, HF/E is
applied to fields as diverse as transportation, architecture,
environmental design, consumer products, electronics and computers,
energy systems, medical devices, manufacturing, office automation,
organizational design and management, aging, farming, health, sports
and recreation, oil field operations, mining, forensics, and education.
With increasing reliance by Federal agencies and the private sector
on technology-aided decision-making, HF/E is vital to effectively
achieving our National objectives. While a large proportion of HF/E
research exists at the intersection of science and practice--that is,
HF/E is often viewed more at the ``applied'' end of the science
continuum--the field also contributes to advancing ``fundamental''
scientific understanding of the interface between human decision-
making, engineering, design, technology, and the world around us
through research funded by NSF. The reach of HF/E is profound, touching
nearly all aspects of human life from the health care sector to the
ways we travel, to the hand-held devices we use every day.
conclusion
Given NSF's critical role in supporting fundamental research and
education across science and engineering disciplines, HFES supports an
overall fiscal year 2022 NSF budget of at least $10 billion. This
investment funds important research studies, enabling an evidence-base,
methodology, and measurements for improving organizational function,
performance, and design across sectors and disciplines.
On behalf of HFES, we would like to thank you for the opportunity
to provide this testimony. Please do not hesitate to contact us should
you have any questions about HFES or HF/E research. HFES truly
appreciates the subcommittee's long history of support for scientific
research and innovation.
[This statement was submitted by Peter Hancock, DSc, PhD,
President, and Steven C. Kemp, CAE, Executive Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
departments of justice and commerce
On behalf of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, I am pleased to submit
this written testimony on our funding priorities and requests for the
Fiscal Year 2022 for the Department of Commerce and the Department of
Justice budgets. Our budget request endorses the requests and
recommendations of our international, regional, and national partners,
the Pacific Salmon Commission, the Northwest Indian Fisheries
Commission, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, and the National
Congress of American Indians.
The moral compass of our Nation is expressed annually when Congress
exercises its authority to appropriate funding to support certain
programs and services. The Constitution, Treaties, Executive Orders,
and numerous court decisions established the legal and moral foundation
for prioritizing funding for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/
AN). Yet, as documented by two Reports that were issued by the U.S.
Civil Rights Commission, a quiet crisis of unfulfilled Federal
obligations has persisted for decades across Indian Country and has
left our Tribal citizens and communities vulnerable to the current
public health crisis and economic devastation. The COVID-19 pandemic's
disproportionate impact on AI/AN resulted in the highest rates of
infection, hospitalizations, and deaths compared to any other racial
and ethnic group in the U.S. And these harrowing statistics are likely
much worse given the lack of accurate, reliable, quality data on AI/AN.
The Biden Administration has committed to respect Tribal
sovereignty, as well as, uphold the trust responsibility, strengthen
the Nation-to-Nation relationship, and empower Tribal communities
through Self-Governance and Self-Determination to make their own
decisions and govern their own communities. We urge Congress to follow
suit and pass a Federal budget for AI/AN that is reflective of the
solemn promises made by the U.S. We have proven time and again that
when you invest in Jamestown and empower our Tribe to exercise our
inherent right of Self-Governance we become strong economic development
drivers for our community and the surrounding region by growing our
resource base and creating jobs. Tribes are a critical governmental
partner in our Nation's quest to ``Build Back Better''.
UPHOLD TRUST AND TREATY OBLIGATIONS
1. Provide Recurring Base Funding for Tribal Programs
2. Require All Agencies to Provide an Annual Estimate of the Costs
to Fully Fund Tribal Programs & Improve Data Collection to Support
Tribal Funding Requests
3. Provide Mandatory Funding for Tribal Programs and Services
TRIBAL REQUESTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (Support
the fiscal year 2022 request of the Pacific Salmon Commission)
1. Provide $110 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery
Fund (NOAA/NMFS)
2. Provide $18.3 million for the Pacific Salmon Treaty, including
the additional $5.5 million for the 2008 Chinook Salmon Agreement
(NOAA/NMFS)
3. Provide $25.9 million for the Mitchell Act Hatchery Program
(NOAA/NMFS)
NATIONAL REQUESTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
1. Fully Fund the Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA)
2. Fully Fund Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
3. Office of Justice Programs (OJP)--Create a Ten Percent (10
percent) Tribal Set-Aside for Tribes
4. Victims of Crime Act Funding--Provide a five percent (5
percent) set aside
5. Fund COPS Program--$52 million
UPHOLD TRUST & TREATY OBLIGATIONS
1. Provide Recurring Base Funding for Tribal Programs
Stable base funding at sufficient levels is essential for viable
and effective Tribal programs and services. Grant funding is highly
competitive, short-term, the application process is complex, the
administrative burden on Tribes is excessive and there are numerous
restrictions imposed on how Tribes may use the funds. Simply put,
competitive grants create barriers to effectively and efficiently
provide programs and services in Tribal communities. Reducing
Administrative inefficiencies would improve program effectiveness and
increase the ability of Tribes to leverage the Federal dollar. Base
funding coupled with more flexibility allows for more effective and
efficient use of the Federal dollar and stronger Tribal governmental
systems resulting in resilient and self-reliant Tribal citizens and
communities.
2. Require All Agencies to Provide an Annual Estimate of
the Costs to Fully Fund Tribal Programs & Improve
Data Collection to Support Tribal Funding Requests
It is incumbent upon the agencies, as trustees, to work
collectively with the Tribes to quantify the true unmet need/
unfulfilled Federal obligation with credible metrics that will
demonstrate an accurate community profile for each Tribe. We need
economic statistics and data that establish and drive policy goals,
ensure effective implementation of programs and services, measure
funding impacts, prove effective and efficient use of funding, and to
demonstrate program success. These data metrics, however, are not a
``justification'' of whether Tribes deserve funding. The Federal
obligation does not dissipate if a Tribe performs poorly in any area.
Rather, a heightened response by the government is required to identify
the challenges that impede a Tribe's success and to build greater
capacity at the local level, if necessary. At this point in time, there
is not a system in place that captures the data needed. There is an
absence of good data agency-wide with some agencies under the prior
Administration having imposed a moratorium on the collection of needs-
based data for Tribes. The Federal Government needs to be held
accountable and directed to work in partnership with Tribes to collect
data that quantifies the true unmet needs/unfulfilled Federal
obligations in Indian country.
3. Provide Mandatory Funding for Tribal Programs and
Services
Trust and Treaty obligations are not discretionary; these are
mandatory responsibilities and obligations. On an annual basis Tribes
are required to ``justify'' their budgetary needs and prove to the
Federal Government that the Federal investment in Tribal communities is
a good investment. We have shown time and again that the Federal
investment in Jamestown is a good investment but the narrative about
funding needs to be re-written because it is mischaracterizing the
Federal trust obligation. Tribes relinquished their lands and resources
in exchange for funding and services from the Federal Government in
perpetuity and that obligation has not changed with time. It is
solidified in our Constitution, Treaties, Executive Orders, and
countless legal opinions.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TRIBAL REQUESTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. $110 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery
Fund (NOAA/NMFS)
The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery fund was established to reverse
the decline of salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest. Jamestown
uses the funds to restore wild salmon populations and to protect and
restore important habitat in the Puget Sound coastal plains. These
funds also support our policy development and help to build the
technical capacity of our Natural Resources staff charged with
planning, implementation, and monitoring recovery activities.
2. $43.5 million for the Pacific Salmon Treaty--The U.S.
Section estimates that this funding is needed to
implement national commitments created by the
Treaty (NOAA/NMFS)
Since 1985, the Pacific Salmon Treaty, between Canada and the
United States, has provided the framework for international
collaboration and cooperation to conserve and manage Pacific Salmon.
The Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC), Parties to the Treaty, works to
establish fishery regimes, develop management recommendations, assess
each country's performance and compliance with the Treaty, and is the
forum for all entities to work towards reaching an agreement on mutual
fisheries issues. In 2019, the Parties implemented a new 10-year
agreement for these fisheries through 2028 and it is essential for the
U.S. to uphold its commitment each year.
3. $25.9 million for the Mitchell Act Hatchery Program
(NOAA/NMFS)
Jamestown hatchery operations have elevated our success and
generated a substantial return on our investment in our aquaculture
business. The Tribe operates three hatcheries, two in Washington State
and one in Hawaii that produce shellfish and sablefish seeds. The
seedlings help to replenish fish and shellfish stocks that have been
depleted due to loss of ecosystems and natural habitats. Tribes depend
on hatcheries to support Treaty fishing rights, protect our culture and
traditional ways of life, and to bolster our commercial fishery
operations at home and trade abroad.
NATIONAL REQUESTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
1. Fully Fund the Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA)
The Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) was an important step in
empowering Tribes to better address the unique public safety challenges
and reduce the prevalence of violent crime in Indian country. However,
effective implementation of TLOA is contingent upon adequate Federal
funding for law enforcement, courts, detention facilities and the
provision of rehabilitative and preventative services. Full funding is
needed to effectively and efficiently implement the comprehensive and
improved measures that were enacted to address the public safety crisis
in Tribal communities.
2. Fully Fund Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Including
$5 million for VAWA Special Domestic Violence
Criminal Jurisdiction
The Office on Violence Against Women provides funding for Tribes to
address violence against women in their communities. The incidence of
domestic violence in Tribal communities is staggering and it is
estimated that over 85 percent of AI/AN will be victims of intimate
partner violence, stalking and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.
Over 90 percent of these crimes are committed by non-Natives who were
outside of the jurisdictional authority of the Tribes. In 2013,
Congress afforded AI/AN judicial recourse by reaffirming the inherent
sovereign authority of Tribes to exercise Special Domestic Violence
Criminal Jurisdiction over Indians and Non-Indians who commit certain
crimes in Indian country. Although Congress authorized $5 million for
Tribes to exercise this new jurisdictional authority, in fiscal year
2021 only $4.3 million was appropriated. Tribal justice systems need
additional resources to fully implement this authority and we therefore
urge Congress to appropriate $5 million.
3. Office of Justice Programs (OJP)--Create a 10 percent
Tribal Set-Aside for all (OJP) Programs and Allow
for Greater Flexibility
Jamestown is advocating for a 10 percent Tribal set-aside from all
OJP discretionary programs to provide Tribes base funding and maximum
flexibility including the ability to combine DOJ funding with other
sources of funding and allow Tribes to develop comprehensive holistic
strategies to address public safety and justice in their communities.
Stable funding for Tribal public safety and justice is a prerequisite
to ensure a safe, healthy, and thriving Tribal community.
4. Provide a Five Percent (5 percent) Tribal Set-Aside for
Victims of Crime Act Funding
The Victims of Crime Act funding is financed by fines and penalties
imposed on convicted Federal offenders and is the largest source of
Federal funding for crime victims. As of 2020, the fund balance was
over $6 billion. Although the fund was established in 1984 and despite
the staggering rates of violent crimes in Indian country, Tribes were
not authorized as direct recipients of funding until recently. For the
past 5 years, Congress has authorized and appropriated a portion of the
fund directly to Tribal Nations. We urge Congress to continue to
provide a 5 percent Tribal Set Aside on a recurring annual basis.
5. Fund the COPS Program--$52 million
The COPS Office provides funding to Tribes for law enforcement
officers. Since the creation of the COPS program Tribes have hired more
than 1700 law enforcement officers. COPS funding is also used for
police training, equipment, vehicles, and technology. Although there is
a great need for additional law enforcement officers throughout Indian
Country, limited resources have hindered Tribe's ability to hire,
retain, and train law enforcement officers. It is imperative for the
safety of Tribal citizens, Indian communities, and surrounding
neighboring communities that a significant increase in funding is
allocated for Tribal law enforcement officers and programs.
We thank you for the opportunity to provide this written testimony.
[This statement was submitted by W. Ron Allen, Tribal Chairman/
CEO.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative to the U.S.
Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice,
Science, and Related Agencies
noaa, nsf, and nasa for fiscal year 2022
Chairman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and other distinguished
Members of the subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies, we thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony
regarding the Fiscal Year 2022 CJS appropriations bill.
The agencies under your charge must respond to the domestic and
global crisis in our oceans. We urge you to ensure that all have
sufficient resources to take necessary action. You have an opportunity
to reassert global leadership that will steer the planet, including the
stewardship of our oceans, back to a just, sustainable, and more secure
future. We greatly appreciate your continued investment in our oceans
commensurate with the immense value they provide our maritime Nation.
We are highly supportive of the Administration proposal for nearly
$7 billion for NOAA, as well as significantly increased support for the
National Science Foundation and NASA's Earth Science Division. These
represent significant steps to restoring U.S. technical capabilities
and science as preeminent in the world. In certain critical accounts we
ask you to consider modest additions above the president's request to
address potentially catastrophic ocean conditions such as acidification
and ensure that ocean observations are adequate to respond to
accelerating climate impacts.
The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (Joint Initiative) is a
collaborative, bipartisan effort to catalyze action on meaningful ocean
policy reform. We believe that protecting base funding and core
programs at NOAA, NSF, and NASA is an investment that will save lives,
protect national security, grow our economy, increase justice and
equity, mitigate climate change, and preserve the health of our oceans,
coasts, and communities. Ocean and coastal resources provide
fundamental goods and services, including food, minerals,
transportation, medicines, tourism, and recreational opportunities.
They also provide livelihoods for millions of Americans, including
historically underserved populations and those who are being most
impacted by climate change. These coastal communities and economies
have already been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and need
significant support to increase their resilience against future
disasters.
Ocean and coastal environments are often the first line of defense
in promoting resilience and protecting American communities from severe
weather events. The oceans are disproportionately impacted by
increasing emissions from human activities, but also have immense
potential to mitigate the climate crisis, for example, by taking action
to advance offshore renewable energy and reduce maritime emissions.
With a clear nexus of climate and oceans, a failure to take decisive
action would severely impact the health and livelihoods of millions of
Americans, with the largest impact on historically underserved
communities. The U.S. needs to lead when it comes to supporting climate
research, education, and adaptation, as well as in centering justice
and equity principles. Robust support for key accounts at NOAA, NSF,
and NASA is essential to reestablish U.S. leadership.
The U.S. blue economy is paramount to ensuring an environmentally
and economically sustainable future for our country. Contributing $373
billion annually to the Nation's GDP and supporting 2.3 million jobs,
the blue economy creates significant economic impact. As sea levels
rise and marine species leave their historic grounds, we risk losing
these integral drivers of our coastal economy. The oceans are vital to
green economic recovery from COVID-19 as well as protection of
marginalized coastal communities who are disproportionately affected by
climate change.
The Biden Administration's proposed topline budget makes
significant strides toward re-establishing NOAA, NSF, and NASA Earth
Sciences as premier science agencies that provide the underpinning to
address the global climate crisis, while restoring and protecting the
Nation's oceans. Based on the need for significant, sustained
investment to invigorate public-private partnerships, address the
significant ocean-climate nexus, and energize national, regional,
State, and local initiatives, we strongly support increasing NOAA's
overall budget to at least $6.9 billion as requested in the President's
budget. We also urge the Committee to consider strategic investments
above this level in critical accounts such as ocean acidification,
managing fish stocks, and empowering oceans and coasts to mitigate
climate impacts. Likewise, we support increasing NSF's overall budget
to a minimum of $10.2 billion, and NASA Earth Science's budget to a
minimum of $2.3 billion. We believe the recommendations in this
testimony represent a modest investment relative to the threats and
opportunities facing oceans and coastal communities, as the benefits
they confer significantly outweigh the costs.
research, exploration, and observation
A critical component of America's economic, military, and
diplomatic power lies in its ocean research, education, exploration,
and observation enterprises. Especially given the pace of observed
changes in climate and ocean chemistry, we strongly urge the
subcommittee to protect vital ocean science and research capabilities.
To make the best, proactive management decisions possible, it is
necessary that we first explore, map, observe, and understand our
ocean.
Observation and monitoring programs are integral to NOAA's ability
to accurately forecast weather, for NOAA's protection and management of
America's ocean resources, and for the U.S. military's navigation and
extreme weather preparedness. We ask that your committee continue to
support enhanced capabilities for observation and monitoring by
allocating $762 million to NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric
Research (OAR) and $66.7 million to NOAA's Sustained Ocean Observations
and Monitoring Program. We also suggest the committee allocate $60
million for the Ocean Exploration program to maintain the pace, scope,
and efficiency of exploration.
It is also critical to fund climate research at OAR at no less than
$293.7 million to promote high-priority climate science that advances
our understanding of Earth's climate system. The oceans are vital to
mitigating against and adapting to climate change; through this
research we can understand and implement ocean-based risk management
and adaptation opportunities.
In addition, we recommend allocating $10.2 billion for the NSF.
NSF's investment in the geosciences--which includes ocean sciences--has
spurred innovations, addressed salient national and global challenges,
galvanized new economic sectors, generated countless jobs, and led to
the development and implementation of advanced technologies. Finally,
we recommend funding NASA's Earth Science Division at $2.3 billion,
consistent with the President's request, to improve national
capabilities to predict climate, weather, and natural hazards, and
better manage resources.
education and extension
The National Sea Grant College Program works to better research,
understand, conserve, and utilize America's coastal resources, making
it critical to coastal States, communities, and economies. For example,
Sea Grant programs support fisheries and aquaculture business
development and help Americans plan for and respond to extreme weather
events. Sea Grant programs engage the ocean workforce of the future and
further equity through increasing access to ocean programs for
underserved communities. Given Sea Grant's critical importance, we urge
this committee to allocate $115.6 million to Sea Grant in fiscal year
2022, including $15 million for Sea Grant Marine Aquaculture.
NOAA's environmental education and ocean stewardship programs
increase essential access to STEM education and cultivate environmental
stewardship. We request that the committee provide $16.5 million for
Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) programs and $8.8 million
for Environmental Literacy Programs (ELP). These vital programs in
increase equity through inspiring and educating future ocean leaders
who represent all Americans.
resilience and security
Sufficient funding must be dedicated to strengthening the
resiliency of coastal communities and ocean ecosystems to combat
dramatic, climate driven changes in our oceans. We ask this
subcommittee to continue leading on ocean and coastal security by
allocating $113 million for the National Ocean and Coastal Security
Fund (NOCSF) in fiscal year 2022. We further recommend that at least
$4.5 million be allocated for regional data portals used to support
critical ocean partnerships that encourage collaboration and data
sharing on the regional scale. In addition, we recommend a total
allocation of $108.5 million to Coastal Management Grants and a minimum
allocation of $42.5 million for the National Estuarine Research Reserve
System in fiscal year 2022. These programs support vital Federal/State
partnerships to help protect our coasts and preserve millions of acres
of coastal habitat, buffering against rising seas and storm events.
NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) is also critical for sustained
resilience and security. We strongly recommend that NOS receive an
allocation of $884 million. NOS funding supports programs that ensure
safe and efficient transportation and commerce; preparedness and risk
reduction; and stewardship, recreation, and tourism. These programs
protect our communities and safeguard our economic livelihoods. For
example, NOAA's Office for Coastal Management delivers technical
assistance communities need to address storm preparedness, erosion,
development, habitat loss, sea level rise, and threats to water
quality. These programs further equity by protecting the historically
undeserved communities who are the most affected by these coastal
changes. Moreover, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
provides coastal managers with scientific information to protect public
health, preserve valued habitats, and foster sustainable community
interaction with coastal ecosystems. The value of public health has
never been clearer than in the last year; we must increase our
protection of community health through these programs. NOS also
supports the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), which collects
and distributes data that is used at the National, regional, State, and
local levels. We recommend IOOS be supported at a recommended $69.5
million to meet the safety, economic and stewardship needs of the
Nation.
The NOS also administers the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
and key restoration projects that dramatically enhance the resilience
of coastal communities and ocean environments. National Marine
Sanctuaries require $84.5 million to protect and steward special marine
spaces, especially in the face of climate change, and develop the next
generation of ocean stewards. These investments pay serious economic
dividends: Sanctuaries generate approximately $8 billion annually for
local economies and NOAA's restoration projects create an average of 17
jobs for every $1 million invested. Moreover, for each million invested
in strengthening coastal communities against storm surge, these
programs can mitigate six million dollars in losses while also
protecting the livelihoods and wellbeing of coastal Americans. We ask
the subcommittee to support the NOCSF and the NOS to bolster the
Nation's economic and environmental resilience and security.
ocean acidification
Ocean acidification is evident along every shoreline and is majorly
impacting economies worldwide. By changing the chemistry of seawater,
ocean acidification endangers shellfish, corals, and other marine life
and disrupts marine food webs. Ocean acidification poses a fundamental
risk to fisheries and aquaculture industries and to human health, as
well as a potentially catastrophic risk to our economy. We strongly
urge you to allocate a minimum of $57.2 million for NOAA's Integrated
Ocean Acidification program to support critical research, monitoring,
education, and outreach. It will help develop a better understanding of
the causes, impacts, and scale of ocean acidification and identify
interventions to help protect fisheries and aquaculture.
sustainable fisheries & aquaculture
Fishing is a cornerstone of the ocean economy and an important
aspect of American history and culture. Since 1976, we have seen
tremendous progress toward creating and maintaining sustainable
fisheries domestically and internationally, in part due to your
subcommittee's commitment to scientifically-sound fishery management.
Aquaculture is also a growing aspect of America's seafood Economy,
which NOAA is increasingly investing in.
However, America's seafood industry is currently being challenged
by changing ocean conditions, shifts in historic stock distributions,
increasingly complex data requirements, and market disruption from the
COVID-19 pandemic. NOAA Fisheries requires elevated funding to address
these challenges and ensure fisheries can recover from the pandemic's
impacts and aquaculture can advance sustainably. Better science and
real-time data inform management decisions and provide regional
management councils with tools to assess the status of fish stocks. To
protect America's fisheries and the jobs that rely on them, we support
allocating $1.1 billion to the National Marine Fisheries Service to
fully implement the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act. In addition, we urge you to provide $206 million for
fisheries data collections, with $6.8 million for surveys and stock
assessments. We also urge you to support full implementation of the
U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program to address IUU fishing and other
initiatives to spread sustainable fisheries management globally.
Further, we recommend funding the research and expansion of aquaculture
to increase sustainable American seafood. These initiatives will not
only increase sustainability but also create quality jobs for coastal
Americans.
concluding remarks
The Joint Initiative greatly appreciates your commitment to
addressing the challenges of our maritime nation, and to the ocean-
climate nexus, so critical to the future of our blue planet. We
appreciate your consideration of our fiscal year 2022 request. We will
continue to track progress on key ocean and coastal programs and
accounts in fiscal year 2022 and beyond, and we stand ready to assist
you in advancing positive and lasting changes in the way we manage our
Nation's oceans and coasts.
Joint Initiative Co-Chairs and Leadership Council Members
The Honorable Christine Todd Whitman | The Honorable Norman Mineta
Frances Beinecke | Don Boesch | The Honorable Norm Dicks | Quenton
Dokken
Robert Gagosian | Sherri Goodman | Scott Gudes
The Honorable Conrad Lautenbacher | Margaret Leinen | Julie Packard
The Honorable Leon Panetta | John Pappalardo | The Honorable Pietro
Parravano
Randy Repass | Larry Robinson | Andrew Rosenberg | Paul Sandifer
______
Prepared Statement of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is pleased to submit this statement in
support of President Biden's $6.9 billion dollar budget for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the
Fiscal Year 2022 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act. The
following testimony outlines several specific requests within NOAA for
priority research, education and grant programs that are needed in
California, the West Coast and nationwide, particularly as the Nation
looks to recover from the devastation of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In a typical year, the Monterey Bay Aquarium welcomes over two
million visitors, provides more than 91,000 students and 5,000 teachers
with award-winning education programs at no cost, and provides valuable
data, tools and approaches for conservation and science at local to
global scales.
The COVID-19 global pandemic dramatically impacted our institution,
which has suffered the loss of approximately $70 million in revenue and
40 percent of our staff over the 14 months during which we were fully
closed to the public. Despite earning zero gate revenue, we continued
to spend over $1 million every month on animal care and life-supporting
core operations--including for endangered, threatened, and protected
species care and stranding response and rehabilitation. In addition, we
provided enhanced and free digital and livestreamed educational content
for schools and the wider public. The Aquarium has taken extraordinary
measures to ensure the health and safety of our animals, staff and the
public during this challenging time, and we are hopeful that emergency
grant funds appropriated in the past two COVID-19 bills will provide
some economic relief. We are grateful to Congress and to the Committee
for its role in COVID-19 relief and recovery.
Monterey County has only recently achieved the public health
metrics that allow us to reopen. We reopened May 15 to the public at 25
percent capacity and are gradually increasing our guest capacity so
that we may more fully return to our mission-to inspire conservation of
the ocean.
NOAA, the Nation's lead science agency for oceanic and atmospheric
matters, provides important tools and services that are critical to
support economic recovery during these challenging times. NOAA's
research, environmental observations and predictions, marine
conservation and management, as well as its education programs and
services shape the way we live today and guide decision-making about
the health of the coupled ocean and climate systems.
The Aquarium strongly supports the President's budget request of
$6.9 billion dollars for fiscal year 2022 and encourages the Committee
to continue its balanced and strategic funding strategy for NOAA. These
investments are needed to support American businesses and citizens as
we recover from the COVID-19 crisis and build capacity for future
resilience in the face of climate change. We urge you to support the
following requests for fisheries, research, and education in fiscal
year 2022 that are particularly important for California and West Coast
communities.
Pacific Bluefin Tuna.--Pacific bluefin tuna are a highly migratory
species that are critical to California's economy and a key top
predator in the ocean. Among the world's largest fish, these tunas are
highly prized on the international seafood market. In 2014, researchers
discovered that the population was depleted to 3.3 percent of its
historic size. No other commercially harvested tuna in the world is so
depleted. Annual fluctuations in availability of Pacific bluefin tuna
impacts the ecosystem and stakeholders, including California's $2.8
billion marine sportfishing industry and research institutions that
have invested millions of dollars in recent decades to develop
conservation strategies for this critical species.
In the last few decades, Pacific bluefin tuna have been heavily
impacted from fishing by nations in the Western Pacific Ocean, limiting
the availability of fish that can migrate to the coast of California
and Mexico. Pacific bluefin tuna are managed by two Regional Fisheries
Management Organizations (RFMOs) that have allowed the population to
decline to historically low levels. In 2017, the United States secured
a historic international agreement to recover the population to
sustainable levels by 2034--a major achievement. However, this hard-won
recovery plan is at risk as other countries continue to propose
policies that would slow population recovery and disadvantage U.S.
stakeholders. A more precautionary approach is needed in the
international negotiations to recover the species, including more
stringent harvest control rules that ensure measurable interim progress
in rebuilding to hold other countries accountable.
In recent years, the RFMOs adopted Management Strategy Evaluation
(MSE) as a tool to optimize science-based decisions, provide
transparency and ensure stakeholder engagement in international
fisheries management. In the fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2020 CJS
appropriations reports, Congress urged NOAA to support Management
Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for Pacific bluefin tuna but there has been
little progress.
It is critical for Congress to provide clear direction to NOAA
given the precarious status of Pacific bluefin tuna and risks related
to the upcoming international negotiations. Current international
science and management processes do not follow standards set for U.S.
stocks within our exclusive economic zone, particularly on
sustainability, transparency and independent science. That must change.
Congress must urge NOAA leadership to ensure NOAA Fisheries takes a
strong position on the need for scientific integrity, independent
science and management accountability in international fisheries. NOAA
Fisheries must provide MSE capacity or similar science-based decision
processes that can ensure accountability by all countries as well as
meaningful stakeholder engagement. Importantly, NOAA Fisheries must
adopt a strong negotiating position that includes more precautionary
harvest control rules that will ensure measurable interim progress to
recover the population. These steps are needed to enable robust
science, transparency and accountability at the RFMOs that are strongly
influenced by the interests of stakeholders in Japan and other
countries.
Corresponding Report Language Request:
Pacific Bluefin Tuna.--The Committee is very concerned with
the status of the iconic Pacific bluefin tuna, the world's most
depleted species of commercially-caught tuna. The Committee
directs NOAA leadership to work with the Office of Science and
Technology Policy and other experts in the Administration, to
ensure NOAA Fisheries takes a strong position on the need for
scientific integrity, independent science and management
accountability for internationally managed species. The
Committee directs NOAA Fisheries to adopt a precautionary
negotiating position with strict harvest control rules that
ensure measurable interim progress in rebuilding Pacific
bluefin tuna and holds all countries accountable to recover the
population to sustainable levels no later than 2034. The
Committee also requests that NOAA Fisheries provide capacity
for Management Strategy Evaluation or similar processes to
optimize science-based decisions, provide transparency and
ensure an equitable balance of responsibility and benefits as
the stock recovers. Further, the Committee directs NOAA
Fisheries to provide resources to support engagement of the
Pacific Fishery Management Council and U.S. stakeholders in the
formulation of strong U.S. positions throughout the
international negotiations.
Pacific Ocean Pelagic & Highly Migratory Fisheries Research.--
Pelagic and highly migratory species (HMS) in the Pacific Ocean support
thousands of jobs and generate hundreds of millions in revenue related
to commercial and recreational fishing, as well as related seafood
industries. These species include valuable tunas (albacore, skipjack,
bigeye, bluefin), swordfish, marlin, and pelagic sharks that drive
significant economic activity along the West Coast, Hawaii and the U.S.
territories. However, Federal funding opportunities for non-Federal
scientists in pelagic and HMS research programs in the Pacific have
declined considerably since the Pacific Fisheries Research Program
(PFRP) ended in 2013. This has resulted in significantly fewer public-
private research collaborations with NOAA and a lack of independent
science to address priority management questions that directly impact
U.S. stakeholders and the health of the Pacific Ocean ecosystem.
Atlantic pelagic and HMS fisheries research has dedicated Federal
programs for individual species, notably the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Research Program, as well as a new HMS Research Program through Sea
Grant. We urge the subcommittee to provide additional funding and
report language to request that NOAA Fisheries establish a comparable
multi-year research grant program for the Pacific regions. This new HMS
research program will focus on priority projects to address key science
gaps and management challenges through collaboration between NOAA,
academia, independent scientists and other relevant institutions.
Corresponding Report Language Request:
Pacific Highly Migratory Species Research.--The Committee
notes the ecological and economic importance of Pacific highly
migratory species such as tunas, swordfish, marlin, and pelagic
sharks. The Committee is concerned by the lack of parity
between Atlantic and Pacific regions for independent research
on highly migratory species that limits science-based
management and impacts U.S. stakeholders. The Committee
provides an additional $2.6 million dollars per year and
directs NOAA Fisheries to establish a multi-year highly
migratory species research grant program for the Pacific
regions to address critical science gaps and management
challenges in collaboration with academia, independent
scientists and other relevant institutions.
Ocean Science and Technology.--The Aquarium collaborates with the
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) on science and
conservation issues of mutual interest. The success of our efforts to
harness cutting edge research to address challenging ocean-related
issues is dependent on a vibrant ocean science and technology
enterprise. To continue to generate science-based solutions to restore
our ocean, and support a robust U.S. role in global efforts, we urge
the subcommittee to bolster funding for essential new science and
technology. Through NOAA and the other relevant agencies, including NSF
and NASA, we recommend the subcommittee provide support for research
and technology development and ocean science. Specifically, we request
funding to ensure we meet the goals set forth by the 2020 NOAA Research
Council's science and technology focus area strategies and the National
Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. EEZ,
particularly the need to use cutting edge technologies, such as
robotics and environmental DNA, to map and characterize biodiversity,
habitats like seamounts and deep corals, and sea floor hazards.
Bycatch Reduction.--We recommend that the subcommittee include an
increase of $2 million over fiscal year 2021 funding for bycatch
reduction competitive grants to non-Federal researchers for the
development and implementation of practical bycatch solutions that
support sustainable U.S. fisheries. The program has not received an
increase in funding over the past 3 years. We request that the
subcommittee increase funding for NOAA's bycatch reporting and
reduction programs to accelerate technology improvements and help U.S.
fishermen achieve greater environmental sustainability while protecting
living marine resources, particularly endangered, protected and
threatened species.
NOAA Education.--The Aquarium is committed to ensuring diversity
among our staff and within the professional spheres of our field.
NOAA's Jose E. Serrano Educational Partnership Program (EPP) with
Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) provides STEM education and future
workforce training, benefiting both the agency and other organizations
by creating a pool of diverse candidates for the future workforce. Its
over 20-year history has shown its effectiveness, but at this moment in
time, the need is greater than ever. We are proud to work with the EPP
centers and urge the subcommittee to provide additional funds for the
EPP-MSI program to support expansion of the EPP network, particularly
to build professional opportunities on the West Coast and build
technical capacity within the next generation to address emerging
challenges.
John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program.--We
urge the subcommittee to increase funding by providing $4 million over
fiscal year 2021 levels for this important stranding and rescue
program.
Thank you for your consideration of these requests.
[This statement was submitted by Ms. Margaret Spring, Chief
Conservation & Science Officer.]
______
Prepared Statement of the National American Indian Court Judges
Association
department of justice
On behalf of the National American Indian Court Judges Association
(NAICJA), this testimony addresses important programs in the Department
of Justice (DOJ). First, NAICJA joins the American Bar Association (see
attached letter) in requesting substantially increased funding for
Tribal courts in response to the $1.2 billion annual shortfall for
Tribal courts as identified in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 2020
report to Congress, Report to the Congress on Spending, Staffing, and
Estimated Funding Costs for Public Safety and Justice Programs in
Indian Country, 2018.
Secondly, NAICJA joins the National Congress of American Indians
(NCAI) in requesting:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Program NCAI Fiscal Year 2022 Request
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Tribal Grants: Eliminate Use DOJ appropriations as base
competitive grant funding process and funding.
utilize Justice Department
appropriations as base funding so that
Tribal nations determine their own
priorities.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Tribal Set-Aside from Office of Create a 10 percent Tribal set-
Justice Programs (OJP). aside for all discretionary
OJP programs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Tribal Set-Aside from Crime Create a 5 percent set-aside
Victims Fund. for Tribal governments.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Tribal Youth Program under the $25,000,000
Juvenile Accountability Block Grants
program.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal $3,000,000
Assistance (TCCLA) Grant.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Community Oriented Policing $52,000,000
Services (COPS) Tribal Law Enforcement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: OVW Tribal programs under the Fully fund all VAWA-authorized
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). programs including the Sexual
Assault Clearinghouse and
$5,000,000 for Tribal
implementation of VAWA special
domestic violence criminal
jurisdiction.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAICJA is a non-profit organization devoted to the support of
American Indian and Alaska Native justice systems through education,
information sharing, and advocacy. Its membership is primarily judges,
justices, and peacemakers serving in Tribal justice systems. As a
national representative organization, NAICJA's mission is to strengthen
and enhance Tribal justice systems, including juvenile justice systems.
The Federal Government's trust responsibility to Tribal nations is
at the heart of NAICJA's recommendation to follow NCAI's fiscal year
2022 Indian country budget request. Like all other governments, Tribal
nations are responsible for the protection and care of their citizens,
residents, and visitors on Tribal lands. Through treaties and other
agreements, Tribal lands were ceded in exchange for the promise of
protected self-governance and adequate resources from the United
States. Those promises are the foundation of the government-to-
government relationship that exists today.
Part of the Federal trust responsibility to Indian Tribes includes
basic governmental services in Indian Country, funding for which is
appropriated in the discretionary portion of the Federal budget. Tribal
governments protect and preserve their unique cultures, identities, and
natural environments for future generations. As governments, Tribes
must deliver a wide range of critical services, such as education,
workforce development, youth programs, and first-responder and public
safety services, to their citizens. The Federal budget for Tribal
governmental services reflects the extent to which the United States
honors its promises to Indian people--and to date, those promises have
not been truly honored.
Tribal justice systems historically have been under-funded and
continue to be under-funded in most Tribal communities. In 1991, the
United States Civil Rights Commission found that ``the failure of the
United States Government to provide proper funding for the operation of
Tribal judicial systems . . . has continued for more than 20 years.''
\1\ In 2014, the Attorney General's Advisory Committee on American
Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence noted that
Department of Justice (DOJ) funding for Tribal justice systems has been
consistently decreasing in recent years.\2\ The Indian Law and Order
Commission (ILOC) noted that in addition to funding shortfalls, DOJ's
short-term, competitive funding approach is deficient because it
reflects Federal priorities rather than Tribal ones, favors hired
grant-writers, requires Tribes to compete against each other, and
offers only 3-year programs that often leave Tribes with staff turnover
and short-term programs.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ United States Commission on Civil Rights, The Indian Civil
Rights Act: A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights 71
(June 1991).
\2\ Attorney General's Advisory Committee on American Indian and
Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence, U.S. Dep't of Justice,
Report of the Advisory Committee on American Indian and Alaska Native
Children Exposed to Violence: Ending Violence So Children Can Thrive 53
(November 2014).
\3\ Indian Law and Order Commission, A Roadmap for Making Native
America Safer: Report to the President & Congress of the United States
83 (2013).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further, the Civil Rights Commission continued reporting on this
topic with A Quiet Crisis: Federal Funding and Unmet Needs in Indian
Country in 2003 and Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding
Shortfall for Native Americans in 2018. Broken Promises found that
``Federal funding for Native American programs across the government
remains grossly inadequate to meet the most basic needs the Federal
Government is obligated to provide . . . Since 2003, funding for Native
American programs has mostly remained flat, and in the few cases where
there have been increases, they have barely kept up with inflation or
have actually resulted in decreased spending power.'' \4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ United States Commission on Civil Rights, Broken Promises:
Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans, 4 (December
2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, in 2020, the BIA submitted a report to Congress, Report to
the Congress on Spending, Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs for
Public Safety and Justice Programs in Indian Country, 2018. The total
annual estimated need for Tribal public safety and justice programs
included $1.3 billion for Tribal law enforcement and $1.2 billion for
Tribal courts. According to the same report, BIA funding only meets
14.7 percent of estimated need. Leaving Tribes to fight for short-term
funds via competitive grant processes, many administered by the DOJ.
DOJ funding across programs affecting Indian country should be
dramatically increased and the distribution mechanism modified. As
nations, Tribes should not have to compete for short-term grants that
reflect Federal priorities. Rather, funds should be allocated as
flexible base funding.
Create a 10 percent Tribal allocation across all Office of Justice
Programs (OJP) programs.--A 10 percent OJP Tribal set-aside would
simplify the Federal funding process by which Tribal nations receive
resources to establish Tribal courts; assist in developing detention
facilities; provide legal assistance; develop and maintain juvenile
delinquency prevention programs; and provide substance abuse prevention
programs. Further, the Tribal set-aside provides Tribes the flexibility
to develop a comprehensive strategy on public safety and justice needs.
It also would create new opportunities for coordinating BIA and DOJ
funding to reduce inefficiencies and unnecessary administrative costs.
Include Tribal governments in disbursements from the Crime Victims
Fund.--The Crime Victims Fund (CVF) is the Federal Government's primary
funding source for providing services to victims of crime. Unlike State
and territorial governments, which receive an annual formula
distribution from the CVF, Indian Tribes were only able to access CVF
funds via pass-through grants at the discretion of the States or by
competing for very limited resources administered by the DOJ. This
system left a significant unmet need in most Tribal communities--
communities where crime victimization rates far exceed the National
average.
For the past 4 years, Congress has directed a portion of the
overall disbursements from the CVF to Tribal nations. The 5 percent
Tribal set-aside included in the fiscal year 2021 appropriations bill
will direct $100.75 million to support and improve crime victim
services on Tribal lands. This funding greatly impacts crime victims'
services infrastructure on Tribal lands, and it is imperative that it
be appropriated on an annual basis to sustain the programs and services
that will be developed. NAICJA urges the committee to keep
disbursements from the CVF at the increased level and to direct an
amount equal to 5 percent of overall CVF disbursements to Tribal
governments on a non-competitive basis.
If Congress declines to adopt the flexible 10 percent set-aside
across OJP programs, restore fiscal year 2010 levels of $25 million in
funding for the Tribal Youth Program (TYP) under the Juvenile
Accountability Block Grants Program.--Native youth living in Indian
country face numerous overlapping barriers to safety, wellness,
academic achievement, and positive youth development. Barriers occur at
the individual, family, community, and regional levels, resulting in
disproportionate involvement with juvenile justice, child welfare, and
other youth-serving systems. Today's Native youth continue to face the
effects of collective intergenerational and historical traumas.
TYP is the first OJJDP program dedicated to prevention,
intervention, and juvenile justice system improvement in Native
communities. The need for the program can be demonstrated by the
application rates within the last 5 years. For the majority of those
years, the DOJ Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitations, Purpose
Area 9 (TYP) received some of the highest number of grant applicants
and categorically received the least amount of funding. Further
exacerbating the issue, TYP is currently funded at some of its lowest
levels since its establishment in the 1990s. This is despite an
increase in funding in fiscal year 2021, the first increase in 3 years.
Due to this decreased funding, hundreds of Tribes across the United
States are left grappling with how to ensure that their most cherished
resource is provided equal opportunity as other youth in this country
to heal, thrive, and realize their life potential. Funding for the TYP
should, at minimum, be restored to its fiscal year 2010 level of $25
million.
Fund the Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance, Training and
Technical Assistance (TCCLA) grant program at a level of $3 million.--
The Indian Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 2000
(Public Law 106-559) authorized DOJ to award grants to non-profit
entities, such as the 25 Indian Legal Services programs connected with
the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), to provide civil and criminal
legal assistance to both Tribal governments and their justice systems
and to individual indigent Tribal citizens. Services impacted by this
funding include domestic violence, pro se assistance, re-entry and
expungements, child welfare, free legal clinics and toll-free hotlines,
and much more.
Increase funding of Tribal law enforcement programs under DOJ's
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grants to $52 million.--
Since its inception, the COPS Office has awarded more than 2,000 grants
totaling over $400 million to Tribes to hire more than 1,700 new or
redeployed law enforcement officers. It has helped Tribes obtain
necessary law enforcement training, equipment, vehicles, and
technology. The COPS Office has also become one of the primary
resources available to Tribal law enforcement agencies attempting to
develop and maintain policing infrastructure and upgrade outdated
equipment. Yet, there is still substantial unmet need within Tribal
justice systems for more COPS funding.
Fully fund the programs authorized in the Violence Against Women
Act (VAWA), including the funds authorized for the Sexual Assault
Clearinghouse and Tribal implementation of VAWA special domestic
violence criminal jurisdiction.--It is estimated over 85 percent of
American Indian and Alaska Native women will experience violent
victimization in their lifetimes.\5\ OVW provides funding to Tribal
governments to address violence against women in their communities.
OVW's largest source of funding for Tribal governments is the Grants to
Tribal Governments Program, which is funded via statutory allocations
from other OVW programs. Fully-funding these OVW programs results in
full funding for the Grants to Tribal Governments Program and for the
implementation of Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ U.S. Department of Justice, Violence Against American Indian
and Alaska Native Women and Men: 2010 Findings from the National
Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey 2 (2016).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
conclusion
Thank you for your consideration of this testimony. For more
information, please contact A. Nikki Borchardt Campbell at
nikki@naicja.org.
[This statement was submitted by A. Nikki Borchardt Campbell,
Executive Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of the National Association of Assistant United
States Attorneys
June 23, 2021
Chair Jeanne Shaheen Ranking Member Jerry Moran
Senate Subcommittee on CJS Senate Subcommittee on CJS
Senate Appropriations Committee Senate Appropriations Committee
Washington, DC 2051 Washington, DC 2051
RE: National Association of U.S. Attorneys Written Testimony on
fiscal year 2022 Appropriations for the Department of Justice
Dear Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and subcommittee Members:
On behalf of the National Association of Assistant United States
Attorneys (NAAUSA), representing the interests of over 6,000 Assistant
U.S. Attorneys working in the 94 U.S. Attorney Offices, I write you
concerning the issue of pay equity and disparity at DOJ and offer
comments for the record to the subcommittee on Commerce, Justice,
Science and Related Agencies Appropriations relating to fiscal year
2022 appropriations for the Department of Justice.
For over 30 years, AUSAs have asked their employer--the Department
of Justice--for one thing: be paid the same as other lawyers within DOJ
who have the same experience, years out of law school, and years of
service. AUSAs are paid significantly less than other DOJ attorneys
with the same experience and responsibilities, often as much as $40,000
per year. This pay gap is profoundly unfair, widely known, and deeply
destructive to morale. AUSAs are some of the Nation's most selfless and
dedicated public servants, many of whom forego much higher-paying jobs
in the private sector in order to serve the public interest. That AUSAs
around the country are systematically paid far less than their
colleagues--many of whom work shoulder-to-shoulder on the same cases,
and sometimes in the same cities and even same offices--is
indefensible. NAAUSA calls upon Congress to investigate and help
rectify this inequity.
The pay disparity has existed since the 1980s, and occurs in part
because AUSAs are paid on a different pay scale than other DOJ
attorneys, and most other Federal Government employees. AUSAs are paid
on the Administratively Determined (AD) pay scale, which has
historically resulted in less pay under the pay scale for nearly all
other DOJ attorneys and employees who are paid under the General
Schedule (GS) or are members of the Senior Executive Service (SES).
This split pay system has allowed significant pay disparities to
develop between attorneys who have the same experience and in turn
drives chronic, costly, and disruptive retention problems in U.S.
Attorney Offices across the country. More than that, though, it is just
unfair.
In the Partnership for Public Service's Best Places to Work in the
Federal Government, while U.S. Attorney's Office reported above median
and upper quartile scores in nearly every category since 2007, pay
satisfaction has seen lower quartile scores in 11 of the last 12 survey
years. In 2019, U.S. Attorneys' Offices ranked 350 of 415 in agency
subcomponents regarding attitudes toward pay.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://bestplacestowork.org/rankings/detail/DJ09
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While some AUSAs do join Main Justice or other parts of the civil
service seeking improved compensation, often AUSAs are lured to the
private defense bar and are immediately litigating against the
government, after taxpayers have invested in their training.
NAAUSA calls on the Congress to end this cycle by investing in our
Nation's career Federal prosecutors and ensuring pay equity between
AUSAs and DOJ attorneys. Fairly compensating Federal prosecutors so
that they are paid the same as their trial attorney colleagues and all
other DOJ component attorneys who work for the FBI, DEA, ATF, BOP and
others, all of whom do the same or similar work on behalf of our
citizens would strengthen the rule of law, support national security,
and it is the right thing to do.
Congress has consistently allocated additional funds toward U.S.
Attorney Offices to cover the salary and expenses of Assistant U.S.
Attorneys (AUSAs). However, this money has overwhelmingly been spent on
hiring and onboarding additional AUSAs rather than toward appropriately
compensating the current cadre of AUSAs. As a result, there is a
significant and damaging pay inequity between AUSAs and other
Department of Justice attorneys.
NAAUSA encourages Congress to:
1. Engage the Department and EOUSA regarding pay disparity. The
Department should be able to produce evidence and data supporting its
positions and should answer why AUSA pay inequity is fair.
2. Request the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study pay
equity at the Department of Justice, including between the AD and GS
pay systems.
3. Authorize additional appropriations for EOUSA specifically to
close the attorney pay gap.
As our Nation faces more evolved forms of Federal criminal
activity, such as domestic terrorism, cybercrime and drug smuggling
networks, it is imperative we have a knowledgeable, experienced class
of litigators able to prosecute these criminals working in U.S.
Attorney Offices as AUSAs. The current system invests in hiring and
training new AUSAs, but fails to incentivize these individuals to
remain as Federal prosecutors. This leaves the government, after having
invested time and training into new employees, without some of the most
skilled litigators for the job. The Department of Justice should want
to retain experienced, skilled litigators to defend our Nation against
criminal activity, and that requires proper compensation for duties
equivalent to many other DOJ attorneys.
NAAUSA has engaged the Attorney General's Advisory Committee (AGAC)
on this topic over the years. While we were heartened by some steps in
recent years by the AGAC and the Department to address this issue,
including in 2016 administratively elevating the minimum entry-level
AUSA pay to compare to a GS-11, more is needed to assure pay equity for
DOJ attorneys, including the Department sharing all of the data and
evidence upon which it is comparing attorney compensation under the GS
and AD systems. The Department has recently admitted to NAAUSA that the
compensation disparity between AUSAs and Justice lawyers is real and
could be closed with an investment of a mere $42 million per year.
Workforce churn, staff attrition with loss of expertise, and
decreased morale have real costs for taxpayers in terms of lost
productivity, and potentially undermine the capacity of U.S. Attorney
Offices to accomplish their missions. It is for these reasons we bring
this issue to the attention of Congress. Even amidst the COVID-19
pandemic, Assistant U.S. Attorneys are considered essential employees
and are contributing to upholding and enforcing the rule of law in our
country. We must ensure the Department of Justice properly manages and
compensates these important members of the Federal law enforcement
community.
Thank you for considering the perspective of NAAUSA. Please do not
hesitate to reach out to our Washington representative Jason Briefel
(jbriefel@shawbransford.com) regarding this matter.
Respectfully,
Lawrence. J. Leiser
President
the impact of pay inequities on the administration of justice
The Administratively Determined (AD) pay plan, which Assistant U.S.
Attorneys (AUSAs) are subject to, creates a significant pay disparity
between AUSAs and all other DOJ attorneys. Aside from clear equity
issues, the disparity negatively impacts recruitment and retention of
the more than 6,000 criminal prosecutors and civil attorneys most
directly tasked with administering justice across our Nation's 94
Federal judicial districts. The current pay system over relies on the
goodwill on AUSAs who are willing to take a pay cut to serve their
country. This is unsustainable and places our U.S. Attorney Offices at
a disadvantage in the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel.
Without top talent our criminal justice system cannot adequately serve
and protect the American people.
--The DOJ attorney pay policy authorizes higher salaries for
attorneys in main Department of Justice (DOJ) components than
AUSAs. The discrepancy reaches over $40,000, as noted in the
chart below which compares GS attorney base pay and AD AUSA
base pay in 2021.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Does not include locality pay.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Years of Experience GS Grade AD Grade GS Min Pay AD Min Pay Percent Difference
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0-2 years........... GS 11-13........... AD-21............. $55,756 $55,756 N/A
3-4 years........... GS 14-15........... AD-23............. $93,907 $59,906 $34,001 (44 percent)
5 years............. GS 15.............. AD-25............. $110,460 $64,367 $46,093 (52 percent)
6 years............. GS 15.............. AD-26............. $110,460 $69,159 $41,301 (46 percent)
7 years............. GS 15.............. AD-27............. $110,460 $74,309 $36,151 (39 percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--AUSAs have for over 30 years identified pay parity issues as a
detriment to their workplace wellbeing. For example, in the
Partnership for Public Service's Best Places to Work in the
Federal Government Survey, while U.S. Attorney's Office
reported above median and upper quartile scores in nearly every
category since 2007, the pay satisfaction category has reported
lower quartile scores in 11 of the last 12 survey years. In
2019, U.S. Attorneys' Offices ranked 350 of 415 in agency
subcomponents regarding attitudes toward pay.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ https://bestplacestowork.org/rankings/detail/DJ09
-- Based on advocacy efforts by NAAUSA, the DOJ made minor
adjustments in the AD pay scale in 2016. While these
adjustments did not come close to bridging the gap between
pay scales, they did result is a slight increase in survey
scores. The immediate positive impacts on FEVS scores by
AUSAs demonstrates the importance of this issue and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
willingness to work toward pay parity.
--In testimonials anonymously collected by NAAUSA, AUSAs consistently
report taking pay cuts to serve as AUSAs due to a genuine
desire to serve the public as our Nation's premier criminal
prosecutors or civil attorneys. However, as the pay disparity
worsens with advancement, many are forced to leave their
positions in favor of positions at Main Justice or within the
private sector. The pay disparity forces dedicated AUSAs out of
their position or, worse, turns our U.S. Attorneys' Offices
into taxpayer-funded training centers for private defense
attorneys.
NAAUSA advocates for the Department to adjust the AUSA salary
framework assure that AUSAs are paid the same as Department of Justice
trial attorneys through movement of AUSAs onto the General Schedule.
______
Prepared Statement of the National Fire Protection Association
May 14, 2021
The Honorable Patrick Leahy The Honorable Richard Shelby
Chairman Vice Chairman
Committee on Appropriations Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Leahy and Vice Chairman Shelby:
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a self-funded,
global non-profit organization founded in 1896 dedicated to ending
losses from fire, electrical, and related life safety hazards. With the
unabating wildfire crisis in the U.S., NFPA recently launched Outthink
Wildfire\TM\, an initiative to advocate for policy change in five key
areas that will stop the destruction of communities by this hazard. We
write to ask for your support for key Federal programs.
The five tenets are: (1) all homes and business in areas of
wildfire risk must be retrofitted to resist ignition; (2) current
codes, standards, and sound land use planning practices must be used
and enforced; (3) local fire departments must have adequate resources
to protect their communities; (4) fuel management on Federal and non-
Federal lands must be a priority; and (5) the public must be well-
informed and motivated to embrace their role in reducing wildfire risk.
While action on these fronts is urgently needed at all levels of
government, Federal programs need to play a key role in ending the
devastating wildfire losses communities are now experiencing as
discussed in this letter.
Mitigating Wildfire Severity
NFPA supports the Administration's fiscal year 2022 proposal to
provide $1.7 billion in funding for high-priority hazardous fuels and
forest-resilience projects to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), in
addition to the proposed $340 million to the Department of the Interior
(DOI) for hazardous fuel treatments on its lands. As identified in the
National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy, denser, more continuous
fuel on landscapes now outside of their natural ecological fire regimes
is a major contributor to the severe wildfires that threaten
communities and drain Federal fire suppression resources. The U.S. must
increase the rate of fuel treatments, including prescribed burning, to
address the millions of acres now at high or very high risk of
wildfire.
In addition to increased resources for hazardous fuel treatment
projects, NFPA supports programs that enable collaboration between the
USFS and its partners, assist State and private land managers in
restoring forest health, and encourage landscape-scale restoration
projects. For example, the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration
program has been successful in reducing fire risk and achieving other
management objectives through a stakeholder-driven process aimed at
minimizing conflict.\1\ Given the National Cohesive Strategy's call for
increased landscape-scale fuel treatment and forest health projects,
funding this program at its authorized level of $80 million can help
continue and expand on its success. Similarly, the Landscape Scale
Restoration Program should receive $20 million.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See e.g., Schultz, Courtney, et al. (2017) Strategies for
Success Under Forest Service Restoration Initiatives, Ecosystem
Workforce Working Paper, Number 81 (https://tinyurl.com/38b3cpz4)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, NFPA supports a robust budget for forestry research,
including programs to better understand wildfire behavior and landscape
treatment strategies, as well as programs to develop new wood products
and markets to create more financial incentives for hazardous fuel
treatment. As part of that funding, the Joint Fire Sciences Research
program should receive $8 million each for the USFS and DOI. NFPA also
believes research funding for the built environment aspect of wildfire
resilience should be increased and thus supports the Administration's
proposal to increase funding for the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST), particularly for efforts to improve resiliency
through building codes.
Assisting State & Local Fire Departments
State and local fire response resources play a major role in
preparing for and responding to wildfires on both public and private
lands, making the USFS funds provided by the State Fire Assistance
(SFA) and Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) programs critical to public
safety. According to the National Association of State Foresters,
members of State and local fire departments are the first to respond to
80 percent of wildfires. Findings from NFPA's 2016 Fourth Needs
Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service \2\ that the majority of fire
departments with wildfire response responsibilities lack sufficient
training and personal protective equipment reveal a significant gap in
safety, for both the responders and the lives and properties of the
communities they protect.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ National Fire Protection Association (2016) Fourth National
Needs Assessment, https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-
and-tools/Emergency-Responders/Needs-assessment, (Eighty-eight percent
of U.S. fire departments--some 23,000 departments--provide wildland
and/or WUI firefighting services, but 63 percent of those have not
formally trained all of their personnel involved in wildland
firefighting on these skills. Only 32 percent have all of their
responders equipped with appropriate personal protection equipment
(PPE), and 26 percent do not have any of the necessary PPE at all. Only
27 percent of departments have a health and fitness program).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SFA and VFA are critical safety programs for supporting wildland
urban interface (WUI) communities, funding hazardous fuels treatment in
the WUI, supporting fire planning projects, and helping to train and
equip State and local responders. SFA also supports public education
and community capacity development programs like Firewise USA and the
Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network. These programs teach WUI
residents how to lower wildfire risk to their homes and support
community mitigation activities. Therefore, NFPA supports funding the
State Fire Assistance program at $88.5 million and the Volunteer Fire
Assistance program at $20 million.
Mitigation for Communities
The National Cohesive Strategy also identifies the need for fire
adapted communities--communities where homes and businesses are
retrofitted to resist ignition and wildfire safety codes, standards,
and land use planning practices are applied. According to the U.S. Fire
Administration, the Nation has over 70,000 thousand communities in
areas at risk from wildfires, home to 46 million housing units.
Preparing for wildfire through creating defensible space and home
retrofits can greatly reduce the risk of loss. NFPA supports the
Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Building Resilient
Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and the Administration's
proposal to add $540 million in new resources to programs tasked with
helping communities undertake pre-disaster planning and make
investments in resiliency. The USFS' Wildfire Hazard Severity Mapping
for Communities program also supports community risk assessment and
hazard mitigation planning and should continue. In addition, NFPA is
also highly supportive of proposed efforts to improve resiliency and
safety in HUD-assisted housing with an additional $800 million in new
investments.
Thank you for the opportunity to share our views on Federal support
for reducing wildfire risk to communities. NFPA strongly urges the
Committee to support a robust budget for wildfire mitigation and we
stand ready to provide any addition information that would be useful.
[This statement was submitted by L. Seth Statler, Director of
Government Affairs.]
______
Prepared Statement of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association
This testimony is submitted on behalf of the National Legal Aid &
Defender Association (NLADA), America's oldest and largest national
organization whose resources are exclusively dedicated to excellence in
the delivery of legal services and to promoting access to justice for
all. We are grateful for the opportunity to provide comments to the
committee regarding the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ) programs.
legal services corporation
NLADA urges Congress to address the ongoing failure of our country
to meet its foundational promise of equal justice. Even prior to the
COVID-19 pandemic, LSC grantee organizations did not have sufficient
resources to meet the legal needs of low-income Americans. This serious
threat to our democracy has been greatly exacerbated by the events of
the past year. NLADA therefore recommends an appropriation of $1.36
billion for LSC for fiscal year 2022. Civil legal aid ensures that
regardless of how much money a person has, they have the same level of
access to a fair adjudication of their civil legal problems as anyone
else. Legal aid organizations provide assistance that enables low-
income people to protect their livelihoods, health, housing, family,
and other basic human needs. LSC is not only the single largest funder
of civil legal aid, but also the foundational infrastructure of civil
justice in the United States, making sure help is available to people
in every ZIP code.
However, many eligible clients receive only minimal service, or no
help at all, due to insufficient resources. In 2017, LSC conducted a
comprehensive study of its grantee organizations and found that roughly
40 percent of eligible people seeking help from an LSC grantee were
turned away and, of those who did receive services, only a little over
half were able to have their problem fully addressed.\1\ At the time,
LSC's budget was $385 million. While we are sincerely appreciative for
this committee's decision to provide incremental funding increases in
the following years, LSC's budget remains far smaller than it would be
had it simply kept pace with Federal discretionary spending, which
since 1995 has in percentage terms has increased more than 12 times as
much as LSC's budget has grown, or with inflation: LSC's peak funding
level in fiscal year 1980 would be around $1 billion today.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Legal Services Corporation. (2017). The Justice Gap: Measuring
the Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-income Americans. https://
www.lsc.gov/sites/default/files/images/TheJusticeGap-FullReport.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is clear that the pandemic has greatly deepened the need for
additional resources, by creating a larger population of eligible
clients as a result of increases in poverty and unemployment. In order
to qualify for services from an LSC grantee organization, a person's
household income must generally be lower than 125 percent, but can be
considered up to 200 percent percent of the Federal poverty level. At
around 6 percent, the unemployment rate remains almost twice as high as
it was in February 2020.\2\ For Black Americans it is nearly 10
percent. In February, the Urban Institute estimated that this year the
National poverty rate would be around 13.7 percent,\3\ compared to 10.5
percent before the pandemic.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Civilian Unemployment
Rate. Retrieved at: https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/
civilian-unemployment-rate.htm
\3\ Urban Institute. (2021, February). 2021 Poverty Projections.
https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/103656/2021-
poverty-projections.pdf
\4\ United States Census Bureau. (2020, September). Income and
Poverty in the United States: 2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the same time, the pandemic has also greatly increased the
prevalence of civil legal problems. In July 2020, LSC reported that
more than 85 percent of LSC grantees reported an increase in requests
for assistance in each of the areas of housing, income, and domestic
violence, and through December, LSC grantees have closed 72,115 cases
linked to the pandemic.\5\ This data accounts for legal problems for
which a person seeks help, but an estimated 86 percent of legal
problems experienced by low-income people are not even brought to a
legal aid provider.\6\ It is therefore certain that the actual increase
in need is far higher still, and in some cases this is further
exacerbated by the nature of the problem. For example, there is
consensus among experts that the social isolation and economic
instability caused by the pandemic have significantly increased the
prevalence of domestic violence and child abuse,\7\ while also making
such violence and abuse more difficult to report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Legal Services Corporation. (2021) Data on CARES Act Funding &
Services. Retrieved at: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/lsc-and-covid-19/
data-cares-act-funding-services.
\6\ Legal Services Corporation. (2017). The Justice Gap: Measuring
the Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-income Americans. https://
www.lsc.gov/sites/default/files/images/TheJusticeGap-FullReport.pdf
\7\ Bright, C., Burton, C., and Kosky, M. (2020, October).
Considerations of the impacts of COVID-19 on domestic violence in the
United States. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7539928/
pdf/main.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last year, NLADA used projected increases in long-term unemployment
to approximate the need for civil legal aid in 2022. We estimated that
when combined with resource needs that existed prior to the pandemic,
$1.36 billion would be required for LSC. While it is not possible to
know exactly how economic recovery for low-income Americans will
develop, data continues to demonstrate widespread hardship that will
persist beyond the resolution of the health crisis. For example, if
eviction moratoria are allowed to expire, a swathe of low-income
families will face homelessness. Emergency rental assistance programs
will blunt this problem considerably but porously; not only are funds
limited but reports of landlords refusing to accept funds that have
been secured are growing.\8\ The data is clear that access to a lawyer
will make a difference, as numerous studies have demonstrated that
representation can reduce the likelihood of eviction by up to around 80
percent.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Will Parker. (March 19, 2021). Why Some Landlords Don't Want
Any of the $50 Billion in Rent Assistance. Wall Street Journal
\9\ Heidi Schultheis and Caitlin Rooney. (October 2, 2019). A Right
to Counsel Is a Right to a Fighting Chance: The Importance of Legal
Representation in Eviction Proceedings. Center for American Progress.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The need for a substantial increase in resources is further
compounded by cuts to non-LSC sources of public and private funding for
legal aid, such as Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA)
programs.\10\ As our country begins to look towards recovery from the
COVID-19 pandemic, Congress can help ensure that low-income Americans
are not left behind by providing an appropriation for LSC that is
commensurate with the level of need.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ National Association of IOLTA Programs. (2020, May 29). $157.4
Million Projected Loss in Critical Sources of State Funding for Civil
Legal Aid [Press release]. https://www.iolta.org/images/NAIP-Press-
Release-5-29-20.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
u.s. department of justice programs
Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance, Training and Technical
Assistance
We also urge this subcommittee to continue funding in fiscal year
2022 to support the work done on behalf of Native Americans by Indian
Legal Services programs that are connected with the Legal Services
Corporation. We request that funding be maintained within the
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, under the State and
Local Law Enforcement Assistance appropriations account, at a level
similar to that provided in recent years, which is approximately $1 to
2 million, for the Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance, Training
and Technical Assistance grant program (TCCLA). This could be either
within a specified line item for ``assistance to Indian Tribes,'' such
as the $50 million the Administration has requested for fiscal year
2022 and the $46 million Congress appropriated in the fiscal year 2021
Consolidated Appropriations Act (Public Law 116-260), or within a
Tribal set-aside percentage of Office of Justice Programs accounts.
The consortium of 24 Indian Legal Services programs operating in 23
States provides legal representation to thousands of American Indian
and Alaska Native individuals in Tribal and State courts, and assists
more than 160 Tribal governments and/or Tribal judicial systems to
enhance or develop their justice systems. In at least 46 Tribal courts,
these programs provide the only public defender service available. Many
of these Indian Legal Services programs have been awarded funding under
the TCCLA grants program. They have recently responded to the program's
solicitations for fiscal year 2021 funding for both Tribal civil and
criminal legal assistance.
Examples of the Indian Legal Services programs' civil legal
assistance work done under TCCLA awards generally include initial
drafting of Tribal laws as well as revisions to civil codes, policies
and procedures; developing alternative resolution systems, based on
Tribal customs and traditions; and developing and conducting Tribal
court advocate training programs. Civil and criminal representation of
individuals in Tribal and State courts ranges from counseling and
advice to full representation in trials and appeals. Individual Indian
Legal Services programs have created a comprehensive set of self-help
forms for family law cases; assisted with birth certificate changes for
Tribal enrollment purposes; assisted with enforcement of domestic
violence protections under Tribal laws; represented families in Indian
Child Welfare Act cases in State court; and provided a toll-free legal
advice hotline.
Examples of the Indian Legal Services programs' criminal legal
assistance work under TCCLA include assisting Tribes with drafting,
revising and updating their civil and criminal codes (including
children's codes), policies and procedures; Tribal court development,
restructuring and improvement; training of judicial, law enforcement
and justice systems personnel, and Tribal court lay advocates and
guardians ad litem; and negotiation or litigation to address
jurisdictional issues with State court systems. The programs are
engaged in helping 18 of the 160 Tribes they serve to implement the
Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA) and the Violence Against Women
Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA). Specific Indian Legal Services
programs are working to enforce existing and to develop new
``diversion'' agreements with the State government to address criminal
justice matters (and potentially-related civil matters, such as child
protection) within civil Tribal proceedings--such as in Healing-to-
Wellness courts; to conduct outreach to and represent individual
clients in an expungement program, with the goal of alleviating
barriers to employment and safe housing and restoring treaty-based
hunting rights for those individuals who lost the right to possess
firearms because of non-violent felony convictions; and to update
Tribal codes for truancy and domestic violence while ensuring that the
codes reflect Tribal customs and traditions.
In fiscal year 2022, whether the subcommittee recommends funding to
DOJ for assistance to Indian Country Tribal justice programs at a
specific amount, as enacted in fiscal year 2021, or as a Tribal set-
aside percentage of overall DOJ funding, as has been proposed in prior
fiscal years, we request that both bill and report language direct that
some DOJ funding be allocated for the purpose of the provision of both
Tribal civil and criminal legal assistance to individual Tribal
citizens and to Tribal judicial systems pursuant to the Indian Tribal
Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act (Public Law 106-559).
John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program
A law degree is a requirement of all public defenders and
prosecutors, but obtaining such a degree routinely leaves graduates
with a six-figure student loan debt. This debt can make it financially
impossible to enter low-paying jobs at public defender organizations,
or to remain in those jobs for long enough to gain the experience
needed to become a highly effective advocate for their clients. When
this happens, it slows the functioning of the entire court system as
less experienced defense attorneys and prosecutors require more time to
process the same caseload.
The John R. Justice program provides relief from student loan debt
by contributing to an individual's monthly student loan payments, which
helps alleviate some of the problems that lead to recruitment
difficulties and higher rates of turnover in public defender and
prosecutor offices. However, the fiscal year 2021 appropriation for
John R. Justice was just $2 million. This level of funding severely
limits the scope and effectiveness of the program. This committee
should fully fund the John R. Justice program at the authorized amount
of $25 million for fiscal year 2021.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Programs
As described earlier in this testimony, the COVID-19 pandemic has
fueled concerns of rise in the prevalence of domestic violence and
abuse. Even prior to that, more than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 4
men in the United States had experienced rape, physical violence, and/
or stalking by an intimate partner. We urge the committee to provide an
appropriation that builds on the prior success of VAWA programs, but
also reflects the urgency of the need to broaden their reach. In
particular, we request the $77 million for grants for civil legal
assistance for victims recommended by the President's budget for fiscal
year 2022. Civil legal aid helps survivors secure their physical
safety, break legal links with their abuser, and rebuild their lives
over the long term.
None of this appropriation should be drawn from the Crime Victims
Fund administered by the Department of Justice Office for Victims of
Crime, because this reduces the total amount available to serve victims
of crime and jeopardizes the sustainability of Crime Victims Fund over
the long-term. The sustainability of the Crime Victims Fund is a
bipartisan concern, as demonstrated by passage of H.R. 1652, the VOCA
Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act.
[This statement was submitted by Don Saunders, Senior Vice
President for Policy.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Natural Science Collections Alliance
funding for the national science foundation
The Natural Science Collections Alliance appreciates the
opportunity to provide testimony in support of fiscal year 2022
appropriations for the National Science Foundation (NSF). We encourage
Congress to provide the NSF with at least $10.2 billion in fiscal year
2022.
The Natural Science Collections Alliance is a non-profit
association that supports natural science collections, their human
resources, the institutions that house them, and their research
activities for the benefit of science and society. Our membership
consists of institutions that are part of an international network of
museums, botanical gardens, herbaria, universities, and other
institutions that contain natural science collections and use them in
research, exhibitions, academic and informal science education, and
outreach activities.
Scientific collections, and the collections professionals and
scientists who make, care for, and study these resources, are a vital
component of our Nation's research infrastructure. These collections
and their associated experts contribute to the expansion of our
bioeconomy. Whether held at a museum, government managed laboratory or
archive, or in a university science department, these scientific
resources form a coordinated network of specimens, samples, and data
(for example, genetic, tissue, organism, and environmental) that are a
unique and irreplaceable foundation from which scientists are studying
and explaining past and present life on earth.
Natural science collections advance scientific research and
education, and that informs actions to improve public health,
agricultural productivity, natural resource management, biodiversity
conservation, and American economic innovation. Current research
involving natural science collections also contributes to the
development of new cyberinfrastructure, data visualization tools, and
improved data management practices. A few examples of how scientific
collections have saved lives, enhanced food production, and advanced
scientific discovery include:
--Scientists used museum specimens in U.S. collections to gather data
on the distribution of the mosquito Culex quadrofaciatus, which
is known to carry West Nile Virus and other pathogens. They
then modeled the distribution under different scenarios of
changing climates to predict regions where the species may
expand in the future. Predicting the spread of disease vectors
such as these mosquitoes helps the health care community
prepare for disease outbreaks and where they will happen.
--Researchers from Boston University documented Tau proteins in the
brains of fluid preserved museum specimens of Downy Woodpecker
(Dendrocopus pubescens). These proteins are also found in
traumatic brain injuries in humans. Because of the life history
traits of woodpeckers, the researchers argue these birds may
have evolved a level of resistance to traumatic head injuries
that could have implications for treatments for humans.
--In 1993, a deadly new disease appeared in the southwestern United
States. Using NSF-supported biological collections at Texas
Tech University and University of New Mexico, the agent was
determined to be Hantavirus carried by a few species of
rodents. When rodent populations increased following an El Nino
weather event, the animals spread into human environments and
increased the transmission of Hantavirus. With the vector
known, it was possible to lessen the risk to humans by reducing
opportunities for disease transmission. Using other specimens,
scientists have now identified more than 40 other strains of
Hantavirus worldwide that are carried by bats, moles, and
shrews. Similar work is underway to identify the carrier of
Ebola in Africa.
--Citrus bacterial canker disease wreaks havoc on fruit crops in
Florida. Using plant specimens collected a century ago,
scientists have analyzed the bacterium and traced its source.
Knowledge of how the bacteria spreads allows scientists to
develop effective control methods and to protect the U.S.
citrus industry.
Scientific collections enable us to tell the story of life on
Earth. There are more than 1,600 biological collections in the United
States. These resources are the result of more than 200 years of
scientific investigation, discovery, and inventory of living and fossil
species. Scientists have collected and curated more than one billion
specimens within those collections. This work is on-going as new
questions continue to be asked and answered.
The institutions that care for scientific collections are important
research infrastructure that enable other scientists to study the basic
data of life; conduct biological, geological, anthropological, and
environmental research; and integrate research findings from across
these diverse disciplines. Their professional staff members train
future generations with the tools and expertise required to move
science forward. In-house institutional staff expertise is vital to the
development and deployment of this critical research infrastructure.
Recent reports highlight the value of mobilizing biodiversity
specimens and data in spurring new scientific discoveries that grow our
economy, improve our public health and wellbeing, and increase our
National security. In 2019, the Biodiversity Collections Network issued
a community-informed call for the development of an Extended Specimen
Network. The report, Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to Promote
Research and Education, outlines a national agenda that leverages
digital data in biodiversity collections for new uses and calls for
building an Extended Specimen Network. This endeavor requires robust
investments in our Nation's scientific collections, whether they are
owned by a Federal or State agency or are part of an educational
institution or free-standing natural history museum or another research
center.
A 2020 report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and
Medicine (NASEM), Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research
and Education for the 21st Century, provides guidance to the NSF
regarding the sustainability of living stock and natural history
collections. The report argues that collections are a critical part of
our Nation's science and innovation infrastructure and a fundamental
resource for understanding the natural world.
According to the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Scientific
Collections (IWGSC), ``scientific collections are essential to
supporting agency missions and are thus vital to supporting the global
research enterprise.'' A 2020 report by the IWGSC presents a framework
for estimating and documenting the long-term benefits, both monetary
and non-monetary, generated by Federal institutional collections.
The NASEM, BCoN, and IWGSC reports, articulate a common vision of
the future of biological collections and define a need to broaden and
deepen the collections and associated data to realize the potential for
biodiversity collections to inform 21st century science. Because the
NSF is the only agency that supports research in all fields of science,
it is ideally suited lead a national effort to build the Extended
Specimen Network, which will require the engagement of computer and
information scientists, geoscientists, life and environmental
scientists, and anthropologists.
Collections are a critical resource for advancing the knowledge
needed to address current global challenges such as climate change,
biodiversity loss, and pandemics. The COVID-19 crisis has illustrated
how inextricably linked humans are to the natural world. Biological
collections, their extended data, and the experts that build and study
them are globally important for understanding where viruses such as
SARS-CoV-2 exist in nature or when they cross from their current hosts
to humans.
In 2019, the United Nation's (UN) Intergovernmental Science-Policy
Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) issued a
warning that about a million species of plants and animals worldwide
face extinction within the next few decades. This would not only be an
unprecedented loss of global biodiversity but also a loss of valuable
genetic diversity that has implications for human health and well-
being. Robust investments must be made to support efforts to grow and
digitize natural history collections and conduct critical collections-
based science that can help prevent these losses.
The NSF plays a unique role in protecting and expanding access to
our Nation's scientific collections. It supports research that uses
existing collections as well as studies that gather new natural history
specimens. NSF's Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO),
Geosciences (GEO), and Social and Behavioral and Economic sciences
support research and student training opportunities in natural history
collections. The NSF is also an important supporter of national
biological research infrastructure that houses natural history
collections, such as living stock collections and field stations.
The NSF funds evolving work to digitize high priority specimen
collections. The result of this effort is that irreplaceable biological
specimens and their associated data are now accessible through the
Internet to researchers, educators, and the public. More than 125
million specimens are now online, with millions more awaiting
digitization. This project involves biologists, computer scientists,
and engineers in multi-disciplinary teams who develop innovative
imaging, robotics, and data storage and retrieval methods. Resulting
new tools and approaches expedite the digitization process and
contribute to the development of new products and services of value to
other industries. Museum specimens and associated data represent an
extraordinary resource for teaching core concepts in science.
In addition to supporting research, NSF's science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs enhance the
ability of museums, botanic gardens, zoos, and other research
institutions to provide science learning opportunities for students.
NSF's Advancing Informal STEM Learning program furthers our
understanding of informal science education outside of traditional
classrooms. The program makes important contributions to efforts to
make STEM more inclusive of historically underrepresented groups.
conclusion
Investments in the NSF have always been in the National interest
and their value continues to grow. Scientific collections contribute to
improved public well-being and national economic security. It is not
possible to replace this important documentation of our Nation's
heritage. Specimens collected decades or centuries ago are increasingly
used to develop and validate models that explain how species, including
viruses, parasites, and pathogens have dispersed around the world, as
well as how and when they might infect humans now and in the future.
The NSF is the primary funding source that provides support to
institutions that preserve at-risk scientific collections. These small
grants help ensure these collections are not destroyed and their data
lost.
Investments in NSF programs that support natural science
collections research and education are essential if we are to maintain
our global leadership in innovation and biodiversity research. We also
see these investments as critical for our efforts to grow diversity and
inclusion in the scientific workforce. Please support funding of at
least $10.2 billion for NSF in fiscal year 2022. We also request that
Congress provide additional economic relief, such as the provisions
outlined in the RISE Act (HR. 869, S. 289), to the U.S. research
community, including natural history museums, botanical gardens, and
other science centers, that have suffered significant budget
disruptions resulting from reduced public attendance or closures
associated with responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many natural
history organizations are non-profits that operate on tight budgets
with limited capacity to absorb abrupt and significant losses of
revenue, such as that generated from public visitation and engagement
programs.
In addition to appropriations, Congress is currently considering
reauthorization legislation to significantly expand NSF's mission and
budget. The proposed investments in technological research will enable
the biodiversity collections community to build the cyberinfrastructure
and databases necessary to mobilize biodiversity data in ways that
bolster 21st century science and drive innovation. We applaud these
efforts to invest in our Nation's scientific and technological
enterprise and urge that robust investments also be made in basic and
foundational research.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request and for
your prior support of the National Science Foundation.
[This statement was submitted by John Bates, Ph.D., President.]
______
Prepared Statement of The Nature Conservancy
programs under the national oceanic and atmospheric administration for
fiscal year 2022
Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran and Members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to comment on the fiscal
year 2022 appropriations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a nonprofit
working across the States and territories and in 72 countries to
conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.
We thank the subcommittee for its efforts to help address not only
the Nation's ongoing vital ocean, coastal and Great Lakes issues but
also the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Investment in
ocean, coastal and Great Lakes restoration and management can be part
of the country's economic recovery. According to NOAA data, each year
the U.S. ocean and coastal economy contributes $304 billion to the
Nation's GDP and 3.3 million jobs. NOAA's funding keeps this growing
ocean, coastal and Great Lakes economic engine running. It not only
helps NOAA catalyze local and regional action but also reduces risk and
saves money based on the tangible economic and societal benefits that
natural resources provide.
We appreciate that in fiscal year 2021, the subcommittee was able
to provide some moderate but necessary program increases in a
constrained budget environment. Recognizing the significant benefit
NOAA's programs provide to the Nation, the Biden administration has
proposed a significant increase to the agency's fiscal year 2022
budget. Many of these increases are targeted to improve research,
resource management and public engagement to address the considerable
climate and biodiversity needs of the Nation. The demand for NOAA's
products and technical and financial assistance exceeds available
funding. TNC supports the administration's thoughtful approach to
increases across NOAA programs. The NOAA budget levels detailed below
represent a prudent investment in the United States' future, and your
support is requested.
national ocean service
Title IX Fund--National Coastal Resilience Fund Grants: The
Conservancy supports the requested level of $68 million requests at
least $5 million be set aside for planning, technical assistance, and
assessment activities. The National Coastal Resilience Fund provides
the resources and tools to build coastal resilience to avoid costly
Federal disaster assistance and sustain healthy fisheries, maintain
robust tourism opportunities, provide for increased shipping demands
and support other coastal industries. Coastal communities have clearly
shown an ability to match and leverage this funding to take proactive
measures to protect their ways of life. TNC appreciates Congress's
support for funding for planning and assessment activities in fiscal
Year 2021.
Coastal Zone Management and Services: The Conservancy supports the
requested level of $64.789 million. This level of funding will provide
for increased capacity to provide coastal resilience technical
assistance to communities across the country, including additional
emphasis on under-resourced and underserved communities. Fully funding
the Digital Coast Partnership following passage by Congress of the
Digital Coast Act in 2020 will support new and improved products,
services and technical assistance to communities through this public-
private partnership. Funding would also support communities through the
development of the next generation of coastal managers via the Coastal
Management and Digital Coast Fellows programs. Providing competitive
salaries and expanded recruitment efforts will enhance the ability to
reach underrepresented communities. This increase will support the
designation process for three new National Estuarine Research Reserves
in Louisiana, Connecticut and Wisconsin to provide better
representation and connectivity of habitats across the system.
Coastal Management Grants: The Conservancy supports the requested
level of $108.5 million for coastal zone management grants. TNC
collaborates with State and territorial coastal programs around the
country to meet multiple goals for coastal communities, including
economic development, enhancement of public access and recreation,
coastal resilience, and conservation of coastal resources. After years
of essentially flat funding, the additional funding would support State
and territorial coastal zone management programs expanding coastal
resilience efforts through vulnerability assessments, planning and
design of resilience projects, monitoring and evaluation, technical
assistance and training to local governments.
Coral Reef Conservation Program: The Conservancy supports the
requested level of $43.194 million. The increase will help NOAA,
States, territories and community, research, and non-governmental
partners address the continued decline of coral reefs. This decline has
had significant social, economic and ecological impacts on people and
communities in the United States and around the world. TNC works with
NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program under a competitively awarded,
multiyear cooperative agreement to address the top threats to coral
reef ecosystems: changing ocean conditions, overfishing and land-based
sources of pollution. Together, TNC and NOAA develop place-based
strategies, measure the effectiveness of management efforts and build
capacity among reef managers.
National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS): The Conservancy
supports the requested level of $42.5 million. NERRS partners with
States and territories to ensure long-term education, stewardship and
research on estuarine habitats. The reserves advance knowledge and
estuary stewardship and serve as a scientific foundation for coastal
management decisions. By using local management needs to help shape
research, NERRS aims to fill critical gaps. This funding would expand
the capacity of NERRS to conduct climate research and monitoring,
incorporate this research into training and technical assistance to
local communities and enhance public engagement.
Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas: The Conservancy supports
the requested level of $84.503 million. National marine sanctuaries
support economic growth and hundreds of coastal businesses in sanctuary
communities, preserve vibrant underwater and maritime treasures for
Americans to enjoy and provide critical public access for more than 42
million visitors each year. Through a transparent, inclusive approach,
the marine sanctuaries provide for the conservation of U.S. marine
resources while balancing multiple uses and diverse stakeholder needs.
The increased funding would enable the program to expand engagement of
partners, underrepresented communities, Tribes and Indigenous
communities; increase capacity for protection, conservation and
stewardship; and support the designation process for five community-
nominated candidate sites and Papahanaumokuakea Marine National
Monument to become sanctuaries.
national marine fisheries service (nmfs)
Fisheries and Ecosystem Science Programs and Services: The
Conservancy supports the requested level of $170.603 million. Science
is the foundation of successful fisheries management. While many gains
have been achieved, there remain unfunded opportunities in each NMFS
region, especially related to electronic monitoring and reporting (EM/
ER). NMFS has also begun a fisheries information management
modernization effort that would enhance capacity to take in, integrate
and make accessible data from a variety of sources to improve
management. Modernizing data management would support implementation of
the proposed Climate-Ready Fisheries Initiative and enhance the
government's ability to conduct offshore wind consultations. The
enhanced research capacity would help fill gaps in stock productivity,
fisheries adaptations, improve future projections and risk assessments
and translate these efforts into management strategies to support
decision-makers.
Habitat Conservation and Restoration: The Conservancy supports the
requested level of $99.704 million. NOAA funding for coastal habitat
restoration supports, on average, 15 jobs per $1 million invested and
up to 30 jobs per $1 million spent on labor-intensive restoration
projects. Project funds are awarded on a competitive basis and
typically leverage the resources and capacity of multiple partners.
This funding also provides for NOAA's consultations on and
implementation of Essential Fish Habitat. The Regional Fishery
Management Councils address fishing impacts on these areas, and NOAA
must have sufficient capacity to provide technical assistance to the
councils and to work with Federal agencies to avoid, minimize and
mitigate impacts on these important fishery habitats. The proposed
increase would support large-scale habitat restoration to build climate
resilience as well as competitive grants for multi-year awards to
develop restoration planning, project design and permitting and project
implementation. TNC supports not only this project but the thoughtful
approach to assess the problem, identify goals and articulate a
schedule and cost for the project.
Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys and Assessments: The
Conservancy supports the requested level of $197.645 million. Limited
or poor-quality information on the status of fishery stocks undermines
the effectiveness of fisheries management and can erode community
support for conservation measures. Accurate and timely stock
assessments are essential for the sound management of fisheries and the
sustainability of fishing resources. The proposed increase would
provide long-needed funding to expand surveys, sampling and analysis
capabilities to better track shifting species. The funding would
increase the use of technology to conduct surveys, a capacity that
became increasingly important when the pandemic disrupted data
collection. The increase would also begin implementation of a Federal
survey mitigation program to cover the operational lifespan of offshore
wind developments.
Fisheries Management Programs and Services: The Conservancy
supports the requested level of $136.782 million. With a $214 billion
fisheries and seafood sector, U.S. fishing communities rely on
management services and information from NOAA to make the most informed
decisions on where, how and when to fish. NOAA Fisheries has made
important strides in addressing these challenges and strengthening
fisheries management. Support for these efforts is necessary to recover
fish stocks so they can provide food and jobs now and in the future.
Increased funding will enable NOAA to take the next steps to better
incorporate ecosystem and changing climate considerations into
management activities. It will also allow for workforce training and
development in environmental justice and equity as well as improved
engagement and outreach for diverse participation in regulatory and
science processes. Funding would increase consultation capacity to
assess effects of planned offshore energy activities and to establish a
national Wind Center of Excellence to coordinate review of wind
projects nationwide.
Observers and Training: The Conservancy supports at least $55.468
million, including $10.3 million for at-sea monitoring in the New
England multispecies fishery, consistent with fiscal year 2021 funding.
After several years of collaborative work with fishery participants,
scientists and other stakeholders, the New England Fishery Management
Council voted to increase monitoring on groundfish vessels to 100
percent for a period of at least 4 years if, and only if, funding is
available to support it. Because of ongoing support from Congress to
develop electronic monitoring systems, fishermen can now meet the at-
sea monitoring requirement with these systems or observers. Continued
funding along with leveraged private funding should provide sufficient
resources to aid in the near-term transition to increased monitoring
and expand the use of electronic monitoring.
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF): The Conservancy
supports at least $70 million, an increase of $5 million above fiscal
year 2021 funding. PCSRF has funded hundreds of successful on-the-
ground salmon conservation efforts, but habitat project needs exceed
available funding. It invests in cooperative efforts and projects are
matched at a 3:1 ratio (Federal: non-Federal). PCSRF has catalyzed
thousands of partnerships among Federal, State, local and Tribal
governments and conservation, business and community organizations.
Protected Resources Science and Management: The Conservancy
supports the requested level of $237.127 million. Increasing funding
for the competitive Species Recovery Grants would allow the agency to
strengthen and expand State and territorial partnerships to address the
growing number of listed species and allow for larger-scale, ecosystem-
level recovery efforts. It will enhance capacity to integrate climate
science into protected species management and assessments, including
scenario planning, recovery planning, implementing recovery actions,
threat projections and long-term monitoring and research. Additional
listed species and emerging offshore wind activities have increased the
number and complexity of NOAA's consultation and permitting
requirements. Funding is needed to aid NOAA's ability to complete these
requirements in a timely and predictable manner.
Thank you for this opportunity to share TNC's priorities. Please
contact me if you have questions or would like additional information.
[This statement was submitted by Stephanie Bailenson, Senior Policy
Advisor for Ocean and Coasts.]
______
Prepared Statement of the New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate
submitted on behalf of a coalition led by youth first initiative and
columbia justice lab's youth correctional leaders for justice--
regarding a new juvenile justice initiative at the office of juvenile
justice and delinquency prevention in the department of justice
Chairwoman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the
subcommittee, my name is Moira O'Neill. I serve as the Child Advocate
for the State of New Hampshire. The Office of the Child Advocate
provides independent oversight of all State supervised services for
children with a special focus on child protection and juvenile justice
services. In addition to investigating complaints and examining State
systems, our statutory mandate includes promoting children's best
interests and strengthening State services by working with agencies and
providing advice to policy makers. The foundation of all our efforts is
the science of child development. This approach is essential to
juvenile justice, a separate system that should accommodate children's
developing brains and capacity for executive decision making, impulse
control, and emotional regulation. I am pleased to submit testimony on
behalf of a coalition of organizations, co-led by the Youth First
Initiative and Columbia Justice Lab's Youth Correctional Leaders for
Justice. These organizations assist States in building on the past 15
years of successful youth crime reduction and decarceration to
strengthen and expand access to more effective community-based
alternatives for youth. To accomplish this goal, we seek $100 million
for a new initiative at the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP) in the Department of Justice that would support
State efforts to:
--Engage in a planning and stakeholder consultation process to close
youth prisons, repurpose closed youth prisons, and reinvest
State resources from those facilities to support more effective
and cost-efficient community-based alternatives; and
--Provide support for workforce development services for correctional
staff who will need new employment upon facility closures.
I want to thank the subcommittee for its past funding of Federal
juvenile justice programs and urge it to support this new initiative at
OJJDP to support States in moving from costly and ineffective
incarceration to more effective community-based alternatives that
produce dramatically better outcomes for youth, their families, and
their communities.
The time for transforming juvenile justice is now and New Hampshire
is ready. We are a small State with under 2,000 \1\ children--less than
1 percent of an estimated 260,000 population under 18 \2\--who are
adjudicated delinquent at any given time of the year. Despite the small
size of the population, there are disparities and children at risk.
Children of color are just 16 percent of the State population but
account for 37 percent of detention admissions, 22 percent of new
probation cases, and at least 22 percent of out of home placements.\3\
Children with disabilities also are disproportionately represented with
an estimated 65-70 percent having a diagnosed disability and 75 percent
having experienced some form of trauma, which impacts healthy
development.
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\1\ https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dcyf/documents/dcyf-data-book-2020.pdf
\2\ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/NH
\3\ Division for Children, Youth and Families Probation
Transformation Team, State of New Hampshire Department of Health and
Human Services. 2021.
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With these outcomes in mind and armed with the latest science for
practice improvement, New Hampshire is experiencing extraordinary
progress in transforming juvenile justice services under a broad,
bipartisan group of champions. We are in the midst of implementing
significant investments in a responsive and trauma-informed mental
health system for children. We are transforming juvenile probation from
a punitive and ineffective system to a child development-informed
system that will emphasize positive youth development and incentivize
pro-social behavior. Moreover, the Granite State has succeeded in
minimizing the number of detained or committed children through
legislative actions increasingly limiting criteria for incarceration.
The General Assembly has just passed a 2022-23 biennium budget that
provides for the closure of our 144-bed children's prison, currently
housing 10-15 children, by March 2023. This is promising progress in
children's best interest. New Hampshire has momentum. However, overall
success will depend upon careful planning and assessment for community-
based alternatives to intervene, rehabilitate, and prevent children
from engaging in anti-social behavior. A promise to support staff in
prison transition, not currently in the budget, would go far to keeping
children safe until closure. The requested $100 million for a new
Federal initiative at OJJDP would galvanize and support New Hampshire's
efforts to ensure a truly successful and just system.
Nationwide, from 2000 to 2018, the number of incarcerated youth
fell by 65 percent, and juvenile justice facilities decreased by 50
percent. During this time youth crime also dropped. From 2006 to 2019,
juvenile arrests for violent crimes fell by 50 percent, and from 2008
to 2019, juvenile arrests for property crimes fell by 73 percent.
Racial and ethnic disparities and incidents of abuse continue to
plague these extremely expensive and ineffective prison environments.
Racial inequities in incarceration are pervasive--Black youth are 5
times more likely and Latinx youth 3 times more likely than their white
peers to be incarcerated for similar offenses. Excluding Indian
Country, American Indians make up 3 percent of girls and 1.5 percent of
boys in juvenile facilities but less than 1 percent of youth
nationally.
Long term outcomes for incarcerated youth are poor and include
lower educational attainment and employment; high rates of
homelessness; behavioral and emotional problems; poor physical health;
and problems in forming stable family relationships. Physical and
sexual assault and extended solitary confinement also are common.
Incarceration also increases recidivism by disconnecting youth from
their families, religious and spiritual connections, schools, and other
pro-social experiences. As a result, incarcerated youth are more likely
to have entered adult prison by age 25. Given these limitations, many
prosecutors, youth correctional administrators and youth advocates now
recommend the closure of youth prisons in favor of more effective
community-based alternatives. However, there are many youth prisons
still operating and taking up precious State resources, especially
during this time of strapped State budgets. Federal funds would assist
States in closing youth prisons and directing State and local resources
to support more effective community-based alternatives.
Research shows that community-based alternatives perform far better
than the youth prison model. The youth incarceration environment is
incongruous with child development and trauma-informed care that relies
upon stimulating, engaging, encouraging, and safe space for children's
intellectual capacity and resilience to develop. I will never forget
the boy at the Sununu Youth Services Center who told me, ``I feel my
brain rotting in here.'' He was right.
There are effective alternatives to youth incarceration. Community
mentoring programs that link young people to trusted adults show strong
results. In Pennsylvania, Youth Advocates Program found that 97 percent
of program participants were not convicted or adjudicated of a new
offense while in the program, 85 percent were living safely in the
community at discharge, and 76 percent were regularly attending school,
had graduated, or attained their GED at discharge. The NYC Mayor's
Office and Urban Institute found that Credible Messengers' mentoring
programs for youth on probation significantly reduced recidivism for
young adults on probation by 69 percent after 12 months. At the 24-
month mark, it was still 57 percent lower. These results show that
evidence-based alternatives delivered in the community can reduce
recidivism.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, incarceration has put youth at
serious risk for illness, including long-term health impacts, and
sometimes death. While not specific to youth prisons, as of December
2020, the rate of people incarcerated in prisons who tested positive
for COVID-19 was more than 4 times as high as the general population
and in some States up to 8 times as high. It is likely that youth
prisons have similarly high rates of COVID-19 infection, putting in
jeopardy the health of young people and staff in those settings, as
well as the health of their families and communities to which they
return.
Closing youth prisons both saves money and increases public safety.
The cost of youth incarceration is astronomically high, especially
considering these poor outcomes. According to one recent study, the
average cost of the most expensive confinement option for a young
person in 48 States was $588 per day, or $214,620 per year. In New
Hampshire, the Sununu Youth Services Center costs taxpayers $12 million
to $15 million per year to accommodate 10-15 children on any given day.
A Washington State Study showed that youth detention produced fewer
benefits in reduced crime and other outcomes than many less costly
programs. For example, spending $1 for diversion and mentoring programs
resulted in $3.36 in benefits of reduced crime, while multisystemic
therapy, a more service intensive alternative, produced $13.36 in
benefits.
In 2016, Kansas decided to shift resources from youth prisons to
community-based interventions, and this shift is expected to save $72
million by 2022. The State has invested savings in community-based
programs. Georgia also instituted a similar plan in 2012 and estimated
its savings over 5 years at $85 million. It also avoided the
significant cost of building two new juvenile facilities.
Such community-based alternatives, including mentoring programs,
evidence-based therapies, and small, rehabilitative and home-like
facilities for the very few young people who commit serious crimes cost
much less than prison and are safer for youth and staff. New York
City's investment in small, homelike facilities resulted in a 53
percent drop in youth arrests and a 68 percent reduction in youth
placement. Using similar reforms, Texas decreased youth incarceration
by 38 percent and further decreased youth arrests by 49 percent. After
California's closure of youth prisons in 2016, youth arrests for
violent crimes in the State fell to less than half what they were in
1990. These States have demonstrated that closing youth prisons both
saves money and increases public safety.
Americans nationwide support Federal funding to incentivize States
to close youth prisons to capture resources to reinvest in more
effective and cost-efficient community-based alternatives. In a recent
Youth First Initiative poll, 78 percent of adults endorsed the proposal
to provide Federal funds for State planning and consultation with
stakeholders to close youth prisons and invest savings to expand access
to community-based alternatives and provide workforce development
services to workers from closed facilities. At least 7 in 10 Democrats,
Independents, and Republicans, and at least 7 in 10 Black, white,
Hispanic, and Asian Americans endorsed these policies, demonstrating
support across political affiliation as well as racial and ethnic
groups.
Youth First Initiative polled residents in Maine and found that 85
percent of residents overwhelming favor a youth justice system focused
on prevention and rehabilitation over punishment and incarceration.
Additionally, 87 percent of Mainers support providing financial
incentives for States to invest in alternatives to youth incarceration.
Just recently, the Maine House and Senate passed legislation to close
its only youth prison, Long Creek Youth Development Center. The
legislation also requires that savings captured from the closure be
used to create and support community-based programs in Maine.
At a time when our Nation is debating how to reduce the negative
impacts of the justice system while still maintaining public safety, I
urge you to support this proposal since it provides a winning strategy
that would accomplish all of the key goals: reducing incarceration and
its negative impacts on youth; reducing racial disparities; achieving
cost efficiencies that produce more effective outcomes; and improving
public safety.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration of these critical
issues. Please do not hesitate to contact me or Jenny Collier at
jcollier@colliercollective.org if you have any questions or need
additional information.
[This statement was submitted by Testimony by Moira O'Neill, PhD,
The Child Advocate.]
______
Prepared Statement of Nonprofit Civil and Human Rights Advocacy and
Religious Organizations
funding to the department of justice for efforts to prevent, measure,
and mitigate the harm done by hate crimes
June 22, 2021
The Hon. Jeanne Shaheen, Chair The Hon. Jerry Moran,
Commerce, Justice, Science Ranking Member
Subcommittee Commerce, Justice, Science
Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee
125 Hart Senate Office Building Senate Appropriations
Washington, DC 20510 Committee
142 Dirksen Senate Office
Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the
Subcommittee:
As organizations that represent communities targeted by hate
incidents ranging from vandalism and verbal harassment to life-
threatening attacks, we write to urge you to increase funding in the
fiscal year 2022 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill for
community-based non-profits that provide holistic education and support
services to mitigate the harm hate causes; for grants that improve data
about and understanding of hate; and for restorative justice research
and Community Relations Service interventions that address the roots of
hate-motivated violence.
Our recommendations are grounded in our alarm at increases in
reports of hate crime, and in our conviction that to further racial
justice we must ensure that government agencies and nongovernmental
organizations work together to support, validate, and vindicate each
person and community at risk of being targeted because of race,
national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation,
or disability. As you know, in spite of declining law enforcement
agency participation, the FBI's Hate Crime Statistics Act reports have
documented year-to-year growth in the number of recorded hate crimes in
recent years, culminating in the most deadly year on record in 2019, in
which at least 51 people lost their lives in bias-motivated attacks.
Anecdotal data captured by community-based organizations and surveys
that ask Americans about their subjective experiences indicate that
hate crime is a far more widespread and devastating phenomenon than
even the FBI's report demonstrates. Behind each victim is an entire
community of people who share the characteristics for which the person
was attacked, and who experience the fear and instability that these
acts cause.
Mitigating and preventing the enormous harm that bias-motivated
violence does is necessary if we are to dismantle deep systemic
inequities that have impeded our growth and achievement throughout
American history. Moreover, at a time when our differences and
conflicts threaten our ability to collaborate with one another to
sustain democratic governance and protect public health, it is as
important as ever that we stand up to hate and create an environment in
which all of us are equally safe and empowered to thrive. We urge you
to further these crucial efforts by adopting the following
appropriations provisions and report language.
Increase Funding for Community-Based Anti-Hate Work
When hate incidents occur, the people, institutions, and
communities that are affected often turn first for assistance and
support to familiar and trusted organizations that work outside the
criminal justice system to provide legal advice and defense,
culturally-appropriate medical and mental health care, and other
complementary services such as anti-bias education and help with basic
needs. Strong indicators of the important role that community-based
nonprofits play in documenting, countering and mitigating hate include
the significant volume of hate incidents reported directly to
organizations and associations such as Stop AAPI Hate, the Southern
Poverty Law Center, and the Anti-Defamation League, and the
proliferation in recent years of programs and partnerships that aim to
call out, and accelerate the fight against, hate, such as the Lawyers
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law's James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop
Hate. The Federal Government's investments in preventing and supporting
healing from hate crimes must reflect the unique and indispensable role
of non-government actors through a movement toward greater parity in
distribution of funding to both community-based and government-run
institutions. Therefore, we urge you to adopt the following report
language:
``Department of Justice--Office of Justice Programs--`Community
Support for Victims of Hate Crime.--The Committee recognizes that
individuals and communities that perpetrators of hate crimes target are
frequently the same individuals and communities that have been
historically discriminated against and overrepresented among those
investigated, arrested, convicted and incarcerated by law enforcement
officials. Hate crime victims include noncitizens and people with
immigrant family members who may fear immigration enforcement-related
consequences of contact with law enforcement. For these and other
reasons, communities affected by hate crime have called for increased
investment in community-based social support and advocacy for victims
as a necessary complement to law enforcement involvement in preventing
and responding to hate crime. Accordingly, the Committee directs the
agency to prioritize grants from programs for which institutions of
higher education, museums, and nongovernmental nonprofit organizations
are eligible to those applicants that are institutions of higher
education, museums, and nonprofit organizations that propose to use
funding to provide services that reduce the risk of hate crime or to
provide legal, material, social, and other support to people and
institutions affected by hate crimes. The agency should consider grant
programs including but not limited to the Antiterrorism and Emergency
Assistance Program, the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program,
Research and Evaluation on Domestic Terrorism Prevention, and Research
and Evaluation of Services for Victims of Crime.' ''
Fund Improvements in Hate Crime Statistics
A more complete understanding of where, when, and against whom hate
crimes occur is a necessary component of an effective and coordinated
campaign to eradicate this scourge. In the nearly 30 years during which
the FBI has compiled data pursuant to the Hate Crime Statistics Act,
however, DOJ has yet to produce information that paints an accurate and
comprehensive picture of hate crime. Multiple factors contribute to
deficits in our knowledge about this phenomenon, including victimized
communities' distrust and avoidance of law enforcement agencies; lack
of training for officers in recognizing and investigating bias
motivations; and frontline agencies' limited capacity to maintain and
share records with DOJ combined with the lack of a reporting mandate.
Congress can and must support stakeholders in overcoming these
challenges by providing funding for data improvement programs
authorized by the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act. To implement this priority
legislation, we urge you to provide total funding of at least $15
million in the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill for grant
programs to State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to
implement the National Incident-Based Reporting System, to create
State-run hate crime reporting hotlines, and to conduct training and
develop protocols for identifying, analyzing, investigating and
reporting hate crimes. In addition, we urge you to adopt the following
corresponding report language:
``DOJ--State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance: `Hate Crime
Statistics Reporting Improvement.--The Committee is concerned that more
than two thousand law enforcement agencies did not participate in the
FBI's most recent compilation of statistics about hate crimes,
including 10 agencies serving cities with populations greater than
100,000. In addition, underreporting of hate crime by participating
agencies leads to an exponential gap between the number of hate crimes
victims report experiencing in the National Crime Victimization Survey,
and the number of hate crimes recognized and reported by law
enforcement. Missing reports impair the ability of public safety
officers and civil society to prevent and respond to hate crime. The
Committee looks forward to receiving the report required in Sec. 5(g)
of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, Public Law 117-13, and to obtaining a
better understanding of ways that DOJ can support law enforcement
agencies in strengthening hate crime data collection and reporting, and
more effectively meeting the needs of communities affected by hate
crime.' ''
Increase Support for Eliminating Hate by Ramping Up Peacebuilding and
Advancing Restorative Justice
To secure a nation free from the fear and division that hate
incidents cause, DOJ and other stakeholders must further develop
ability and capacity to challenge the prejudices that lead to attacks.
Within the agency, this work should start with and be led by an
empowered and better-resourced Community Relations Service. This body's
efforts are symbolically important and practically effective. As Liz
Hume and Theo Sitther of the Alliance for Peacebuilding wrote in The
Hill on March 17, 2021, ``CRS has brokered agreements that have
resolved underlying systems of injustice and division in communities
experiencing high levels of conflict.'' Recognizing that CRS's
interventions save lives and preserve community cohesion, we urge you
to take its work to scale and increase CRS's annual funding to $40
million to meet expanding demand resulting in part from COVID-19-
related hate crimes targeting AAPI individuals and institutions, and
from accelerating hate incidents inspired by international affairs that
have targeted Jews, Muslims, and members of other faith-based and
immigrant communities. We recommend adoption of the following report
language in support of CRS's work:
``DOJ--Salaries and Expenses, Community Relations Service:
`Community Relations Service.--The Committee recommends $40,000,000 for
the Community Relations Service (CRS). CRS has a unique and important
role to play in complementing the Justice Department's law enforcement
activities, particularly when those activities involve members of
vulnerable and marginalized communities. CRS is charged with pursuing
justice and reconciliation throughout all of the States and
territories, by engaging crime victims, government agencies, civil
rights groups, and community leaders in healing and conflict
resolution. CRS concentrates on developing mutual understanding in
communities most challenged by tension and helps them develop local
capacity and tools to prevent hate crimes from reoccurring. The
Committee expects these efforts to expand, and CRS's services to be
offered in more communities, in Fiscal Year 2022.' ''
Moreover, we implore you to acknowledge that members of communities
targeted by perpetrators of hate crimes have themselves suffered from
disproportionate surveillance and criminalization by the criminal
justice infrastructure. As a result, many fear that punitive anti-hate
crime policies are likely to be misused against marginalized
communities, and question whether traditional punishment is the best
possible means of redressing hate crime in a way that challenges
offenders' beliefs and gives pause to others who may express or act on
hate. Instead, alternatives to carceral sentencing, which might include
educational and community service requirements or moderated
conciliation and dispute resolution sessions, hold promise as a means
of advancing stakeholders' interests and helping victims heal and
regain confidence. Further study is needed to determine which
interventions have a successful track record or have shown promise in
experimentation, so we hope that you will reserve at least $5 million
of the funding provided to the Office of Justice Programs for Research,
Evaluation, and Statistics for evaluation and development of
restorative justice programming, and adopt the following report
language:
``Research, Evaluation and Statistics: `Restorative Justice
Research.--The Committee recognizes that many members of communities
targeted by hate crimes have also been disproportionately negatively
affected by a criminal justice system suffused with institutional
racism and prejudice against other minority communities. As a result, a
number of victims of hate crimes advocate responses to bias-motivated
attacks that do not involve only or primarily carceral or punitive
measures. The Committee notes the dearth of studies that evaluate the
effectiveness of restorative justice alternatives to criminal
punishment for commission of a hate crime, and directs the Department
to fund and conduct research that can inform the adoption of sentencing
alternatives that best serve hate crime victims' needs. The Department
is encouraged to partner with academic institutions to evaluate the
effectiveness of existing programs that employ conciliation, education,
and other interventions to disrupt the malign beliefs of people
convicted of hate crimes' ''
We appreciate your consideration of these requests and look forward
to working with you to ensure that fiscal year 2022 appropriations
advance the fight against hate in ways that best serve the needs of
communities that are targeted because of members' race, ethnicity,
national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity,
and disability. If you have questions about these recommendations or
seek additional information, please contact Erin Hustings at
ehustings@adl.org and 202-316-3086.
Sincerely,
ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services)
Act To Change
American Jewish Congress
Anti-Defamation League
B'nai B'rith International
Interfaith Alliance
Japanese American Citizens League
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Matthew Shepard Foundation
National Council of Jewish Women
Not In Our Town
Rabbinical Assembly
Sikh Coalition
UnidosUS
Union for Reform Judaism
UNITED SIKHS
______
Prepared Statement of Nonprofit Voter Assistance, Civil Rights, and
Religious Organizations
June 18, 2021
The Hon. Jeanne Shaheen, Chair The Hon. Jerry Moran,
Commerce, Justice, Science Ranking Member
Subcommittee Commerce, Justice, Science
Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee
125 Hart Senate Office Building Senate Appropriations
Washington, DC 20510 Committee
142 Dirksen Senate Office
Building
Washington, DC 20510
department of justice's voting section
Dear Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the
Subcommittee:
The undersigned organizations write to strongly urge you to
designate increased funding for DOJ's Civil Rights Division for the
addition of positions in the Voting Section to enforce the Voting
Rights Act's protections against discrimination in elections. As
advocates for full and equal participation in American democracy, we
are alarmed by the accelerating adoption of State and local policies
that make voting disproportionately more difficult for members of
communities that have historically been the subject of blatant and
targeted disenfranchisement efforts. There is no other entity that can
as ably represent the interests of voters of color and voters from
language minority communities with the authority, expertise, and deep
resources available to DOJ, and so we call on Members of Congress to
ensure that the agency has what it needs to rise to the present
challenge and preserve the broad access to the ballot that our
foundational civil rights laws promise.
Before, during, and after the 2020 Presidential Election,
disinformation about threats to election security and integrity spread
widely, and in significant part due to some public figures' repeated
critiques of procedures that are normal and familiar, such as mail
voting, and of extraordinary measures undertaken to avoid COVID-19-
related perils, including proactive mailing of mail ballot applications
and expansion of early voting hours and periods. Election
administrators, Federal and international experts at agencies like the
Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency, and independent audits of paper records of votes cast
have all affirmed that election results were valid and no significant
or widespread fraud or irregularities occurred. Nonetheless, according
to the Brennan Center for Justice, as of April 1, 2021, State lawmakers
had introduced 361 bills that would restrict access to the ballot in 47
States' 2021 legislative sessions.
These measures take direct aim at aspects of the voting process
that disproportionately affect voters of color and language minority
voters, and preserving equal access to elections in 2021 and beyond
will depend upon the strength and readiness of the most capable and
expert voting rights prosecutor in the Nation, the Civil Rights
Division's Voting Section. For example, Georgia recently signed into
law a bill that expands voter identification requirements, which Black,
Latino, Native American, and other voters of color are
disproportionately likely to be unable to meet and to perceive as a
barrier to voting; the bill also makes it a crime to approach voters
waiting in line to give them food or water, and restricts the use of
ballot drop boxes for mail voters. Iowa enacted a bill that shortens
the State's early voting period and polling place hours, and restricts
the use of satellite voting sites, all flexibilities that have proven
particularly important to the State's growing population of young
Latino voters, according to LULAC Iowa Political Director Joe Henry.
Utah adopted a change that streamlines the process for cancelling voter
registration records based on a voter's apparent death, opening the
door to striking living people who share names with deceased
individuals from voter rolls without notice. Such a policy is very
likely to harm historically marginalized voters, who are statistically
more likely to share the same surnames, and to be mistakenly removed
from registration lists, than are white voters.
DOJ's Voting Section requires expanded capacity to respond to the
States and localities that already have and are poised to follow suit,
as well as to monitor, evaluate, and enforce anti-discrimination
standards in the post-2020 Census redistricting process that will soon
begin in virtually every State and municipality in the Nation. As you
know, the redistricting cycle that approaches will be the first to
occur in the absence of the protective mechanisms of the Voting Rights
Act's fully-functional preclearance process. As a result, the Voting
Section will not receive explanation and analysis of new district maps
from jurisdictions with long histories of acting deliberately to limit
marginalized voters' opportunity to elect representatives of their
choice, and will instead have to exponentially increase its own
original review of as many as hundreds, or thousands, of new plans. It
cannot afford to reduce its efforts to identify and challenge
discriminatory redistricting, knowing that the process of redrawing
districts has uniformly been infected with intentional bias and
produced inequitable results when left to its own devices. In the last
two cycles of redistricting during which the Voting Rights Act was in
full effect alone, DOJ objected at least 42 times to implementation of
redistricting plans that would have disproportionately diminished the
influence of voters of color and language minority voters.
As we consider the work before the Voting Section, we are also
mindful of the need for more capacity to ensure the effective
implementation of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act after new
coverage determinations are published in calendar year 2021. In light
of the continued growth of language minority communities, we anticipate
the extension of obligations to conduct elections in multiple languages
to additional jurisdictions, and along with it, an increase in demand
for DOJ's technical assistance and oversight. In our experience, newly-
covered municipalities in particular often struggle to understand and
comply with requirements such as recruitment and training of
multilingual pollworkers, education of monolingual pollworkers about
the rights of voters who are not fully fluent in English, and
customized translation of not only ballots and instructions but also
key assets such as websites and polling place signage. The volume of
the Voting Section's historical language assistance enforcement actions
also attests to the frequency with which election administrators and
elected officials experience challenges and require added assistance or
pressure, or both, to provide the materials and interpretation that the
law requires.
Taking into consideration these acute needs, we urge you to provide
at least $5 million in additional funding for General Legal Activities
at DOJ, and to designate the increase for the purpose of adding
positions in the Voting Section dedicated to Voting Rights Act
enforcement. We also ask that you adopt the following explanatory
report language:
DOJ--Salaries and Expenses, General Legal Activities: ``Voting
Rights Act Enforcement.--The Committee is concerned that multiple
factors including the effects of the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby
County v. Holder; the increasing proposal and adoption of
discriminatory restrictive State and local voting policies following
the 2020 Presidential Election; and ongoing need for negotiation of
agreements that ensure compliance with Section 203 of the Voting Rights
Act (VRA) will require the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division
to undertake an increased caseload of resource-intensive litigation to
meet its responsibility under the Voting Rights Act to ensure equal
access to elections regardless of race, ethnicity, and linguistic
ability. The Committee recommends an increase of not less than
$5,000,000 for additional expenses relating to the enforcement of
Sections 2, 4(e), 5, 10, 11, 203, and 208 of the VRA (52 U.S.C.
Sec. Sec. 10301-10311; 10503-10505; 10508).''
We appreciate your consideration of these recommendations, and
encourage you to contact Erin Hustings at ehustings@adl.org and 202-
316-3086 if we may provide any additional information.
Sincerely,
American Association of People with Disabilities
Anti-Defamation League
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
Center for Common Ground
Coalition on Human Needs
Common Cause
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S.
Provinces
Democracy North Carolina
Demos
End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund
Fair Elections Center
Faith in Public Life
Faith in Public Life Action Fund
Franciscan Action Network
Government Accountability Project
Human Rights Campaign
Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG)
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
League of Women Voters of the United States
Missouri Voter Protection Coalition
National Action Network (NAN)
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
NALEO Educational Fund
National Coalition on Accessible Voting
The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council on Independent Living
National Urban League
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Ohio Voter Rights Coalition
People for the American Way
Rock the Vote
SPLC Action Fund
State Voices
Texas Progressive Action Network
UFCW International Union
UnidosUS
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
______
Prepared Statement of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
national oceanic & atmospheric administration
Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran and Honorable Members of the
subcommittee, my name is Lorraine Loomis and I am the Chair of the
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC). The NWIFC is composed of
the 20 Tribes that are party to United States v. Washington, which
upheld the Tribes' treaty-reserved right to harvest and manage various
natural resources on and off-reservation, including salmon and
shellfish. On behalf of the NWIFC, I'm providing testimony for the
record on the natural resources and fishery management program funding
requests for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Fiscal Year 2022
appropriations. These programs support the management of salmon
fisheries, which contribute to a robust natural resource-based economy
and the continued exercise of Tribal treaty rights to fish. In light of
the past year's extreme difficulties, it is now more important than
ever that the Federal trustee support management, supplementation, and
restoration of fisheries--paramount to the Tribes physical, cultural
and economic wellbeing, as well as an important link in our Nation's
food supply chain.
SUMMARY OF FISCAL YEAR 2022 APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS
--$70.0 million plus for NOAA Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund
--$7.0 million for NOAA Hatchery Genetic Management Plans
--$43.5 million for NOAA Pacific Salmon Treaty
--$26.5 million for NOAA Mitchell Act Hatchery Programs
--Continued Support for NOAA Fisheries Disaster Assistance Program
The member Tribes of the NWIFC ceded much of the land that is now
western Washington in exchange for reserving the continued right to
harvest and manage various natural resources including salmon and
shellfish. Salmon are the foundation of Tribal cultures, traditions and
economies in western Washington. To ensure that Tribal treaty rights
and lifeways are protected, it is essential that the Federal Government
provide support to all aspects of salmon management including harvest
planning and implementation (e.g. Pacific Salmon Treaty), hatchery
production, (e.g. Mitchell Act Hatchery Programs and Hatchery Genetic
Management Plans) and habitat protection and restoration (e.g. Pacific
Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund).
JUSTIFICATION OF REQUESTS
-- Provide, at a minimum, $70.0 million for NOAA Pacific Coastal Salmon
Recovery Fund (PCSRF) and preferably restore funding to fiscal
year 2002 levels ($110.0 million)
We respectfully request, at a minimum, $70.0 million for PCSRF, an
increase of $5.0 million over the fiscal year 2021 enacted level. It is
worth noting that this request is a significant departure from the
PCSRF peak level of $110.0 million in fiscal year 2002 or subsequent
years in which budget authority was maintained upwards of $80.0 million
through fiscal year 2011. We ultimately would like to see PCSRF funding
fully restored to fiscal year 2002 levels. This level of funding would
help carry out the original congressional intent of these funds to
support the Federal Government's obligations to salmon recovery and the
treaty fishing rights of the Tribes.
The PCSRF is a multi-State, multi-Tribe program established by
Congress in fiscal year 2000 with a primary goal to help recover
dwindling salmon populations throughout the Pacific coast region.
Through PCSRF, Tribes work collaboratively to help protect and restore
salmon habitat in an effort to increase natural salmon productivity. To
accomplish this, Tribes implement scientifically based salmon recovery
plans developed for each watershed in concert with Federal, State, and
local partners. Tribes also participate in sustainable harvest
management activities such as monitoring of fish abundance, which is
then used to forecast adult returns and subsequently develop annual
harvest rates that achieve conservation objectives and provide for
Tribal and non-Tribal harvest opportunities. Since its inception, PCSRF
has been the primary salmon recovery response. This has resulted in the
restoration and protection of over 1.1 million acres of spawning and
rearing habitat and re-established salmon access to more than 11,980
miles of previously inaccessible streams in our region.
-- Provide $7.0 million for NOAA Hatchery Genetic Management Plans
(within Pacific Salmon), including $2.0 million for
implementation
We respectfully request $7.0 million to expedite NMFS's review and
approval of the backlog of western Washington Hatchery Genetic
Management Plans (HGMPs) and, at a minimum, $2.0 million of that
funding directed toward implementation of those plans that are now
approved. We recommend that the Pacific Salmon line be funded at no
less than $69.0 million, which is $2.0 million above fiscal year 2021
enacted level of $67.0 million to accommodate these requests, while
ensuring maintenance of existing programs under this line. We also
request an explanatory statement clarifying that program funding may be
used to pass-through to, or contract with Tribes to implement those
plans that are already approved. Review and approval of HGMPs is
necessary to provide hatcheries with ESA coverage and implementation of
the plans is necessary to accomplish their conservation goals.
NMFS uses the information provided by HGMPs to evaluate the impacts
of State and tribally operated hatcheries on salmon and steelhead
listed under the ESA and recommends improvements to operations to meet
conservation objectives. With the lack of improvement in salmon stocks,
hatchery operations have become even more important to achieving
recovery goals and maintenance of salmon fisheries. However, the lack
of improvement in natural origin salmon has also resulted in
scrutinizing hatcheries for their potential genetic impacts on natural
spawning populations. This has resulted in increasingly specific
performance standards and management expectations included in Tribes'
HGMPs. Tribes need help addressing the escalating costs of hatchery
management associated with the monitoring and adaptive management
practices called for by HGMPs. For example, requirements to closely
monitor natural and hatchery produced salmon interactions on the
spawning ground are costly and time-intensive. Therefore, it is
essential that HGMP funding is increased to address these rising costs
and that flexibility is provided to ensure that funding can be used to
implement the plans' recommendations, which both the Federal Government
and Tribes have extensively invested in.
-- Provide $43.5 million to implement the National commitments in the
renegotiated Pacific Salmon Treaty agreements (within NOAA
Salmon Management Activities)
We support the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) U.S. Section's
fiscal year 2022 request of $43.5 million within Salmon Management
Activities, an increase of $4.0 million over the fiscal year 2021
enacted level of $39.5 million. This line item includes annual
operational costs of $5,850,000 for Sound Science, $13,460,000 for
hatchery conservation programs and habitat restoration for Puget Sound
critical stocks and $5,540,000 to increase prey availability for
southern resident killer whales.
The fiscal year 2022 request would support implementation of the
National commitments in the recently renegotiated Pacific Salmon Treaty
(PST) Annex Chapters. The recommended funding also helps meet the
requirements of the biological opinion for listed species and supports
effective, science-based implementation of negotiated salmon fishing
arrangements and abundance-based management approaches for Chinook,
southern Coho, and Northern Boundary and Transboundary River salmon
fisheries.
Adult salmon returning to most western Washington streams migrate
through U.S. and Canadian waters and are harvested by fishers from both
countries. For years, there were no restrictions on the interception of
returning salmon by fishers of neighboring countries. Eventually, the
U.S. and Canada agreed to cooperate on the management of salmon by
developing and ratifying the PST in 1985. The PSC was created to
implement the PST and is responsible for developing management
recommendations and assessing compliance with the treaty. Negotiations
to revise the provisions of the Annex Chapters were successfully
completed in 2018 and 2019. These chapters contain the specifics for
implementing the treaty for each species in each geographic area. These
revised chapters represent the combined efforts of the participants to
ensure healthy salmon populations for the next 10 years, and as such
include commitments from the U.S. to improve current management
strategies.
-- Provide $26.5 million for NOAA Mitchell Act Hatchery Programs
(within Salmon Management Activities)
We respectfully request $26.5 million for the Mitchell Act Hatchery
Programs, an increase of $4.5 million over the fiscal year 2021 enacted
level of $22.0 million. The request for this additional increase in
Mitchell Act funds is to ensure that mitigation hatcheries operate at
full production level to meet Federal obligations. This program is
funded through the Salmon Management Activities subactivity.
Mitchell Act hatchery production is intended to mitigate for fish
and habitat loss caused by the Federal hydropower dam system on the
Columbia River. Funding for these programs supports the operation and
maintenance of hatcheries that release around 40 million juvenile
salmon and steelhead in Oregon and Washington. Adequate funding for
Mitchell Act hatcheries is of particular importance to us because it
supports salmon production for Tribal treaty harvest along the
Washington coast. Additionally, adequate funding to ensure full
production from the Mitchell Act hatcheries dampens the impact of
Canadian and Alaskan ocean fisheries on Washington and Tribal fisheries
under the terms of the PST.
-- Continue to support the NOAA Fisheries Disaster Assistance Program
with Annual Funding
We respectfully request Congress's continued support of the
Fisheries Disaster Assistance Program. This program was not funded in
fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2021 annual appropriations. However,
the program received $15.0 million in fiscal year 2019 and $20.0
million in fiscal year 2018. This funding is necessary to implement the
Department of Commerce's declarations of Tribal fisheries disasters.
Unfortunately, these disasters are becoming more frequent in light of a
variety of natural and manmade circumstances beyond the control of
Tribal fishery managers, which have led to severely depressed stocks
and/or limited access to fisheries. Our member Tribes are currently
waiting on requested determinations from the Secretary of Commerce as a
result of numerous disasters in 2019 and earlier.
Lack of access to fisheries in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
has only exacerbated the economic threats to Tribal fishing fleets.
CARES Act and other COVID relief funding for fishery participant
assistance has only covered a fraction of the Tribes' economic impacts
and is not sufficient to maintain Tribal fishing fleets and food
security during these difficult times. Forthcoming disasters could
prove to be the tipping point if assistance is not readily on hand to
support fisheries. Because of the seasonal nature of fishing, a single
disaster can have significant impacts on annual revenues forcing
fishers to drop out of the sector, and therefore sometimes lead to
diminished fishing fleets. Under the current circumstances, Tribes are
facing repeated disasters that are devastating to Tribal economies and
cultures. Therefore, an ongoing, annually funded Fisheries Disaster
Assistance Program is a much-needed stop gap measure to prevent the
collapse of this important economic sector during difficult times.
Providing timely fishery assistance shouldn't be solely based upon the
passage of disaster relief legislation, but rather it should be
programmatically funded and on hand to allow NOAA to rapidly respond.
conclusion
The treaties between the Federal Government and Indian Tribes, as
well as the treaty-reserved rights to harvest, manage and consume fish
and shellfish, are the ``supreme law of the land'' under the U.S.
Constitution (Article VI). It is therefore, critically important for
Congress and the Federal Government to provide continued support in
upholding the treaty obligations and carrying out its trust
responsibilities. An important component of these obligations is to
fully fund the aforementioned sustainable salmon fisheries management
programs that provide for improved harvest planning, hatchery
production and habitat management. We respectfully urge you to continue
to support our efforts to protect and restore our treaty-reserved
rights and natural resources that in turn will provide for thriving
economies for both Indian and non-Indian communities alike. Thank you.
[This statement was submitted by Lorraine Loomis, Chairperson.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Ocean Conservancy
fiscal year 2022 appropriations for the national oceanic and
atmospheric administration
Thank you for this opportunity to provide Ocean Conservancy's
Fiscal Year 2022 (FY 2022) funding recommendations for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Ocean Conservancy has
worked for 50 years to address threats to the ocean through science-
based, practical policies that protect our ocean and improve our lives.
We greatly appreciate the subcommittee's efforts to ensure a
positive outcome for NOAA in the fiscal year 2021 omnibus, which made
important investments in NOAA programs, including the National Marine
Fisheries Service, the Marine Debris Program, and the Regional Ocean
Data Portals.
The Biden administration's proposed budget makes historic
investments in NOAA, providing a $1.4 billion increase in agency
funding, including an additional $800 million to expand climate-related
services and a $500 million increase for satellites and forecasting
technologies. We support President Biden's request for NOAA and urge
Congress to appropriate at least this level of funding for the agency.
NOAA's mission to understand, protect, restore, and manage our
ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes is vitally important as we mitigate and
adapt to the impacts of climate change and responsibly build our blue
economy. Our ocean and coastal communities are at the frontlines of
climate change. Many of these communities--particularly those whose
residents are black, indigenous, and people of color--have
disproportionately experienced these impacts over the course of
history. Sea level rise, coastal flooding, ocean acidification, and
increased ocean temperatures are all impacting our coastal residents
and their ability to safely work and enjoy our ocean and coasts. These
impacts are also affecting our marine species, from fish to whales and
sea turtles, as well as the habitat they rely upon. Robust funding is
needed to continue to understand the impacts of climate change and
provide resources for local communities to better adapt and mitigate
changes in our ocean and coast.
The U.S. blue economy contributes $373 billion annually to the
Nation's GDP and supports 2.3 million jobs, with nearly half of that
impact coming from tourism, recreation and fisheries. A healthy and
resilient ocean is vital to maintain and grow our coastal economies and
communities. As climate change, however, causes sea levels to rise,
altering our coasts and significantly damaging our infrastructure, and
as marine species leave their historic grounds, we risk losing these
substantial drivers of our coastal economy.
Some of NOAA's most successful programs work to provide resources
and decision-making authority to regions, States, and local communities
to ensure a bottom up approach to solving the issues these communities
face today. NOAA is providing leverage for hardworking people on the
coast and on the water who are building resilience to climate change
and fighting for a stronger blue economy through region-by-region
fishery management, region-specific programs, extramural funding that
supports State agencies and universities, place-based conservation in
our estuaries and oceans, and more.
As you craft the fiscal year 2022 spending bills, we ask that you
consider the balance between NOAA's oceanic and atmospheric missions
and the nexus between the two. Americans should not have to choose
between weather forecasts and ocean and coastal resources like
fisheries, coral reefs and marine mammals. Frequently, these aspects of
NOAA's mission interact with each other, as well as other agencies, to
enhance the outcome of their mission. For example, ocean observations
and monitoring provide critical information for climate monitoring,
severe storm tracking and weather forecasting. Ocean programs also
facilitate homeland security and national defense functions, including
U.S. Navy operations and U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue missions.
We offer the following recommended funding levels and
justifications for certain critical NOAA programs and activities.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year 2021 Fiscal Year 2022
Account, Program or Activity Enacted Recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
..................
Operations Research and
National Ocean Service:
Coastal Science, Assessment, $9 m.............. $18 m
Response and Restoration:
Marine Debris.
Coastal Zone Management and $2.5 m............ $10 m
Services: Regional Ocean
Data Portals.
National Marine Sanctuaries. $56.5 m........... $84.5 m
National Estuarine Research $28.5 m........... $42.5 m
Reserves.
IOOS Regional Observations.. $40.5 m........... $69.5 m
National Marine Fisheries $964.862 m........ $1,197 m
Service.
Fisheries Science and $175.927 m........ $206 m
Management: Fisheries Data
Collections, Surveys and
Assessments.
Fisheries Science and $146.927 m........ $170.6 m
Management: Fisheries and
Ecosystem Science Programs
and Services.
Regional Councils and $41.500 m......... $45.650 m
Fisheries Commissions.
Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research
Integrated Ocean $15.5 m........... $22 m
Acidification.
National Sea Grant College $75 m for Sea $130.6 m total,
Program. Grant and $13 m with $115.6 m for
for aquaculture. the National Sea
Grant College
Program and $15 m
for Sea Grant
Aquaculture.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marine Debris--$18 million
Marine debris, particularly plastic waste pollution, is one of the
biggest pollution problems threatening the world's oceans and
waterways. An estimated 150 million metric tons of plastic waste are in
the ocean today, and every year an estimated 8 million metric tons more
are being added. Without immediate intervention, 250 million metric
tons of plastic waste could be in the ocean in fewer than 10 years.
Marine debris has serious effects on the marine environment and the
economy. It impacts wildlife through entanglement, ingestion and ghost
fishing and also impacts marine transportation, causing navigational
hazards and vessel damage. In 2018, Congress reauthorized NOAA's Marine
Debris Program via the Save Our Seas Act, which enjoyed broad
bipartisan support in both chambers. In 2020, Congress again
reauthorized NOAA's Marine Debris Program through the bipartisan Save
Our Seas Act 2.0, which increased the responsibilities of the Marine
Debris Program. We request $18 million for the program, consistent with
the President's budget, to allow the agency to meet the current
challenge of marine debris.
Regional Ocean Data Portals--$10 Million
Regional Ocean Data Portals are publicly available online tools
that disseminate maps, data, and information to inform decisions and
enhance entrepreneurial opportunities. They are managed by Regional
Ocean Partnerships, which provide interagency engagement with States,
Tribes, localities, and Federal agencies to collaborate on cross-
jurisdictional ocean and coastal matters. These partnerships also
coordinate and engage ocean and coastal stakeholders, including
academia, non-governmental organizations, and industry. Regions are
sufficiently underfunded to address the most pressing management and
data integration challenges, and Federal funding is currently split
among the four Regional Ocean Partnerships and their nine functional
equivalents, which totals nine regions. Appropriating $10 million would
provide a necessary boost that will allow regions to better address
ocean and coastal management needs.
National Marine Fisheries Service--$1.197 Billion
Fisheries are an important part of our Nation: fishing feeds us,
supports coastal communities, connects us to the ocean and sustains
vibrant cultures. Fish and the fisheries they support, however, are
experiencing the impacts of climate change. Rapidly changing ocean
conditions are disrupting where fish are found, what they can eat,
where they can live, and how many fish there are. There is an urgent
need to move towards climate-ready fisheries--fisheries that prioritize
sustainability, resilience and equity in the context of rapid changes
and increased uncertainty associated with climate change. There is a
clear path forward: the agency must work to accelerate research on
climate change impacts to fisheries, increase the adoption of proven
tools and approaches for managing with change, and take steps to
provide information and analysis that can help managers incorporate
this understanding into decision-making. This requires investments to
be made across programs at NMFS to ready our fisheries for climate
change. Programs such as the Integrated Ecosystem Assessment and others
work to better understand how changes are affecting marine resources
and develop products to enhance the scientific advice provided to
managers. Additional funding could enable more engagement by NMFS with
the Fishery Management Councils and greater ability to enact climate-
ready management. To manage for the impacts of climate change on our
fisheries, we request $1.197 billion for NMFS, consistent with the
President's budget.
Integrated Ocean Acidification--$22 million
The Integrated Ocean Acidification line item funds NOAA's ocean
acidification program (OAP), which was established and mandated by the
Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring (FOARAM) Act of
2009. Ocean acidification (OA) is the rise in acidity of the earth's
ocean caused by uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This
rising acidity makes it harder for shell-forming species such as
oysters and crabs to grow, and fundamentally alters many other
processes (e.g., reproduction, risk avoidance) necessary for healthy
ecosystems and the coastal industries that depend on them. Prior
Federal investments in OAP have greatly expanded our knowledge of ocean
acidification and its risks to coastal communities and industries, but
current funding levels are not at the scale needed to understand this
global problem and its impacts. We request $22 million for this
program.
Marine Operations and Maintenance
Marine operations and maintenance should be funded at $193.9
million, consistent with the President's budget. Days at sea funded by
this line are functionally tied to fishery stock assessments, and the
two programs must be viewed together.
Thank you again for the opportunity to provide this testimony in
support of robust funding for NOAA.
[This statement was submitted by Reggie Paros, Director, Government
Relations.]
______
Prepared Statement of OpenSecrets
Dear Chairman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and distinguished
Members of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice
and Science, and Related Agencies.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony before
the Committee to discuss fiscal year 2022 budget priorities regarding
the modernization of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a
statute intended to inform the American public of foreign influence and
lobbying operations attempting to impact U.S. policy or public opinion.
This written testimony is respectfully offered on behalf of
OpenSecrets to the Committee for use during its consideration of
Department of Justice funding and for inclusion in the official
committee record.
OpenSecrets is a nonpartisan nonprofit research organization
tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public
policy. Our vision is for Americans across the ideological spectrum to
be empowered by access to clear and unbiased information about money's
role in the U.S. political system and to use that knowledge to
strengthen our democracy.
Activities of foreign agents and lobbyists divulged under FARA are
a subject of sustained public interest. In this testimony, we
respectfully request that the Committee include report language
directing a review of the U.S. Department of Justice's implementation
of FARA and a comprehensive audit of the use of the Lobbying Disclosure
Act (LDA) exemption that will both be publicly accessible.
A publicly-accessible report to Congress is necessary to evaluate
the feasibility and steps needed to require all filings by foreign
agents to be made in an electronic, machine-processable electronic
format yielding structured data. This would allow users to search and
sort or download FARA data, ensuring the same level of accountability
from lobbyists representing foreign interests as domestic ones.
Despite recommendations from the Department's Inspector General and
outside experts, the Justice Department has been slow to implement
changes to improve the public's access to information about foreign
influence and lobbying intended to impact U.S. policy or public
opinion.
In September 2019, the Department of Justice launched new features
enabling registrants to submit data through a web-form yielding some
standardized data. While we believe this is a step in the right
direction, only initial registrations are required to be submitted this
way, so information reported in some of the most important records such
as semi-annual supplemental statements may remain trapped in less
accessible formats.
Continuing implementation of a modernized FARA reporting system
that collects detailed structured data would provide the tools
necessary for better oversight and ensure information about foreign
influence is provided in an accurate, complete, and timely manner.
Using web-forms or submitting data in other structured formats
across the board would allow the government to provide this information
in an accessible form with little or no additional burden. FARA
reporting is already conducted through an e-filing system that requires
a web browser unless a registrant demonstrates limited access to the
internet. Modernizing FARA's e-filing system can ultimately help ease
the administrative burden associated with FARA registration.
The current system requires FARA filers to electronically submit
information in most forms, including semi-annual supplemental
statements that contain activities and receipts, using images or PDFs
even though many of the records are originally produced in electronic
formats such as CSV files. Image and PDF formatted files destroy
critical aspects of the data included in the original formats and
cannot be marked for sensitive information or used for automated
calculations. Essential information about foreign lobbying activities
remains locked away in hard-to-digest image files that complicate the
process of publishing FARA information in a machine-readable format.
Even the basic disclosure of how much money foreign actors spend to
influence U.S. policy and public opinion is obscured, leaving the
American public in the dark about how our laws are shaped and
influenced.
FARA also has a number of exemptions that can be misunderstood or
exploited.
One commonly used exemption enables some foreign agents to claim an
exemption from FARA registration and disclosure rules if they register
as lobbyists under the LDA, a disclosure statute designed to regulate
the activities of domestic lobbyists.
Any individuals lobbying on behalf of a foreign commercial
interest, rather than a foreign government or political party, may
evade FARA disclosure requirements by merely registering under the LDA.
Domestic lobbying records are already required to be filed to
Congress electronically and are immediately converted to structured
data that are available to the public over the Internet. More parity
between disclosure requirements under the LDA and FARA is necessary to
ensure at least the same level of transparency from lobbyists
representing foreign interests as domestic ones.
We respectfully urge the Committee to direct the Comptroller
General of the United States, in consultation with the Inspector
General of the Department of Justice, to conduct a comprehensive audit
of the use of the LDA exemption examining (1) whether the LDA exemption
has contributed to a decline in the number of registrations under FARA;
(2) whether the LDA exemption has contributed to a lack of public
awareness of lobbying activities on behalf of foreign entities; (3) the
impact and feasibility of phasing out the LDA exemption; and (4) how to
develop policy recommendations for increasing compliance with Federal
lobbying registration and disclosure requirements.
We are confident that the report will provide valuable insight to
the American people and pave the way to increased transparency of the
activities disclosed by those foreign agents. We urge you to
appropriate the funding necessary to evaluate modernizing this
invaluable resource.
Our recommendations are based on our experiences using FARA,
including efforts to republish FARA data online in ways that support
greater access and meaningful analysis. OpenSecrets built the Foreign
Lobby Watch database containing foreign lobbying documents and data.
Our reviews of the DOJ's available foreign lobbying records found
significant problems with how the data is currently structured.
We've designed our databases to make up for some of the shortfalls
in how foreign lobbying information is currently made available to the
public. Structured data directly from the government could streamline
this process, improving the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collected by the FARA Unit.
Thank you for your attention to our concerns on this critical
issue. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you further on
this issue and make any additional recommendations about this or other
important issues before the Committee.
[This statement was submitted by Anna Massoglia.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Pew Charitable Trusts
Chair Jeanne Shaheen
Ranking Member Jerry Moran
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Chairwoman Shaheen and Ranking Member Moran, we appreciate the
opportunity to provide public comments on fiscal year 2022
appropriations. Over the past year, agencies and departments across the
Federal Government implemented proactive policies and programs in
response to the pandemic. As the committee begins the process of
determining next fiscal year's funding levels, it is important that the
agencies and departments levels include funding for the collection,
evaluation, and analysis of data and programs.
The Pew Charitable Trusts Civil Legal System Modernization project
works to support efforts to deliver a more accessible and effective
civil legal system. We'd like to take this opportunity to highlight the
importance of collecting and reporting State civil legal system data to
inform Federal policy.
As the country continues to respond to and recover from the
pandemic, our Nation's civil legal system will continue to face
strains, both in adapting to changing environments and increasing
caseloads. With the growing number of evictions and foreclosures
exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the CDC's current moratorium
on evictions, as well as rising debt in collections, State civil courts
have developed a variety of approaches to manage what will likely
become a tsunami of court cases that will have long-lasting financial
consequences for millions of Americans.
By passing the Foundations for Evidence-based Policymaking Act,
Congress not only showed the importance of data collection, but also
how it can play a critical role in developing Federal policies. For
example, identifying the rate of eviction case filings could inform CDC
decisions related to the cessation or extension of the Federal eviction
moratorium. Likewise, a better understanding of the scope of debt
collection lawsuits could facilitate rule-making at the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau. More immediately, State court data could
help the CFPB evaluate the efficacy of its new rule requiring debt
collectors in eviction cases to inform tenants of their rights under
the CDC moratorium.
Prior to the pandemic, there was already a lack of data and
transparency surrounding our civil court system. A Pew report found
that 38 States do not report on the number of debt cases in their civil
legal systems and only two provide data on the number of default
judgments. Though there is no comprehensive analysis of State court
data on housing cases, we anticipate a similar lack of data. While it
has a mandate to collect and analyze civil justice data, the last
national study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics was done
in 2005. This subcommittee can play an important role in better
understanding the impact of the civil justice system on Americans as
evictions and debt lawsuits loom.
Thank you again for the opportunity to comment.
[This statement was submitted by Erika Rickard, Project Director,
Civil Legal System Modernization.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Population Association of America/Association
of Population Centers
fiscal year 2022 appropriations for the census bureau and national
science foundation
The Honorable Jean Shaheen, Chair and The Honorable Jerry Moran,
Ranking Member:
Thank you, Chair Shaheen and Ranking Member Moran, and other
distinguished members of the subcommittee, for this opportunity to
express support for the Census Bureau and the National Science
Foundation (NSF). These agencies are important to the Population
Association of America (PAA) (www.populationassociation.
org) and Association of Population Centers (APC), because they provide
direct and indirect support to population scientists and the field of
population, or demographic, research overall. In fiscal year 2022, we
urge the subcommittee to provide the Census Bureau with $2 billion,
which is approximately $600 million above the Administration's request.
In addition, PAA and APC support $10 billion for the National Science
Foundation (NSF), consistent with the recommendation of the Coalition
for National Science Funding, which largely reflects the
Administration's fiscal year 2022 request.
The PAA and APC are two affiliated organizations that together
represent over 3,000 social and behavioral scientists and the nearly 40
population research centers that receive Federal funding and conduct
research on the implications of population change. Its members, which
include demographers, economists, sociologists, and statisticians,
conduct scientific and applied research, analyze changing demographic
and socio-economic trends, develop policy and planning recommendations,
and train undergraduate and graduate students. Their research expertise
covers a wide range of issues, including adolescent health and
development, aging, health disparities, immigration and migration,
marriage and divorce, education, social networks, housing, retirement,
and labor. Population scientists compete for funding from the NSF and
rely on data produced by the Nation's statistical agencies, including
the Census Bureau, to conduct research and research training
activities.
the census bureau
The Census Bureau is the premier source of data regarding U.S.
demographic, socio-economic, and housing characteristics. While PAA/APC
members have diverse research expertise, they share a common need for
access to accurate, timely data about the Nation's changing socio-
economic and demographic characteristics that only the U.S. Census
Bureau can provide through its conduct of the decennial census,
American Community Survey (ACS), and a variety of other surveys and
programs.
PAA and APC understand that the Census Bureau's funding level
declines dramatically in the initial years of the decennial planning
cycle, and the Administration's request reflects, appropriately, this
anticipated decrease in funding. Nonetheless, PAA and APC urge the
subcommittee to support increased funding for the Census Bureau in
fiscal year 2022 above the Administration's request. In fiscal year
2022, Congress has a unique opportunity to initiate multi-year funding
for the Bureau, providing the agency with resources that it needs to
not only sustain and strengthen its mission, but also to recover from
years of postponed enhancements and pursue numerous necessary
operational improvements. The ambitious fiscal year 2022 funding
recommendation ($2 billion) that census stakeholders are supporting
would enable the Bureau to purse, among other things, the following
initiatives:
Modernizing the Bureau's data infrastructure.--The Census Bureau
needs to harness currently available Big Data technology and
methodology to reduce respondent burden and realign the Bureau's
already-existing data from multiple sources into universal ``frames.''
A significant increase in funding for the Census Frames initiative,
which was only funded at about $12.7 million in fiscal year 2021, will
allow the Census Bureau to reduce duplication, increase ease and
usability of Federal statistical data, enhance the quality of Bureau
products, facilitate analysis of the U.S. population and economy, and
ensure that the Federal Government can utilize administrative data,
responsibly and appropriately, to maximum advantage before burdening
survey respondents.
Enhancing the American Community Survey (ACS).--ACS data are an
invaluable resource that data users, including population scientists,
rely on throughout the decade to make key investment and policy
decisions as well as to conduct applied and scientific research and
evaluate programs. The Bureau also needs to continue to use the ACS
``as a testbed for innovative survey and data processing techniques,''
as Congress directed in fiscal year 2021. Funding for the ACS has
remained relatively stagnant in recent years, including a little over
$226 million in fiscal year 2021. The Bureau needs additional funding
(no less than $45 million to increase the sample size by at least 1
million households) to properly plan and execute an expansion of the
ACS, beginning in fiscal year 2022.
Stabilizing and increasing funding for Survey of Income and Program
Participation (SIPP).--After multiple COVID-19 relief bills,
policymakers and scientists need to understand how the individual
provisions in these supplemental appropriations measures assisted (or
failed to assist) families and communities. The Survey of Income and
Program Participation (SIPP) is designed to achieve that goal, yet its
funding has fluctuated routinely. Stabilizing and increasing support
for SIPP, to no less than $48 million in fiscal year 2022, will help
Congress make evidence-based policy decisions on the effectiveness of
government assistance programs. Additional funding for SIPP could be
reinvested to address long term erosion of the survey's funding and
response rates, putting that money toward increased non-response follow
up.
Extending Pulse Surveys.--The Bureau's ``Pulse Surveys'' have
provided timely data regarding the economic, social, and health effects
of COVID-19 on U.S. communities and businesses. The surveys have
attracted support from other Federal agencies that have requested to
add questions and collaborated with the Census Bureau to produce the
surveys. The Census Bureau needs no less than $6 million in fiscal year
2022 to sustain and expand this innovation that provides much more
timely data on current economic and social issues. Additional funding
could be used to further expand the success of this novel program.
Completing the 2020 Census.--Additional funding is necessary to
complete delayed final assessments and evaluations of the 2020 Census
and to release all remaining data products.
Initiating the 2030 Census.--PAA and APC support the Census
Bureau's proposal to accelerate planning for the 2030 Census by
initiating a research and testing program to pursue innovations, early
in the decennial planning cycle, including improvements to the address
list, evaluations to assess the appropriateness of using administrative
records in the enumeration process, and strategies for making field
operations more efficient.
In sum, PAA and APC join other census stakeholders in urging the
subcommittee to provide the Census Bureau with $2 billion in fiscal
year 2022 to complete all 2020 Census operations and data delivery
objectives; enhance the ACS, including plans to increase the survey's
sample size; initiate planning for the 2030 Census; improve the SIPP;
extend and expand the Pulse Surveys and improve the quality and
granularity of all census data sets. Further, PAA and APC urge the
subcommittee to exercise its oversight authority and ask questions
about the agency's proposed budget restructuring proposal, especially
as it affects the status and integrity of the ACS.
national science foundation (nsf)
For over 75 years the mission of NSF has been to promote the
progress of science; to advance the National health, prosperity, and
welfare; and to secure the National defense. Understanding the
implications of complex population dynamics is vital to the agency's
mission. The Directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE)
Sciences is the primary source of support for the population sciences
within the NSF. The Directorate funds critical large-scale longitudinal
surveys, such as the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, that inform
pressing policy decisions and provide the empirical evidence to help
policy makers to formulate effective decisions. It also has
participated in cross-cutting, interdisciplinary initiatives of
interest to population scientists, such as the Coastlines and People
program, which supports research on the implications of climate change
on populations, and Mid-scale Infrastructure--two areas of emphasis
among the agency's research priorities.
NSF is the funding source for over 20 percent of all federally
supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and
universities, including basic behavioral and social research. Moreover,
the SBE Directorate funds approximately 67 percent of basic,
university-based social and behavioral sciences research in the Nation.
PAA and APC, as members of the Coalition for National Science
Funding (CNSF), applaud the Administration's proposed NSF fiscal year
2022 budget request, $10.2 billion, which represents a nearly 20
percent increase in funding over the fiscal year 2021 enacted level.
Moreover, the budget request envisions an allocation for SBE that would
grow by approximately 13 percent, reflecting, we believe, a recognition
that not only has SBE's funding stagnated vis-a-vis other directorates,
but more importantly that SBE related research offers significant
contributions to scientific progress. We continue to support the
Committee's longstanding practice of not stipulating specific funding
levels for individual NSF directorates; however, it is helpful to
understand the Administration's views on research priorities, and in
this instance we concur.
We are also aware of the growing consensus within Congress and the
Administration around the concept of establishing a new directorate
within NSF that would support translational research, emerging
technologies and public-private partnerships. We hope that the
Committee will ensure that a new directorate will be funded through an
expansion of NSF's footprint and budget-and not through siphoning
resources from other research directorates. We note that the budget
request includes a reprogramming of funds from existing NSF initiatives
that would be transferred to the new directorate, but also requests new
spending for the majority of the new directorate's budget.
We urge Congress to accelerate the growth of NSF's budget by
providing NSF with at least $10 billion in fiscal year 2022. The
funding level will enable the NSF SBE Directorate to continue its
support of social science surveys and a robust portfolio of population
research projects. The NSF also continues to focus on interdisciplinary
research initiatives, recognizing that social and behavioral science
contributes to many critical areas of research. For example, the Mid-
scale Infrastructure program is currently funding broad-scale, sensor-
based data collection projects that represent collaborations among
population scientists and computer scientists. Increased funding in
fiscal year 2022 will allow NSF to continue funding the most promising
grant applications and reduce the number of high caliber proposals that
are rejected solely for lack of sufficient funds.
Thank you for considering our requests and for supporting Federal
programs that benefit the population sciences under the subcommittee's
jurisdiction.
[This statement was submitted by Mary Jo Hoeksema, Director,
Government and Public Affairs.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Regional Information Sharing Systems
Information sharing and officer and citizen safety are top
priorities of law enforcement leaders. For more than 47 years, law
enforcement officers and criminal justice professionals have turned to
and grown to rely on a nationally recognized and respected program
known as the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS). RISS is a
proven resource for law enforcement. It is difficult to place a dollar
amount on RISS's return on investment because it not only helps law
enforcement detect, deter, and resolve criminal investigations, RISS
helps keep officers and citizens safe, while ensuring that privacy and
civil liberties are protected. RISS is a leader in secure information
sharing and investigative case support and has enabled an unprecedented
level of collaboration among all levels of law enforcement. Our Nation
and communities face threats every day--from national security to the
opioid and methamphetamine epidemic, from violence against women and
sex trafficking to property and financial crimes, and from cybercrime
to identity theft. RISS offers quality and evidence-based support to
law enforcement agencies and communities; often agencies cannot obtain
these services and resources anywhere else. It is critical that RISS be
sustained and expanded. It is respectfully requested that RISS be
funded in fiscal year 2022 at $48 million.
RISS is composed of six regional centers and the RISS Technology
Support Center (RTSC). RISS is locally managed by policy board members
consisting of police chiefs, sheriffs, commissioners, and other law
enforcement leaders in each RISS Center's multistate region. An
Executive Director operates each RISS Center. The RTSC is RISS's
nationwide technology operation and maintains, operates, and enhances
RISS's secure infrastructure and applications. The RISS Centers work
regionally and nationwide to respond to each region's unique crime
problems while working together on a nationwide basis to strengthen and
advance criminal justice priorities. RISS is a trusted, secure, and
cost-effective program law enforcement agencies and officers utilize
to:
--Share critical law enforcement and intelligence data across
jurisdictions.
--Access case and analytical services that help solve crimes and
prosecute offenders.
--Prevent friendly fire and safeguard the men and women protecting
our streets.
--Preserve the integrity of operations and protect citizens and
communities.
--Equip officers and criminal justice professionals with training,
technical assistance, and research.
RISS receives hundreds of shared success stories from officers
showcasing how RISS services and resources help law enforcement efforts
in the field. To read example successes from each State, visit
www.riss.net/Impact.
Investigative Case Support: RISS provides investigative and
analytical services, training, publications development, and
investigative research, including the following:
--Analytical services, such as cell tower mapping, link charts, 2D
and 3D crime scene diagrams, telephone-toll analysis, financial
analysis, digital forensics, and audio/video enhancements.
--Intelligence and investigative research, which helps identify
suspect addresses, monikers, criminal associates, and other
investigative information.
--Specialized equipment, such as cameras, recorders, and other
devices.
--Technical support through RISS's field services staff and field-
based solutions.
--Training opportunities on topics such as investigative techniques
and emerging crime. Examples include Advanced Search Technique:
Hidden Compartment; Courtroom Testimony; Financial Crimes
Against Seniors; Basic Crash Investigations; Narcotics and
Counterfeit Goods; Death Investigations; and Unemployment
Fraud.
--Law enforcement briefings and publications, such as Global
Pandemic-Implications on the Drug Trade and the Drug
Concealment Report: Traffickers' Unusual Places.
RISS has set and achieved evidence-based goals since its inception.
Below are some highlights of RISS's fiscal year 2020 results and
productivity.
--Developed 20,924 analytical products.
--Loaned 2,752 pieces of specialized equipment.
--Responded to 47,363 requests for research and technical assistance.
--Sponsored or cosponsored 749 training opportunities and helped
train 33,119 individuals.
--Provided access to more than 60.9 million investigative records to
authorized personnel.
--Enabled users to conduct more than 4.5 million inquiries to RISS
resources.
Secure Information and Intelligence Sharing: RISS integrates
advanced technology and field-based solutions that connect systems and
officers across jurisdictions.
The RISS Secure Cloud (RISSNET) provides a system of systems
concept, connecting networks and databases, providing bidirectional
information sharing, and offering a single search of connected systems.
RISSNET provides access to hundreds of resources and millions of
records. Many of these systems are owned and operated by RISS partners,
who use RISSNET to securely share information with a broader and vetted
law enforcement community. RISS has also developed and maintains
resources accessible via RISSNET, such as the:
--RISS Criminal Intelligence Database (RISSIntel).--Provides for a
real-time, online federated search of connected systems;
adheres to 28 Code of Federal Regulations Part 23.
--RISSLeads Investigative Website.--Facilitates multijurisdictional
information sharing.
--Law Enforcement Secure Hosted Websites.--Provide partners a
solution to securely share information and materials with
specific groups or partners.
--RISS Property and Recovery Tracking System (RISSProp).--Houses
pawn, secondhand, and other shop transactions to enable
officers to identify and return stolen property and identify
other related criminal activities.
--RISS Master Telephone Index (MTI).--Compares and matches telephone
numbers in law enforcement investigations.
--RISS Money Counter Network (MCN).--Stores currency serial numbers
compared to currency submitted by officers in previous cases.
--Drug Pricing Reference Guide.--Enables officers to search for
comparable prices on narcotics; serves as a price guide when
assessing the value of seizures and contraband; and identifies
supply, demand, and popularity trends within the drug market.
Below are examples of RISS technology-related accomplishments
during fiscal year 2020.
--Designed, developed, and began deploying the next generation of
RISSIntel. The new RISSIntel is housed in the secure government
cloud, provides advanced features and functionality, and
contains a new infrastructure and user interface.
--Connected intelligence systems to RISSIntel and enabled
bidirectional sharing of information among more than 75 RISS
and partner intelligence databases.
--Migrated RISSNET resources to a cloud environment and further
enhanced security.
--Advanced the use of RISSProp to support organized retail crime
investigations and launched application enhancements. RISSProp
has helped recover more than $8 million in property since its
inception.
--Leveraged RISSafe Watch Centers to support nationwide threat-to-
life tips and leads.
--Enhanced and expanded the use of the RISS MTI and the RISS MCN.
RISS streamlines processes, increases information sharing and
officer access to critical data, enhances officer and community safety,
and advances important technology solutions.
Deconfliction: RISS provides officer safety event deconfliction.
Event deconfliction helps support and protect law enforcement
officers in a variety of ways. Officers partaking in high-risk
operations enhance their personal safety and the safety of those around
them, and they identify operational conflicts and collaborate with
other law enforcement agencies and officers. It also safeguards
community members, helps ensure operational integrity, strengthens
information sharing, helps reduce risk and liability, and builds
community confidence. Officers can leverage each other's information
and successfully apprehend criminals. Event deconfliction helps prevent
``friendly fire'' and helps solve investigations.
The RISS Officer Safety Event Deconfliction System (RISSafe)
supports law enforcement personnel who are conducting an event near one
another at the same time. When certain elements are matched between two
or more events, a conflict results. Immediate notification is then made
to the affected agencies or personnel regarding the identified
conflict. Since RISSafe's inception, more than 2.2 million operations
have been entered into RISSafe, resulting in more than 506,000
identified conflicts. Without identifying these conflicts, officers may
have interfered with another agency's or officer's investigation, links
between cases may have been lost, or officers or citizens may have been
unintentionally hurt or killed. RISSafe is accessible on a 24/7/365
basis and is available at no cost to all law enforcement agencies.
Currently, 29 RISSafe Watch Centers are operational, 23 of which are
operated by organizations other than RISS.
Partnerships and Collaboration: At the heart of police work is
collaboration. RISS helps connect agencies and officers at every level
and constantly seeks and strengthens partnerships with criminal justice
associations, professional groups, and Federal partners. Example
partnerships include the following:
--Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
--FBI's Law Enforcement National Data Exchange (N-DEx)
--High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas
--National Fusion Center Association
--National Motor Vehicle Title Information System
--Nlets-The International Justice and Public Safety Network
--Office of the Director of National Intelligence
--U.S. Attorneys' Offices
--U.S. Department of Homeland Security
--U.S. Department of Justice
RISS Funding Increase in Fiscal Year 2022: RISS helps save agencies
money and time and produces results. With increased funding, RISS can
continue to provide its current programs while maximizing and expanding
its secure infrastructure, proven services, and trusted partnerships.
With increased funding at $48 million, RISS will support the following:
--Expand the new RISSIntel to law enforcement agencies and connect
additional systems.
--Expand access to RISSafe, including agencies and users in rural and
Tribal communities.
--Expand RISSafe's 24/7/365 coverage and establish additional RISSafe
Watch Centers.
--Enhance the RISS Officer Safety Website and develop training
videos, publications, and other materials.
--Increase support for the WSIN RISS Center's threat-to-life endeavor
and facilitate fusion center involvement.
--Expand RISSProp to other regions and agencies and expand the RISS
MCN by connecting additional money counter machines.
--Replace or obtain new equipment, including protective gear for law
enforcement personnel.
--Expand the ability for small and rural agencies to access
sophisticated, up-to-date investigative tools and equipment.
--Leverage Federal and nationwide partnerships to expand information
sharing capabilities and available resources to officers and
law enforcement personnel.
--Expand the MAGLOCLEN RISS Center's school safety action response
plans initiative.
--Build on RISS's investigative support services and resources to
further aid law enforcement efforts to combat the opioid,
methamphetamine, and heroin crisis.
The year 2020 was challenging for everyone. As our Nation's
leaders, you have many critical topics to address and resolve moving
ahead. Your leadership and support are valued and appreciated. Your job
is hard. Our men and women in uniform also face challenges every day. A
program like RISS helps them by providing resources, training, and
information. RISS helps keep them safe. Our nation should continue to
invest in and support the RISS Program.
It would be counterproductive to require local and State RISS
members to self-fund match requirements or reduce the Bureau of Justice
Assistance discretionary funding. RISS cannot make up the decrease in
funding that a match would cause, for it has no revenue source of its
own. RISS is grateful for the opportunity to provide this testimony at
your request and appreciates your ongoing support. For additional
information, visit www.riss.net.
[This statement was submitted by Donna Williams, Chair, RISS
National Policy Group.]
______
Prepared Statement of Research!America
fiscal year 2022 appropriations for the national science foundation
Research!America appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony
for the record. We are the Nation's largest nonprofit alliance
advocating for science, discovery, and innovation to achieve better
health for all. We greatly appreciate the subcommittee's dedicated
stewardship over funding for such critical priorities as the National
Science Foundation (NSF). As you consider fiscal year 2022 allocations,
we request that NSF receive at least $10.2 billion, an increase of 20
percent, in fiscal year 2022 to create jobs, support sustained economic
growth, and bolster the wellbeing of Americans and people around the
globe.
An increase of that amount aligns with the President's fiscal year
2022 request for NSF. We agree that bolstering our science and
technology (S&T) capability is essential to fueling innovation and
discovery that can improve the Americans' lives and lift our knowledge
to new heights.
In that context, we are grateful to both parties in both chambers
of Congress for pursuing legislation to greatly enhance our S&T
strength and competitiveness. The NSF for the Future Act and U.S.
Innovation and Competition Act are indicative of a forward-thinking
approach to tackling threats--existing, emergent, and unknown--to
Americans and individuals across the globe.
NSF's portfolio is intentionally diverse because science investment
can yield unknown discoveries, spanning biology, economics,
engineering, mathematics, computational science, data analytics, the
social and behavioral sciences, and other high impact disciplines. We
strongly believe that robust funding for NSF is a sound strategy for
advancing the United States' strategic interests in an ever-more
complex international landscape, preempting and overcoming threats to
our Nation and world, and for meeting the aspirations of the American
people.
What the NSF Provides
The NSF is a key driver for our Nation's S&T leadership, supporting
strategically important research at more than 1,900 academic
institutions in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and three U.S.
territories. An estimated 313,000 students, teachers, researchers, and
postdoctoral fellows were empowered by the NSF in fiscal year 2020.
Approximately 95 percent of NSF funding is allocated to grants or
cooperative agreements to researchers through a competitive merit
review process. Since 1950, NSF has supported more than 248 Nobel Prize
winners, including seven Nobel Laureates in 2020. The research
supported by NSF bears on virtually every sector of our economy,
supports cyber--and other crucial areas of national security, and
factor importantly into the productive use of big data and other highly
promising avenues of S&T.
NSF's COVID Response
The NSF has been a key part of our National response to COVID-19.
In March 2020, as the pandemic bore down on our Nation, NSF issued a
call for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) proposals to address this new
health threat. By April 10, 2020, more than 60 RAPID projects around
the country were funded, supporting research related to the pandemic.
For example, NSF-funded researchers modeled the spread of the virus and
worked to understand transmission and prevention. Decades of NSF
research investment was utilized in the response to the virus,
including NSF-backed 3D printing technology for the production of PPE
and computer software creating simulations to provide insight into the
molecular structure of the virus.
NSF investments are also helping us prepare for future public
health threats. Research in artificial intelligence and big data have
the potential to identify disease threats before they spread. Other
NSF-backed initiatives, like the Civic Innovation Challenge,
demonstrate how partnership between government and technology can equip
communities to manage emergencies.
NSF Leverages American Ingenuity to Break New Ground in Science and
Technology
NSF supports the type of high-risk research that drives progress
and has resulted in recent groundbreaking discoveries. Researchers
funded by NSF have made key breakthroughs in their 20-year quest to
create quantum internet with a new process by which information stored
at the atomic level can be received and read. Quantum internet can be
used to send ``un-hackable'' messages and will improve GPS, both of
which are key to national security. Though this is a long-term project,
the invaluable applications are unquestionably worth the time and
investment.
NSF funding also made possible a smartphone app which can identify
signs of eye disease in children. Using smartphone photos, the program
identifies a telltale ``white sheen'' which can indicate
retinoblastoma, as well as cataracts or an infection. Research like
this forms the basis for future apps which help with early detection
and diagnosis of disease.
NSF-funded research also continues to propel progress through
collaboration across multiple fields. Through NSF's continued support,
scientists work together to produce cutting-edge research that pushes
the fields of medicine, engineering, and biology forward. In 2019,
interdisciplinary collaboration between multiple countries and more
than 300 researchers allowed the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) to
capture the first image of a black hole. This discovery increased
confidence in the fundamental laws of physics while creating a
technological basis for future breakthroughs. Projects like this drive
innovation and create, as a by-product, advances in technology and
information exchange, which in turn, are used for other research.
Americans Understand the Value NSF Delivers
Since 1992, Research!America has commissioned national and State-
level surveys to assess public sentiment on issues related to research
and innovation. Our surveys have explored Americans' perspectives on
the role of NSF-funded S&T in advancing key national priorities. One of
the most consistent findings over time has been Americans' support for
basic research. In our most recent survey, fielded in January 2021, 85
percent of respondents agreed that ``even if it brings no immediate
benefits, basic scientific research that advances the frontiers of
knowledge is necessary and should be supported by the Federal
Government.''
NSF is Essential to Training the Next Generation of American Scientists
and Innovators
The U.S.'s global leadership is directly tied to our strength in
the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
NSF cultivates future American leaders in these strategically important
disciplines. Since 1952, NSF has supported more than 61,700 students
through Graduate Research Fellowships and has provided grant support to
thousands of postdoctoral fellows and young investigators.
The agency has also engaged in unique public-private partnerships,
including the High Performance Computing (HPC) Consortium, a
partnership between IBM, the White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the NSF. This
partnership gave researchers studying the COVID-19 virus access to
powerful computational platforms which allowed for major breakthroughs
in modeling COVID-19 transmission and the atomic structure of the
virus. Efforts like this set the stage for future success as our Nation
seeks to accelerate the pace of medical and scientific progress.
Research!America appreciates the complicated and complex task
facing the subcommittee as it seeks to prioritize funding in a manner
that best serves the American people. We urge you to provide at least
$10.2 billion, an increase of 20 percent, for NSF in FY22. We hope you
will call on our organization if additional information would prove
useful.
Thank you for your continued leadership and consideration.
[This statement was submitted by Mary Woolley, President and CEO.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Sac and Fox Nation
fiscal year 2022 budget for the office of justice programs, department
of justice
Chairwoman Shaheen and distinguished Members of this subcommittee,
on behalf of the Great Sac and Fox Nation, I submit testimony of our
Tribal priority requests for funding programs in the fiscal year 2022
budget for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) in the Department of
Justice (DOJ). The Sac and Fox Nation is the home of Jim Thorpe, one of
the most versatile athletes of modern sports who earned Olympic gold
medals for the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon. The Nation would like to
thank Congress for providing relief that is allowing Tribes to begin
the recovery process from the pandemic that will remain as prominent in
the minds of the world as the name Jim Thorpe.
The Sac and Fox Nation would like to advance the following
Department of Justice budget requests for fiscal year 2022:
1. Fully Fund the Tribal Law and Order Act
2. Fully Fund All Tribal Provisions of the Violence Against Women
Act
3. Tribal Grants--Utilize DOJ Appropriations as Base Funding with
Tribes Setting Their Own Priorities
4. 10 percent Tribal Set-Aside from All Discretionary Office of
Justice Programs
5. Approve a Streamlined Funding Mechanism for the Coordinated
Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS)
The Sac and Fox Nation also supports the appropriation requests of
the National Congress of American Indians.
About the Sac and Fox Nation
The Sac and Fox Nation is a Self-Governance Tribe headquartered in
Stroud, Oklahoma. Our Tribal jurisdictional area covers all or parts of
Lincoln, Payne, and Pottawatomie counties. Of the over 4,000 enrolled
Tribal members, 2,600 live in Oklahoma. Our culture is based upon
respect for the life within ourselves, our families, our communities,
and all of creation. The Sac and Fox way of life is spiritually based.
The Creator gave this way of life to the Sac and Fox people and we seek
the guidance of the Creator in how to live. The oldest continuing
religious practices are ceremonies like clan feasts, namings,
adoptions, and burials. More recent religious practices include the
Drum Dance, the Native American Church and Christianity.
Fully Fund Tribal Law and Order Act as Authorized
The Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) has three basic purposes:
1. Make Federal departments and agencies more accountable for
serving Native peoples and land;
2. Provide greater freedom for Indian Tribes and Nations to design
and run their own justice systems; and,
3. Enhance cooperation among Tribal, Federal, and State officials
in key areas such as law enforcement, training, interoperability, and
access to criminal justice information.
The Sac and Fox Nation operates a Juvenile Detention Center which
provides services to 46 Tribes in Oklahoma, Kanas and Texas, as well as
the State of Oklahoma. We are anxious to advance the opportunities that
TLOA can offer to further expand and increase access to our facility.
However, unless TLOA is fully funded, facilities such as ours will not
be able to attain the full potential and help to guide children in the
system towards a successful future.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has consistently reported about
the chronic underfunding and the breakdown in the trust and treaty
obligations of the United States to Tribes. In both the Quiet Crisis
and Broken Promises reports, it was noted that ``Native Americans as a
group suffer from one of the Nation's highest rates of crime
victimization. At the same time, the criminal justice system in Indian
Country faces structural barriers and struggles to fully recognize
Tribal sovereignty. The additional failure to provide sufficient
Federal funding undermines the ability of Tribal governments to provide
criminal justice and public safety for their citizens.'' \1\ The full
potential of TLOA cannot be realized or implemented without sufficient
resources for Tribal justice systems and ongoing coordination and
consultation between Tribal governments and appropriate Federal
agencies. While Sac and Fox is optimistic that President Biden's
Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation
Relationships has benefitted those working in the Federal Government,
we need Congress and staff to better understand how dire Tribal
communities need resources to improve our quality of life and protect
our people, land, and traditions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A Quiet Crisis: Federal Funding and Unmet needs in Indian
Country, July 2003, and Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding
Shortfall for Native Americans, December 2018 by U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While DOJ recognized the importance of completing the circle when
it issued the ``Proposed Statement of Principles'' \2\, in which it is
referenced that stable funding at sufficient levels for essential
Tribal justice functions is critical to the long-term growth of Tribal
institutions. Yet, more than 10 years after passage of TLOA, provisions
of the act remain under funded.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Guidelines Stating principles for Working with Federally
Recognized Indian Tribes, Eric Holder, The Attorney General, U.S.
Department of Justice, December 3, 2014
Office of Violence Against Women.--Fully fund the programs
authorized in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), including the $5
million authorized for Tribal implementation of VAWA special domestic
violence criminal jurisdiction and continue to fund the Indian Country
Sexual Assault Clearinghouse at $500,000.
Thank you for helping us to protect our mothers, daughters, sisters
and wives from jurisdictional gaps or safe havens for criminals to
include Indian Women in the 2013 reauthorization of VAWA. But without
funding to implement the law, this is an idle victory. We urge you to
fully fund all of the Tribal provisions of VAWA and offer survivors of
these crimes protection and access to much-needed services.
It is estimated that over 85 percent of American Indians and Alaska
Natives will experience intimate partner violence, stalking, or sexual
violence in their lifetime. This violence threatens the lives of Native
women and children and the future of American Indian Tribes and Alaska
Native villages. The Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) provides
funding to Tribal governments to address violence against women in
their communities. OVW's largest source of funding for Tribal
governments is the Grants to Tribal Governments Program, which is
funded via statutory allocations from other OVW programs. Full funding
for these OVW programs results in full funding for the Grants to Tribal
Governments Program.
Tribal Grants.--Eliminate the competitive grant funding process and
utilize Justice Department appropriations as base funding where Tribes
and Tribal Courts themselves determine their own priorities.
One of the biggest issues with DOJ funding is that it is
competitive. In order to obtain essential funding Tribes must compete
against each other based on DOJ's priorities and guidelines rather than
Tribes identifying their own priorities to best serve their citizens at
the local level.
Tribes have advocated to dispel grant funding for desperately
needed services at the local level. Instead, the approach should be to
utilize DOJ appropriations as base funding so that Tribes can develop
sustainable programs for the benefit of their citizens. Grants offer
one-time funding streams with no assurances of future funding to build
staff capacity and generally does not allow Tribes enough time to
design and implement effective programs without having to engage in the
next cycle to compete for funds. It appears that DOJ understands this
concept inasmuch as it has previously proposed the idea of base funding
in the form of a block grant during an earlier Tribal consultation on
the OVW funding. We propose that DOJ not merely propose this for OVW
but consider this for all Tribal appropriations in the Department so
that Tribes can determine their own priorities.
Tribal Set-Aside (Ten Percent).--Create a 10 percent Tribal set
aside from funding for all discretionary OJP programs and ensure that
those funds are allocated as flexible base funding. A 10 percent set
Tribal set aside would streamline the Federal funding process by which
Tribes receive resources to establish Tribal courts; assist in
developing detention facilities; provide legal assistance; develop and
maintain juvenile delinquency prevention programs; and provide
substance abuse prevention programs. In addition, the set-aside funding
would give Tribes the flexibility to develop a comprehensive strategy
on how best to spend these resources to meet needs at the local level.
Congress and the Administration should enact an amendment to the
Budget Control Act of 2011 to fully exempt Indian program funding from
future sequestrations to honor the Federal trust responsibility and the
chronic and severe underfunding of all Tribal programs.
The Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS).--CTAS
attempts to streamline the grant application process for Tribes and
Tribal Consortia to enable them to submit a single grant application
for most of the Tribal grant programs in DOJ, as opposed to previous
years in which Tribes were required to submit multiple grant
applications. However, consideration was not given to the capacity of
Tribes to prepare this large application model, which, for many Tribal
communities, remains a struggle to apply for these multiple grant
awards with separate reporting requirements, award periods, and grant
managers. CTAS will not achieve its intended purpose of streamlining
Tribal grants until it is accompanied by a streamlined funding
mechanism.
Thank you for allowing the Sac and Fox Nation to submit our funding
priorities and comments on the Office of Justice Programs and the
overall Department of Justice funding for Tribes.
[This statement was submitted by the Honorable Justin F. Wood,
Principal Chief.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Sea Grant Association
The Sea Grant Association (SGA) recommends Congress appropriate at
least $107.9 million in fiscal year 2022 for the National Sea Grant
College Program (Sea Grant) and at least $15 million for Sea Grant
Aquaculture. The SGA recommendation of $107.9 million for Sea Grant
includes a minimum of $25 million to expand Sea Grant's capacity to
address coastal resilience issues.
Sea Grant is funded out of appropriations provided to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research (OAR) in the Operations, Research, and Facilities
account. The SGA is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering
the Sea Grant's vision, mission, and goals. SGA's regular members are
the academic institutions that participate in the National Sea Grant
College Program. The SGA advocates for greater understanding, use, and
conservation of marine, coastal and Great Lakes resources.
On December 18, 2020, the President signed into law the National
Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2020, Public Law 116-221.
This legislation reauthorized Sea Grant through fiscal year 2025. The
legislation reiterated Sea Grant's core activities of supporting
research, education, extension, and outreach. The legislation also
called out support for several specific activities including efforts to
strengthen coastal economic, environmental, and community resilience,
and to conduct research and extension to further sustainable
aquaculture. This testimony is submitted to the subcommittee to request
the resources necessary for Sea Grant to meet the programmatic
objectives and priorities called out in Public Law 116-221.
justification for the fiscal year 2022 sea grant association's request
for sea grant
Over 126 million residents--40 percent of the population of the
United States--live in coastal counties. These counties employ 56
million people, resulting in $3.4 trillion in wages annually, and
produce more than $8.3 trillion in goods and services that support
coastal and non-coastal communities. Weather- and climate-related
hazards impacting these communities have increased at an alarming rate.
The total cost of all U.S. billion-dollar disasters over just the last
5 years (2015-2019) exceeds $525 billion. Weather and climate risks are
deeply connected to threats to critical infrastructure, water and food
supplies, social instability, unemployment, and governance challenges.
Most recently, we are seeing these types of interdependencies play out
as the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant economic crisis have clearly
exacerbated impacts to coastal communities, particularly under
resourced communities and communities of color. Sea Grant, with its
partners and through the expansion of its resilience portfolio, will
apply the knowledge gained via research to help communities of color,
(including Native American and Indigenous communities), and low-income
communities reduce or eliminate the barriers to the implementation of
adaptation, mitigation, and resilience strategies.
Increasing physical and economic damages, social inequities, and
personal despair have tested our level of preparedness to deal with and
respond to major weather and climate threats. Hurricanes, typhoons and
tsunamis are compounded by other challenges including coastal
inundation (due to rising sea levels and land subsidence), increasing
storm intensity, aging infrastructure, uneven enforcement of building
codes, lack of adequate zoning ordinances, poor planning and
construction, continued development in high-risk areas, and the
inexperience of coastal dwellers to prepare for and recover from these
events. The frequency of ``sunny day'' flooding alone has doubled since
2000 in the United States. Exacerbated by sea level rise, these events
overwhelm sewage treatment plants and public utilities, disrupt
transportation corridors, reduce property values of homes and
businesses, and threaten public health. In addition, many regions may
be at increased risk of anthropogenic disasters such as oil or chemical
spills, which could occur alone or be exacerbated by other hazardous
events. Communities of color and low-income communities are often on
the frontline of these threats, experiencing the first and worst
impacts of changes in climate and weather patterns. Only through
knowledge, understanding, preparation and partnerships will communities
be able to address the hazards that are uniquely concentrated in
coastal counties.
The resilience of our communities--the very safety, security and
survival of their residents--depends on how well prepared they are for
these threats and for recovery following an event. Community-level
preparedness includes a number of considerations, from how individuals
prepare to where and how critical infrastructure and buildings are
constructed. Resilient communities have residents, businesses and
infrastructure that are positioned to reduce the impacts of risks to
lives and property. This allows people to return to their homes and
businesses, and recover more quickly after an event than in communities
that are not as prepared. Resilient communities also have thriving
living shorelines and coastal resources such as mangroves, oyster
reefs, barrier dunes, salt marshes, and other natural infrastructure
that buffer waves and coastal storms and protect the shoreline from
erosion during storms.
Sea Grant is a network of research, education and outreach
professionals who work in partnership with universities, communities,
and stakeholders. Sea Grant's vision is to enhance the use and
conservation of coastal, marine and Great Lakes resources to create a
sustainable economy and environment. Sea Grant helps coastal and Great
Lakes communities become more resilient through its activities that
strengthen the ability of communities to effectively prepare and plan
for environmental and economic challenges. Sea Grant has a proven track
record of doing this at local, State, regional and national levels in
partnership with its stakeholders and like-minded entities. With
increased capacity, Sea Grant will help our coastal and Great Lakes
communities become more resilient. Expanding Sea Grant's resilience
portfolio will protect lives, sustain critical infrastructure, protect
and restore critical natural resources, enhance economic opportunity
and recovery from the COVID pandemic, and support more rapid economic
recovery after events. Sea Grant is recognized for its ability to
develop locally relevant solutions to build coastal community
resilience. Sea Grant's strength lies in its ability to work
effectively at the local government and community level with tailored
information, guidance and support.
To address coastal resilience issues more adequately, the Sea Grant
Association recommends an increase in base funding for Sea Grant of at
least $25 million. This investment would focus on two major areas:
--Capacity building ($10M) to support recruitment of additional
resilience extension, communication or education staff in each
State Sea Grant program and support a national coordinator and;
--Research, engagement, decision support, implementation ($15M)
proposed to be directly allocated to each State Sea Grant
program to support local State-based research, training,
technical assistance and coordination that enhance community
resilience.
quantifying sea grant's contribution to coastal communities
Within Sea Grant, 20 national office staff, 34 university-based
State programs, 646 extension staff and educators, 488 researchers, and
at least 2,700 partners are funded and leveraged to cooperatively reach
the program's goals. Sea Grant's mission is to address the needs of
America's coastal and Great Lakes communities using the best available
science, beginning with an understanding of the needs of diverse
stakeholders. Since its inception Sea Grant has been at the forefront
of actionable science addressing priorities of national, State, and
local importance. Sea Grant has coordinated efforts to solve problems
locally and regionally, emphasizing partnerships, meeting stakeholder
needs, and using feedback from end-users to inform research, with a
$412.4 million economic benefit from an $80 million Federal investment
in 2019. In addition, in 2019, Sea Grant created or supported 10,400
jobs; created or sustained 998 businesses; provided the 34 State-level
programs with funding that assisted 263 communities improve their
resilience; helped nearly 13,000 people adopt safe and sustainable
fishing practices; helped restore or protect an estimated 1.8 million
acres of habitat; worked with over 1000 industry and private sector,
local, State and regional partners; and supported the education and
training of nearly 2000 undergraduate and graduate students.
Sea Grant's locally based staff and specialists collaborated with
governments, academia, industries, non-profit groups, and individuals
to ensure thriving coastal and Great Lakes communities. Just as it has
done in response to hurricanes, oil spills, and other environmental and
economic challenges, Sea Grant in 2020 learned how to draw from past
experiences to use its strengths to support its constituents during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Sea Grant's credibility in scientific and disaster
communications was an advantage to coastal and Great Lakes communities
around the Nation by providing online resources to enhance at-home STEM
education, assisting the seafood industry and other coastal businesses
in their direct marketing of their products, navigating the
complexities of Federal and State assistance programs, and working
quickly to find innovative ways to connect with and support their
stakeholders.
Sea Grant sends 95 percent of its appropriated funds to coastal
States through a competitive process to address issues that are
identified as critical by public and private sector constituents and
coastal communities throughout the United States. Sea Grant fosters
cost-effective partnerships among State universities, State and local
governments, NOAA, and coastal communities, businesses, and relevant
non-governmental organizations. Funding for Sea Grant results in
support for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, resilient
communities and economies, healthy coastal ecosystems, environmental
literacy, the Sea Grant Knauss Fellows and other fellowship programs,
and workforce development. In its 50 plus-year history, Sea Grant's
successes can be attributed to its ability to respond to the changing
needs of our coastal communities.
Local, State, regional, and national partnerships are critical to
addressing issues central to the survival of our coastal communities,
economies, and ecosystems. Coastal and Great Lakes communities need to
be informed, engaged, and prepared to respond to these threats and to
turn these adversities into opportunities. This is precisely what Sea
Grant does.
Sea Grant has been an integral player in creating economic
opportunities, enhancing food and water security, and reducing risks
from natural hazards and extreme events facing coastal communities
through research and outreach efforts. Sea Grant is user-driven and
university-based, and fully engaged with regional, State, and local
organizations.
With the funding recommendations contained in this statement, Sea
Grant will leverage significant State and local support, continue to
increase the economic development and resiliency of coastal
communities--particularly coastal communities of color, and help
sustain the health and productivity of the ecosystems on which our
communities depend.
Thank you for the opportunity to present this testimony.
[This statement was submitted by Dr. Susan White, President.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Society for Industrial and Applied
Mathematics (SIAM)
fiscal year 2022 for the national science foundation
Summary: This written testimony is submitted on behalf of the
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) to ask you to
continue your support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in
fiscal year 2022 by providing NSF with at least $10 billion. In
particular, we urge you to provide strong support for the Research and
Related Activities Account (R&RA) that supports key applied mathematics
and computational science programs in the Division of Mathematical
Sciences and the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. SIAM also
requests your support for the Education and Human Resources (EHR)
directorate that addresses fundamental challenges in mathematics and
STEM education.
Full Statement: On behalf of SIAM, we submit this written testimony
for the record to the subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the U.S. Senate.
SIAM has over 14,000 members, including applied and computational
mathematicians, computer scientists, numerical analysts, engineers,
statisticians, and mathematics educators. They work in industrial and
service organizations, universities, colleges, and government agencies
and laboratories all over the world. In addition, SIAM has almost 500
institutional members, including colleges, universities, corporations,
and research organizations. SIAM members come from many different
disciplines but have a common interest in applying mathematics in
partnership with computational science to solve real-world problems,
which affect national security and industrial competitiveness.
First, we would like to emphasize how much SIAM appreciates your
Committee's continued leadership on and recognition of the critical
role of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its support for
mathematics, science, and engineering in enabling a strong U.S.
economy, workforce, and society.
Today, we submit this testimony to ask you to continue your support
of NSF in fiscal year 2022 and beyond. In particular, we join with the
research and higher education community and request that you provide
NSF with at least $10 billion in funding for fiscal year 2022. This is
consistent with the President's budget request for fiscal year 2022
that calls for $10.2 billion. After years of inadequate funding, NSF
needs bold growth to protect U.S. competitiveness as countries such as
China are rapidly increasing their science and engineering investments.
According to the National Science Board, in fiscal year 2017, NSF
rejected close to four billion dollars of proposals rated ``very good
or higher'' due to budget constraints. Funding of $10 billion would
help the agency address critical unmet national research needs, reverse
historical underinvestment, and allow new activities related to
translation, innovation, and partnerships that will enable expanded
approaches to critical technologies and science and engineering
solutions.
As we are reminded every day, the Nation's health, economic
strength, national security, and welfare are being challenged in
profound and unprecedented ways. Many of these challenges are fueled by
gaps in our understanding of complex systems such as biologic
processes, the energy grid, cyberspace, terrorist networks, or the
human brain. Mathematics and computational science play a foundational
and cross-cutting role in understanding these systems through advanced
modeling and simulation, developing techniques essential to designing
new breakthrough technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), and
providing new tools for managing resources and logistics. Progress in
computational sciences and applied mathematics also underpins advances
across an array of fields and challenges in computing, materials,
biology, engineering, and other areas.
national science foundation
NSF serves a unique and critical function supporting all areas of
science and engineering to further innovation and seed the knowledge
and technologies for a strong future America. NSF provides essential
Federal support for applied mathematics and computational science,
including more than 60 percent of all Federal support for basic
academic research in the mathematical sciences. Of particular
importance to SIAM, NSF funding supports the development of new
mathematical models and computational algorithms, which are critical to
making substantial advances in such fields as neuroscience, energy
technologies, genomics, and nanotechnology. In addition, new techniques
developed in mathematics and computing research often have direct
application in industry. Modern life as we know it--from search engines
like Google to the design of modern aircraft, from financial markets to
medical imaging--would not be possible without the techniques developed
by mathematicians and computational scientists using NSF funding. NSF
also supports mathematics education at all levels, ensuring that the
next generation of the U.S. workforce is appropriately trained to
participate in cutting-edge technological sectors and that students are
attracted to careers in mathematics and computing.
SIAM applauds NSF's investments in Industries of the Future areas
with programs such as the AI Institutes, Institutes for Data-Intensive
Research in Science and Engineering, Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes,
TRIPODS \1\ Institutes, and the NSF-Simons Research Centers for
Mathematics of Complex Biological Systems. Furthermore, SIAM supports
the new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP)
included in the President's budget request for NSF. SIAM applauds the
aims of the new proposed Directorate to advance science and engineering
research and innovation, accelerate the translation of basic research,
solve national and societal problems, and support education pathways.
While investment in emerging areas like AI is important, SIAM urges
Congress to provide sufficient NSF support for core programs, such as
those funded by the Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) and the
Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC), which have stagnated in
recent years and whose foundational investments underpin advances
across many science and engineering challenges.
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\1\ Transdisciplinary Research on Principles of Data Science
SIAM urges strong investment in the Research and Related Activities
account (R&RA) to enable robust funding for the Division of
Mathematical Sciences (DMS), the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure
(OAC), and other core programs and crosscutting initiatives for
essential mathematical and computational science research, workforce
development programs, and early career researcher support.
nsf division of mathematical sciences
The NSF Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) in the Directorate
for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) provides core support for
all mathematical sciences. DMS also funds national mathematical science
research institutes; infrastructure, including workshops, conferences,
and equipment; and postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate training.
The activities supported by DMS and performed by SIAM members, such
as modeling, analysis, algorithms, and simulation, underpin
advancements across science and engineering and provide new ways of
obtaining insight into the nature of complex phenomena, such as the
power grid, software for military applications, and the human body.
Investment in DMS is critical because of the foundational and
cross-cutting role that mathematics and computational science play in
sustaining the Nation's economic competitiveness and national security,
and in making substantial advances on societal challenges such as
energy and public health. NSF, with its support of a broad range of
scientific areas, plays an important role in bringing U.S. expertise
together in interdisciplinary initiatives that bear on these
challenges. Agencies such as the Department of Defense and National
Institutes of Health depend on the NSF-supported applied math and
computational sciences ecosystem to fulfill their missions as they
build on NSF-funded modeling, algorithm, and simulation breakthroughs
and leverage the workforce trained using NSF support. Both agencies and
foundations partner with NSF thereby leveraging Federal funding for
maximum impact, such as with the Joint NSF/National Institutes of
Health Initiative Quantitative Approaches to Biomedical Big Data
(QuBBD).
nsf office of advanced cyberinfrastructure
Work in applied mathematics and computational science is critical
to enabling effective use of the rapid advances in information
technology and cyberinfrastructure. Programs in the NSF Office of
Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) in the Directorate for Computer and
Information Science and Engineering (CISE) focus on providing research
communities access to advanced computing capabilities to convert data
to knowledge and increase our understanding through computational
simulation and prediction. SIAM strongly endorses OAC's efforts as a
steward for computational science, building bridges across NSF to
accelerate transformational science and engineering, and driving
universities to improve their research and education programs in this
multidisciplinary area. SIAM strongly endorses NSF's role advancing
high performance computing to meet critical national security needs,
fully leverage computing technology for economic competitiveness and
scientific discovery, and position the U.S. for sustained technical
leadership.
supporting the pipeline of mathematicians and scientists
A lack of sufficient funding for NSF's Education and Human
Resources (EHR) directorate has left critical gaps in addressing
fundamental challenges for mathematics and STEM education across
educational levels. SIAM supports EHR and its programs like Improving
Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE), which is key to both advancing
STEM professional development and developing a STEM literate citizenry.
SIAM notes that mathematical education is foundational to STEM learning
across disciplines, and NSF should continue to fund development of
mathematical and computational skills, including at the undergraduate
level when young scientists and engineers gain critical interests and
competencies.
SIAM supports the NSF CAREER awards, Graduate Research Fellowships,
and Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (MSPRF)
that are crucial to the training and professional development of the
next generation of leadership in mathematical sciences research and
education.
conclusion
We would like to thank you again for your ongoing support of NSF
that enables the research and education communities it supports,
including thousands of SIAM members, to undertake activities that
contribute to U.S. health, security, and economic strength. NSF needs
sustained growth to maintain our competitive edge in science and
technology, and therefore we respectfully ask that you continue robust
support of these critical programs in fiscal year 2022.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide testimony to the Committee
on behalf of SIAM. SIAM looks forward to providing any additional
information or assistance you may ask of us during the fiscal year 2022
appropriations process.
[This statement was submitted by Susanne C. Brenner, President,
Anne Gelb, Vice President for Science Policy, and Suzanne L. Weekes,
Executive Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Society for Industrial and Organizational
Psychology
fiscal year 2022 national science foundation appropriations and
language
On behalf of the Society for Industrial and Organizational
Psychology (SIOP), we are pleased to provide this written testimony to
the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and
Science, and Related Agencies for the official record. In this
testimony, SIOP urges the subcommittee to consider two requests:
provide the requested amount of $10.2 billion for the National Science
Foundation (NSF), including strong support for the Directorate for
Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE), in the fiscal year
2022 appropriations process; and report language to encourage NSF to
more rigorously implement the science of team science in the agency's
funding strategies for large-scale and multi-disciplinary research
projects.
Appropriations Support
SIOP is a community of nearly 10,000 members worldwide with a
common interest in promoting the research, practice, and teaching of
industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology to enhance human well-
being and performance in organizational and work settings. SIOP
provides a platform for scientists, academics, consultants, and
practitioners to collaborate, implement, and evaluate cutting-edge
approaches to workplace challenges across sectors.
We have evidence that Federal investment in social and behavioral
science research directly and positively impacts the U.S. economy,
national security, and the health and well-being of Americans. Through
SBE, NSF supports basic research to develop a scientific evidence base
for improving the performance, effectiveness, management, and
development of organizations and the workforce. The methods,
measurements, and theories developed through this Federal investment
enhance business practices, policymaking, and interprofessional
collaboration. The evidence base derived from basic research in the
science of organizations is applied throughout the public and private
sectors.
SBE is critically important to NSF and has been highly responsive
to the transformative events of the past year. This was especially
evident during the COVID-19 outbreak when SBE supported the second most
research grants to address the virus among NSF Directorates. This
included significant support for the field of I-O psychology as the
nature of work had fundamentally shifted. Through SBE investments,
including those from the Science of Organizations program, I-O
psychologists developed data-driven methods to address workplace
dysfunction, including impacts on employee well-being, work-life
balance, performance, and engagement; the effects of rapid changes to
workers across various levels of job structure, socioeconomic status,
and race; and the challenges and opportunities related to remote
collaboration during COVID-19 and as industries shift to a ``new
normal.'' Further, SBE provided support to I-O psychologists to study
other pressing issues, including how job-related stressors impact
police officers and, in turn, the communities they serve. With support
from SBE for I-O psychologists, society is better positioned to learn
from our collective experiences and design more effective, equitable
workplaces.
SIOP also supports NSF's dedication to its Future of Work at the
Human-Technology Frontier Big Idea, which seeks to address and improve
human-technology interactions as workplaces integrate and adapt to
artificial intelligence, automation, machine learning, and beyond. In
addition to developing these technologies, successful implementation
relies on understanding human learning at various stages of life, and
improving education and training to appropriately use these
technologies.
Continued Federal support for I-O psychology keeps its knowledge
and expertise in the public domain and enhances shared workplace
efficiency and understanding of worker well-being at all levels. Other
applications of I-O psychology include: transitioning veterans and
service members to civilian jobs, managing age diversity in the
workplace, accounting for the technology-enabled workforce, and
developing preventative sexual harassment workforce interventions,
among many others.
Given NSF's critical role in supporting fundamental research and
education across science and engineering disciplines, SIOP supports an
overall fiscal year 2022 NSF budget of $10.2 billion. SIOP requests
robust support for the NSF SBE Directorate, which funds important
research studies, enabling an evidence base, methodology, and
measurements for improving organizational function, performance, and
design across sectors and disciplines.
Science of Team Science
In last year's testimony, SIOP requested report language to
encourage the further adoption of the Science of Team Science (SciTS)
in NSF programs and policies. SciTS is the empirical examination of the
processes by which large and small scientific teams organize, conduct,
and communicate research. I-O psychologists with expertise in SciTS
have engaged with NSF program officers and leadership, as well as some
congressional staff to ensure their findings are fully ingrained in the
agency's new models and approaches for funding cross-disciplinary
science and/or large-scale research projects (e.g. Engineering Research
Centers; Science and Technology Centers; Convergence Accelerators; and
National Artificial Intelligence [AI] Institutes). As NSF increasingly
encourages and promotes collaboration, SIOP believes it is important
that the agency take additional steps to ensure evidence-based team
science is considered in multi-partner initiatives to improve
communication between researchers, productivity, efficiency and cost-
effectiveness. This is especially important as NSF continues to focus
on public-private partnerships.
In fiscal year 2020, the House Appropriations bill report included
the following language that was in the spirit of the original request:
``Scientific collaboration.--NSF is encouraged to improve the
understanding of scientific collaboration and how scientists
work together.'' \1\
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\1\ https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/
democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/
FY2020%20CJS%20CJS%20Filed%20Report%20-%20HR3055.pdf
While this language was most appreciated and helpful, SIOP is of
the opinion that the message would be more impactful if it were to
specifically mention the importance of ``team science'' in multi-
disciplinary research programs and projects.
Team science is a well-known research subject at NSF and the
language should be understood by the agency. NSF has funded several
team science studies through SBE and program officers across
directorates have expressed interest in leveraging team science to
improve multi-disciplinary awards, including participating in one-on-
one conversations with SIOP experts and inviting them to present on NSF
panels. SIOP appreciates NSF's interest in learning more about
leveraging SciTS to improve programs and collaborations at the agency.
While NSF has taken some steps forward to address the importance of
team science in some multi-disciplinary awards, we feel that
appropriations report language that specifically mentions the
importance of team science would build on this existing momentum and
further catalyze meaningful action.
For further reference, SIOP members served on the National
Academies' Committee on the Science of Team Science, which produced the
2015 report on this topic: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/19007/enhancing-
the-effectiveness-of-team-science. Also, slides and recordings from
NSF's 2018 Accelerating Engineering Research Center Preparedness
Workshop can be found at: https://ercbiennial.asee.org/2018-pgw/
program/. SIOP members Drs. Steve Kozlowski and Kara Hall present on
team science.
Requested Report Language
Team Science.--NSF is encouraged to continue to seek ways to
implement the science of team science to improve scientific
collaboration as the agency develops new models and approaches
for funding large-scale and cross-disciplinary research
projects. In particular, NSF is encouraged to ensure that it is
implementing the recommendations from the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, Enhancing the
Effectiveness of Team Science.\2\
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\2\ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/19007/enhancing-the-effectiveness-
of-team-science
Thank you for the opportunity to offer SIOP's support for NSF.
Please do not hesitate to contact SIOP should you have any questions.
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Additional information is also available at www.siop.org.
[This statement was submitted by Dr. Steven Rogelberg, President,
and Tracy L. Vanneman, Executive Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Society for Neuroscience
support of fiscal year 2022 appropriations for the national science
foundation
Chair Cartwright, Ranking Member Aderholt, and Members of the
subcommittee, on behalf of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), we are
honoured to present this testimony in support of robust appropriations
for biomedical research at the National Science Foundation (NSF). SfN
urges you to provide at least $10.2 billion, an increase of
approximately $1.7 billion, in funding for NSF in fiscal year 2022. Dr.
Moses Chao and I, as Chair of the Government and Public Affairs
Committee and President of SfN respectively, understand the critical
importance of Federal funding for neuroscience research in the United
States. I currently serve as a researcher and as a Professor in the
Department of Psychology at Cambridge University and Dr. Chao is a
professor of Cell Biology, Physiology and Neuroscience, and Psychiatry
at the New York University School of Medicine. Our research serves as
two examples of the wide variety of neuroscience research advancing our
collective understanding of the brain.
My own research focuses on the neural and psychological basis of
drug addiction and is dedicated to understanding the maladaptive
engagement of the learning, memory, and motivational mechanisms
underlying compulsive drug use. Drug abuse and addiction have
devastating consequences at the individual, family, and society levels,
as clearly evidenced by the opioid crisis and also increased alcohol
drinking during pandemic lockdowns. My research group made significant
advances in showing structural and neurochemical changes in the brain
associated with behavioral impulsivity confer a major risk on
vulnerability to develop cocaine addiction. We also demonstrated the
neural circuit basis of the transition from recreational to the
compulsive use of opioids, stimulants, and alcohol, revealing
commonalities as well as differences in the neural basis of addiction
to these drugs. This understanding opened the door to the development
of novel pharmacological and psychological treatments for addiction
which may promote and maintain abstinence from drug use.
Dr. Chao's research efforts focus on growth factors (also called
neurotrophins) in the brain. These proteins are crucial for everything
from neuron differentiation, growth, and survival during development to
learning and memory in children and adults. Deficits in neurotrophins
are involved in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, and Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS), as well as limiting recovery after stroke or brain
injury.
Dr. Chao and I cover different areas of neuroscience research,
though we have come together to convey the need for further and ongoing
investment in neuroscience research. SfN believes strongly in the
research continuum: basic science leads to clinical innovations, which
lead to translational uses positively impacting the public's health.
Basic science is the foundation upon which all health advances are
built. To cure diseases, we need to understand them through fundamental
discovery-based research. However, basic research depends on reliable,
sustained funding from the Federal Government. SfN is grateful to
Congress for its support of the important mission of the NSF, which
includes a focus on promoting the progress of science and advancing the
National health, prosperity, and welfare, through increased
appropriations in recent years.
the importance of the research continuum
NSF funding for basic research is critical for facilitating
groundbreaking discoveries and for training researchers at the bench.
For the United States to remain a leader in biomedical research,
Congress must continue to support basic research fueling discoveries as
well as the economy. The deeper our grasp of basic science, the more
successful those focused on clinical and translational research will
be. We use a wide range of experimental and animal models not used
elsewhere in the research pipeline. These opportunities create
discoveries--sometimes unexpected discoveries--expanding knowledge of
biological processes, often at the molecular level. This level of
discovery reveals new targets for research to treat all kinds of brain
disorders that affect millions of people in the United States and
beyond.
NSF basic research funding is also a key economic driver of science
in the United States through funding universities and research
organizations across the country. Federal investments in scientific
research fuel the Nation's pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical
device industries. The private sector utilizes basic scientific
discoveries funded through NSF to improve health and foster a
sustainable trajectory for American's Research and Development (R&D)
enterprise. Basic science generates the knowledge needed to uncover the
mysteries behind human diseases, which leads to private sector
development of new treatments and therapeutics. This important first
step is not ordinarily funded by industry given the long-term path of
basic science and the pressures for shorter-term return on investments
by industry. Congressional investment in basic science is irreplaceable
in the pipeline for development of drugs, devices, and other treatments
for brain-related diseases and disorders.
Another example of NSF's success in funding neuroscience is the
Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN)
Initiative. A part of the research landscape in neuroscience, the BRAIN
Initiative has been critical in promoting future discoveries across
neuroscience and related scientific disciplines. By including funding
in 21st Century Cures, Congress helped maintain the momentum of this
endeavor. Note, however, using those funds to supplant regular
appropriations would be counterproductive. There is no substitute for
robust, sustained, and predictable funding for NSF. SfN appreciates
Congress' ongoing investment in the BRAIN Initiative and urges its full
funding in fiscal year 2022. Some recent exciting advancements in NSF
funded neuroscience research include the following:
Increasing happiness through new experiences
As COVID-19 has affected Americans' daily routines, NSF-funded
research may point the way towards strategies to improve people's
moods. In a study conducted before the pandemic, participants wore GPS
trackers for several months and reported on their mood throughout each
day. The researchers found a correlation between a more positive mood
and days when participants went to more locations outside of their
daily routine. When people had more variability in their day, they were
more likely to report feeling ``happy,'' ``relaxed,'' or ``excited.'' A
follow-up study looking at functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
scans of participants' brains found these positive changes in mood are
driven by communication between the hippocampus, the part of the brain
that maps the environment, and the striatum, which plays a key role in
reward. This work suggests adding a variety of experiences, even
something as simple as a walk around the neighborhood, to our daily
lives may be critical to maintaining a positive outlook.
Understanding the origins of creativity
Music, art, and other creative activities are fundamental endeavors
to the human experience. Where this creativity comes from in the human
brain and how it is controlled, however, is a question of great debate.
Researchers funded by the NSF sought to answer this question by
studying jazz guitarists performing while wearing
electroencephalography (EEG) caps to measure their brain activity.
These guitarists, who ranged in experience from novices to
professionals, were asked to improvise several performances, which were
recorded and judged by experts. Brain-activity data showed less-
experienced guitarists relied more on right frontal hemisphere
structures associated with conscious control over activity, while more-
experienced participants had more activity in structures associated
with the default mode network, suggesting their performances require
less active control. This suggests as a creative endeavor is improved,
the brain switches from conscious monitoring of the activity to a more
automatic reliance on what has already been learned. This baseline
knowledge reduces the active concentration an expert will need for
these learned skills, allowing for more cognitive resources to be
devoted to the creativity of their output.
covid-19 is a challenge and opportunity for neuroscience research
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed progress in
neuroscience research, with social distancing requirements hampering
ongoing research related to the brain. Investment in neuroscience
research, including on the neurological aspects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus
and the COVID-19 pandemic itself is needed though cannot be allowed to
eclipse or replace regular funding for neuroscience research. We urge
you to identify ways to ensure the funding surge needed to address the
COVID-19 emergency does not slow progress on other important and
innovative research, including the groundbreaking research in
neuroscience and mental health. SfN encourages the subcommittee to fund
basic research on the biology of how COVID-19 impacts brain function as
well as impacts the virus has on the nervous system in preclinical
models and, by extension, on humans. In doing so, SfN encourages
Congress and the NSF to prioritize intentional collaboration and
coordination to effectively allocate scarce resources so researchers
can investigate all facets of infectious and non-infectious disease.
Ongoing research already demonstrates the need for scientists to
examine the neurological impacts of COVID-19. While mortality due to
SARS-CoV-2 may be primarily due to its effects on the lungs, it is now
apparent the virus damages many other organs, including the central
nervous system. We need to understand how these direct and indirect
effects on other organ systems are producing chronic diseases and long-
term disability, making people more susceptible to other chronic
disorders covered by the different NIH Institutes. A recent study
(Lancet article, Taquet et al 2021) shows an increased risk of anxiety,
depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and insomnia were reported
after COVID-19 diagnosis. These data, though incomplete, suggest brain
impairment may be associated with COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, it
was found people with two copies of the risk gene for Alzheimer's
disease were more likely to have severe COVID-19 (Kuo et al J.
Gerontology 2020). These findings, coupled with incidents of memory
loss, brain fog and hallucinations reported in the New York Times (3/
23/21) illustrates a need for increased resources to study the impact
of this virus on the peripheral and central nervous systems, as well as
the immune and inflammatory systems. The COVID-19 public health
emergency provides an important example of the critical need for
collaborative research and coordinating data and resources across
institutes. A balanced and collaborative research effort across
institutes will likely be the path toward solving these multiple
issues.
congress & nsf must support access to models necessary for neuroscience
discovery
Adequate NSF funding is necessary to advancing our understanding of
the brain; however, full realization of this funding's promise requires
appropriate access to research models, including non-human primate and
other animal models. Animal research is highly regulated to ensure
ethical and responsible care and treatment of the animals. SfN and its
members take their legal and ethical obligations related to this
research very seriously. While SfN recognizes the goal of the
reduction, refinement, and eventual replacement of nonhuman primate
models in biomedical research, much more research and time is needed
before such a goal is attainable. Premature replacement of non-human
primate and other animal models may delay or prevent the discovery of
treatments and cures-not only for neurological diseases like
Alzheimer's disease, addiction, and traumatic brain injury, but also
for communicable diseases and countless other conditions. There are
currently no viable alternatives available for studying biomedical
systems advancing our understanding of the brain and nervous system; or
when seeking treatments for diseases and disorders like depression,
addiction, Parkinson's Disease, and emotional responses. This research
is critically important and presents an opportunity to benefit
countless people around the world. SfN urges Congress to work with the
NSF to ensure this important research can continue.
funding in regular order
SfN joins the biomedical research community supporting an increase
in NSF funding to at least $10.2 billion, a $1.7 billion increase over
FY21. This proposed increase is necessary to provide certainty to the
field of science, allowing for the exploitation of new scientific
opportunity, additional training of the next generation of scientists,
increased economic growth and further improvements in the public's
health. Equally as important as providing a reliable increase in
funding for biomedical research is ensuring funding is approved before
the end of the fiscal year. Continuing Resolutions have significant
consequences on research, including restricting NSF's ability to fund
grants. For some of our members, this means waiting for a final
decision to be made on funding before knowing if their perfectly scored
grant would in fact be realized or operating a lab with 90 percent of
the awarded funding until appropriations are final. This negatively
impacts all the positive benefits research provides the field. SfN
strongly supports the appropriation of NSF funding in a timely manner
which avoids delays in approving new research grants or causes
reductions in funding for already approved research funding.
SfN thanks the subcommittee for your strong and continued support
of biomedical research and looks forward to working with you to ensure
the United States remains the global leader in neuroscience research
and discovery. Collaboration among Congress, the NSF, and the
scientific research community has created great benefits for not only
the United States but also people around the globe suffering from
brain-related diseases and disorders. On behalf of the Society for
Neuroscience, we urge you to continue this critical cooperation and
support of biomedical research.
[This statement was submitted by Barry Everitt, Sc.D., F.R.S.,
President, and Moses Chao, PhD, Chair, Government and Public Affairs
Committee.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Tribal Law and Policy Institute
department of justice
On behalf of the Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI), this
testimony addresses important programs in the Department of Justice
(DOJ). First, TLPI joins the American Bar Association (see attached
letter) in requesting substantially increased funding for Tribal courts
in response to the $1.2 billion annual shortfall for Tribal courts as
identified in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 2020 report to
Congress, Report to the Congress on Spending, Staffing, and Estimated
Funding Costs for Public Safety and Justice Programs in Indian Country,
2018.
Secondly, TLPI joins the National Congress of American Indians
(NCAI) in requesting:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Program NCAI Fiscal Year 2022 Request
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Tribal Grants: Eliminate Use DOJ appropriations as base
competitive grant funding process and funding.
utilize Justice Department
appropriations as base funding so that
Tribal nations determine their own
priorities.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Tribal Set-Aside from Office of Create a 10 percent Tribal set-
Justice Programs (OJP). aside for all discretionary
OJP programs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Tribal Set-Aside from Crime Create a 5 percent set-aside
Victims Fund. for Tribal governments.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Tribal Youth Program under the $25,000,000
Juvenile Accountability Block Grants
program.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal $3,000,000
Assistance (TCCLA) Grant.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: Community Oriented Policing $52,000,000
Services (COPS) Tribal Law Enforcement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOJ: OVW Tribal programs under the Fully fund all VAWA-authorized
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). programs including the Sexual
Assault Clearinghouse and
$5,000,000 for Tribal
implementation of VAWA special
domestic violence criminal
jurisdiction.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TLPI is a 100 percent Native American operated non-profit
corporation organized to design and deliver education, research,
training, and technical assistance programs which promote the
enhancement of justice in Indian country and the health, well-being,
and culture of Native peoples. TLPI focuses on collaborative programs
that provide critical resources for Tribal court systems and other
programs involved in promoting improvement of justice in Indian
country.
The Federal Government's trust responsibility to Tribal nations is
at the heart of TLPI's recommendation to follow NCAI's fiscal year 2022
Indian country budget request. Like all other governments, Tribal
nations are responsible for the protection and care of their citizens,
residents, and visitors on Tribal lands. Through treaties and other
agreements, Tribal lands were ceded in exchange for the promise of
protected self-governance and adequate resources from the United
States. Those promises are the foundation of the government-to-
government relationship that exists today.
Part of the Federal trust responsibility to Indian Tribes includes
basic governmental services in Indian Country, funding for which is
appropriated in the discretionary portion of the Federal budget. Tribal
governments protect and preserve their unique cultures, identities, and
natural environments for future generations. As governments, Tribes
must deliver a wide range of critical services, such as education,
workforce development, youth programs, and first-responder and public
safety services, to their citizens. The Federal budget for Tribal
governmental services reflects the extent to which the United States
honors its promises to Indian people--and to date, those promises have
not been truly honored.
Tribal justice systems historically have been under-funded and
continue to be under-funded in most Tribal communities. In 1991, the
United States Civil Rights Commission found that ``the failure of the
United States Government to provide proper funding for the operation of
Tribal judicial systems . . . has continued for more than 20 years.''
\1\ In 2014, the Attorney General's Advisory Committee on American
Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence noted that
Department of Justice (DOJ) funding for Tribal justice systems has been
consistently decreasing in recent years.\2\ The Indian Law and Order
Commission (ILOC) noted that in addition to funding shortfalls, DOJ's
short-term, competitive funding approach is deficient because it
reflects Federal priorities rather than Tribal ones, favors hired
grant-writers, requires Tribes to compete against each other, and
offers only 3-year programs that often leave Tribes with staff turnover
and short-term programs.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ United States Commission on Civil Rights, The Indian Civil
Rights Act: A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights 71
(June 1991).
\2\ Attorney General's Advisory Committee on American Indian and
Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence, U.S. Dep't of Justice,
Report of the Advisory Committee on American Indian and Alaska Native
Children Exposed to Violence: Ending Violence So Children Can Thrive 53
(November 2014).
\3\ Indian Law and Order Commission, A Roadmap for Making Native
America Safer: Report to the President & Congress of the United States
83 (2013).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further, the Civil Rights Commission continued reporting on this
topic with A Quiet Crisis: Federal Funding and Unmet Needs in Indian
Country in 2003 and Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding
Shortfall for Native Americans in 2018. Broken Promises found that
``Federal funding for Native American programs across the government
remains grossly inadequate to meet the most basic needs the Federal
Government is obligated to provide . . . Since 2003, funding for Native
American programs has mostly remained flat, and in the few cases where
there have been increases, they have barely kept up with inflation or
have actually resulted in decreased spending power.'' \4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ United States Commission on Civil Rights, Broken Promises:
Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans, 4 (December
2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, in 2020, the BIA submitted a report to Congress, Report to
the Congress on Spending, Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs for
Public Safety and Justice Programs in Indian Country, 2018. The total
annual estimated need for Tribal public safety and justice programs
included $1.3 billion for Tribal law enforcement and $1.2 billion for
Tribal courts. According to the same report, BIA funding only meets
14.7 percent of estimated need. Leaving Tribes to fight for short-term
funds via competitive grant processes, many administered by the DOJ.
DOJ funding across programs affecting Indian country should be
dramatically increased and the distribution mechanism modified. As
nations, Tribes should not have to compete for short-term grants that
reflect Federal priorities. Rather, funds should be allocated as
flexible base funding.
Create a 10 percent Tribal allocation across all Office of Justice
Programs (OJP) programs.--A 10 percent OJP Tribal set-aside would
simplify the Federal funding process by which Tribal nations receive
resources to establish Tribal courts; assist in developing detention
facilities; provide legal assistance; develop and maintain juvenile
delinquency prevention programs; and provide substance abuse prevention
programs. Further, the Tribal set-aside provides Tribes the flexibility
to develop a comprehensive strategy on public safety and justice needs.
It also would create new opportunities for coordinating BIA and DOJ
funding to reduce inefficiencies and unnecessary administrative costs.
Include Tribal governments in disbursements from the Crime Victims
Fund.--The Crime Victims Fund (CVF) is the Federal Government's primary
funding source for providing services to victims of crime. Unlike State
and territorial governments, which receive an annual formula
distribution from the CVF, Indian Tribes were only able to access CVF
funds via pass-through grants at the discretion of the States or by
competing for very limited resources administered by the DOJ. This
system left a significant unmet need in most Tribal communities-
communities where crime victimization rates far exceed the National
average.
For the past 4 years, Congress has directed a portion of the
overall disbursements from the CVF to Tribal nations. The 5 percent
Tribal set-aside included in the fiscal year 2021 appropriations bill
will direct $100.75 million to support and improve crime victim
services on Tribal lands. This funding greatly impacts crime victims'
services infrastructure on Tribal lands, and it is imperative that it
be appropriated on an annual basis to sustain the programs and services
that will be developed. TLPI urges the committee to keep disbursements
from the CVF at the increased level and to direct an amount equal to 5
percent of overall CVF disbursements to Tribal governments on a non-
competitive basis.
If Congress declines to adopt the flexible 10 percent set-aside
across OJP programs, restore fiscal year 2010 levels of $25 million in
funding for the Tribal Youth Program (TYP) under the Juvenile
Accountability Block Grants Program.--Native youth living in Indian
country face numerous overlapping barriers to safety, wellness,
academic achievement, and positive youth development. Barriers occur at
the individual, family, community, and regional levels, resulting in
disproportionate involvement with juvenile justice, child welfare, and
other youth-serving systems. Today's Native youth continue to face the
effects of collective intergenerational and historical traumas.
TYP is the first OJJDP program dedicated to prevention,
intervention, and juvenile justice system improvement in Native
communities. The need for the program can be demonstrated by the
application rates within the last 5 years. For the majority of those
years, the DOJ Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitations, Purpose
Area 9 (TYP) received some of the highest number of grant applicants
and categorically received the least amount of funding. Further
exacerbating the issue, TYP is currently funded at some of its lowest
levels since its establishment in the 1990s. This is despite an
increase in funding in fiscal year 2021, the first increase in 3 years.
Due to this decreased funding, hundreds of Tribes across the United
States are left grappling with how to ensure that their most cherished
resource is provided equal opportunity as other youth in this country
to heal, thrive, and realize their life potential. Funding for the TYP
should, at minimum, be restored to its fiscal year 2010 level of $25
million.
Fund the Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance, Training and
Technical Assistance (TCCLA) grant program at a level of $3 million.--
The Indian Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 2000
(Public Law 106-559) authorized DOJ to award grants to non-profit
entities, such as the 25 Indian Legal Services programs connected with
the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), to provide civil and criminal
legal assistance to both Tribal governments and their justice systems
and to individual indigent Tribal citizens. Services impacted by this
funding include domestic violence, pro se assistance, re-entry and
expungements, child welfare, free legal clinics and toll-free hotlines,
and much more.
Increase funding of Tribal law enforcement programs under DOJ's
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grants to $52 million.--
Since its inception, the COPS Office has awarded more than 2,000 grants
totaling over $400 million to Tribes to hire more than 1,700 new or
redeployed law enforcement officers. It has helped Tribes obtain
necessary law enforcement training, equipment, vehicles, and
technology. The COPS Office has also become one of the primary
resources available to Tribal law enforcement agencies attempting to
develop and maintain policing infrastructure and upgrade outdated
equipment. Yet, there is still substantial unmet need within Tribal
justice systems for more COPS funding.
Fully fund the programs authorized in the Violence Against Women
Act (VAWA), including the funds authorized for the Sexual Assault
Clearinghouse and Tribal implementation of VAWA special domestic
violence criminal jurisdiction.--It is estimated over 85 percent of
American Indian and Alaska Native women will experience violent
victimization in their lifetimes.\5\ OVW provides funding to Tribal
governments to address violence against women in their communities.
OVW's largest source of funding for Tribal governments is the Grants to
Tribal Governments Program, which is funded via statutory allocations
from other OVW programs. Fully-funding these OVW programs results in
full funding for the Grants to Tribal Governments Program and for the
implementation of Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ U.S. Department of Justice, Violence Against American Indian
and Alaska Native Women and Men: 2010 Findings from the National
Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey 2 (2016).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
conclusion
Thank you for your consideration of this testimony.
[This statement was submitted by Gerald Gardner, Executive
Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of the United States Section of the Pacific Salmon
Commission
fiscal year 2022 budget for the national marine fisheries service
Mr. Chairman, and Honorable Members of the Committee, I am W. Ron
Allen, the Tribal Commissioner and Chair for the U.S. Section Budget
Committee of the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC). I am also the Tribal
Chairman/CEO of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe located on the Olympic
Peninsula of Washington State. The U.S. Section prepares annual budgets
for the implementation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty. The implementation
of the Treaty is funded through the Departments of Commerce, Interior
and State.
Department of Commerce funding in support of implementing the
Pacific Salmon Treaty is part of the Salmon Management
Activities account in the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) budget. The United States and Canada completed
negotiations of revised Annex Chapters to the Treaty in 2019.
Funding in the Department of Commerce budget intended for the
programs to fulfill national commitments created by the revised
Treaty Annex Chapters was $39,500,000 in the fiscal year 2021
budget. The U.S. Section recommends fiscal year 2022 funding of
$43,500,000 to implement national commitments created by the
Treaty. This represents a $4,000,000 increase from fiscal year
2021 funding levels.
The Department of Commerce principally funds programs conducted by
the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska and the NMFS.
However, the cost of programs conducted by the States to fulfill
national commitments created by the Treaty continue to be substantially
greater than the funding provided in the NMFS budget. Consequently, the
States have supplemented the Federal Treaty appropriations from other
sources, including State general funds. Many of those funding sources
are limited or no longer available and this has been exacerbated by the
ongoing global pandemic.
The $20,000,000 increase in the fiscal year 2020 budget and the
$5,000,000 in the fiscal year 2021 budget were greatly appreciated,
however it falls short of what the U.S. Section estimates is needed to
fully implement the revised Annex Chapters to the Pacific Salmon
Treaty.
The U.S. Section recommends that the Pacific Salmon Treaty line
item in the Salmon Management Activities section of the NMFS budget be
funded at $43,500,000 for fiscal year 2022. This line item includes
$14,730,000 to provide base support for the States of Alaska,
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. NMFS activities to implement the
Treaty's conservation and allocation provisions for Coho, Sockeye,
Chinook, Chum, and Pink salmon fisheries is funded through overhead
fees. Effective, science-based implementation of negotiated salmon
fishing arrangements and abundance-based management approaches for
Chinook, southern Coho, and Northern Boundary and Transboundary River
salmon fisheries.
The U.S. Section recommends annual operational costs of $13,460,000
for hatchery conservation programs and habitat restoration for Puget
Sound critical stocks, $3,910,000 for Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon
mitigation, and $5,540,000 to increase prey availability for Southern
Resident Killer Whales. The recommended funding also includes
$5,850,000 for sound science initiatives to fill key science gaps and
improve fishery management effectiveness. The recommended funding also
helps meet requirements of the biological opinion for species listed as
endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The U.S. Section recommends restoring the funding for the Chinook
Salmon Agreement line item in Salmon Management Activities to
$1,800,000. This funding supports research and stock assessments
necessary to acquire and analyze the technical information needed to
fully implement the abundance-based Chinook salmon management program
provided for by the Treaty. The States of Alaska, Washington, Oregon,
and Idaho, and the 25 Treaty Tribes conduct projects selected in a
rigorous competitive process.
The International Fisheries Commissions line, under Regional
Councils and Fisheries Commissions in the NMFS budget was funded at
$457,000 in fiscal year 2021 and provides the U.S. contribution to
bilateral cooperative salmon enhancement on the transboundary river
systems, which originate in Canada and flow to the sea through
Southeast Alaska. This project was established in 1988 to meet U.S.
obligations specified in the Treaty and annual funding should continue
at about $463,000 annually.
The core Treaty implementation projects included in the Pacific
Salmon Treaty line, and the U.S. Chinook Agreement line under Salmon
Management Activities, as well as the International Fisheries
Commission line under Regional Councils and Fisheries Commissions
consist of a wide range of stock assessment, fishery monitoring, and
technical support activities for all five species of Pacific salmon in
the fisheries and rivers between Cape Suckling in Alaska to Cape Falcon
in Oregon. The States of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and the
NMFS conduct a wide range of programs for salmon stock abundance
assessment, escapement enumeration, stock distribution, and fishery
catch and effort information. The information is used to establish
fishing seasons, harvest levels, and accountability to the provisions
of Treaty fishing regimes.
Prior to fiscal year 2020, the base annual Treaty implementation
funding remained essentially flat since the inception of the Treaty in
1985. In order to continue to fulfill the Federal commitments created
by the Treaty, as costs and complexity increased over time, the States
had to augment Federal funding with other Federal and State resources.
However, alternative sources of funding have seen reductions or, in
some cases, have been eliminated. The increases of $20,000,000 for
fiscal year 2020 and $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 to implement the
revised Annex Chapters were a welcome change.
Negotiations to revise the provisions of the Annex Chapters to the
Treaty, except for the Fraser River Chapter, were successfully
completed in 2018. The revised provisions will last for 10 years. These
chapters contain the specifics for implementing the Treaty for each
species in each geographic area. The provisions for a revised Fraser
River Chapter were completed in 2019. The revised chapters represent
the combined efforts of the participants to ensure healthy salmon
populations for the next 10 years. They also require commitments to
increase efforts to improve upon current management strategies for
numerous salmon populations.
Finally, you should consider the fact that the value of the
commercial harvest of salmon subject to the Treaty and managed at
productive levels under the Treaty, supports the infrastructure of many
coastal and inland communities. The value of the commercial and
recreational fisheries, and the economic diversity they provide for
local communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, is
immense. The Pacific Salmon Commission recently funded an economic
study of these fisheries and determined that this resource creates
thousands of jobs and is a multi-billion dollar industry. The value of
these fish to the 25 Treaty Tribes in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Alaska goes far beyond their monetary value, to the cultural and
religious lives of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples. A
significant monetary investment is focused on salmon due to the
listings of Pacific Northwest salmon populations under the Endangered
Species Act.
Given these resources, the U.S. Section will continue to utilize
the Pacific Salmon Commission process to develop recommendations that
help with the development and implementation of solutions to minimizing
impacts on listed stocks. We will continue to work towards the true
intent of the Treaty, and with your support, we will manage this shared
resource for mutual enhancements and benefits.
This concludes the statement of the U.S. Section of the Pacific
Salmon Commission submitted for consideration by your Committee. We
wish to thank the Committee for the support given to us in the past.
Please let us know if we can supply additional information or respond
to any questions the Committee Members may have.
Thank you.
[This statement was submitted by W. Ron Allen, Chair.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Western Governors' Association
Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the
subcommittee, the Western Governors' Association (WGA) appreciates the
opportunity to provide testimony on two items within the jurisdiction
of the subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies, both of which relate to the U.S. Department of Commerce. WGA
is an independent organization representing the Governors of the 22
westernmost States and territories. The Association is an instrument of
the Governors for bipartisan policy development, information-sharing
and collective action on issues of critical importance to the western
United States.
Western Governors support adequate and dedicated funding for the
National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) program under
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). WGA is
well-acquainted with the significant environmental, economic, and
social effects of drought on the West and its communities. Drought
contributes to the incidence of forest and rangeland wildfire, impairs
ecosystems and wildlife habitat, degrades agricultural productivity,
and poses threats to municipal and industrial water supplies. A growing
population's dependence on limited water resources creates challenges
for water management across the West, from the Great Plains to the
Intermountain West to the coastal, estuarine and marine environments of
the Pacific States and islands. Planning for an adequate, reliable and
clean water supply requires accurate and complete water and weather
information.
NIDIS promotes a coordinated and integrated approach to managing
future drought. This approach involves improved forecasting and
monitoring to provide the kind of authoritative, objective and timely
drought information that farmers, water managers, decision-makers, and
local governments require for effective drought preparation and
response. Through NIDIS, NOAA is building a network of early warning
systems for drought while working with local resource managers to
identify and address unique regional drought information needs.
Western Governors value the approach used to build and improve
NIDIS. Rather than creating a new NIDIS bureaucracy, the system draws
from existing capacity in States, universities and multiple Federal
agencies, as called for in the original authorizing legislation. Given
our shared fiscal challenges, WGA regards this as a model for Federal-
State collaboration in shared information services.
Water users throughout the West--including farmers, ranchers,
Tribes, land managers, business owners, recreationalists, wildlife
managers, and decision-makers at all levels of government--must be able
to assess the risks of drought before its onset to make informed
decisions and implement effective mitigation measures. For these
reasons, Western Governors request continued support and adequate
funding for the National Weather Service River Forecast Centers and
Weather Forecast Offices and the NIDIS program, which perform a
valuable role in western water management and drought response.
Many western communities, especially Tribal communities, lack
access to broadband internet due to the high cost of infrastructure and
the economic realities of serving low customer densities in potential
service areas. This has left many rural businesses at a competitive
disadvantage and citizens without access to telework, telemedicine and
distance learning opportunities. Consequently, Western Governors
support opportunities to improve connectivity on rural and Tribal lands
and efforts to leverage State expertise through State block grants. The
Governors appreciate the increased funding allocated to Tribal and
State projects within the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) last fiscal year, including funding to mitigate
the effects of COVID-19 and the new Tribal Broadband Connectivity
Program. The Governors look forward to engaging with NTIA on this
funding and stand ready to implement projects for the benefit of rural
and Tribal communities,
Deployment of broadband infrastructure to these underserved and
unserved communities requires an accurate picture of nationwide
broadband availability. Western Governors applaud recent efforts to
address the accuracy of broadband data coverage measurements through
the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Broadband Data Task Force
and the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability
Act, known as the Broadband DATA Act, and support continued investment
in these efforts. WGA also encourages coordination of data collection
strategies among the Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Department
of Agriculture and other agencies involved in broadband mapping and
deployment.
Western Governors recognize the enormous challenge you have in
balancing competing funding priorities, and we appreciate the
difficulty of the decisions the subcommittee must make. These
recommendations are offered in a spirit of cooperation and respect, and
WGA is prepared to assist you as the subcommittee discharges its
critical and challenging responsibilities.
[This statement was submitted by James D. Ogsbury, Executive
Director.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Western States Water Council
noaa/nws u.s. weather research program appropriations
On behalf of the Western States Water Council (WSWC), a government
entity advising the governors of 18 States, we wish to express our
strong support for a $15 million increase in the U.S. Weather Research
Program line item within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) Fiscal Year 2022 appropriation for the National
Weather Service (NWS), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
account.
The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public
Law 115-25), reauthorized in 2019 along with the National Integrated
Drought Information System (NIDIS), directed NOAA to ``collect and
utilize information in order to make usable, reliable, and timely
foundational forecasts of subseasonal and seasonal [S2S] temperature
and precipitation.'' The statute further required submission of a
report to Congress that described ``specific plans and goals for the
continued development of the subseasonal and seasonal forecasts'' and
``an identification of research, monitoring, observing, and forecasting
requirements'' needed to meet the statutory goals.
In 2020, the NWS submitted to Congress the report, Subseasonal and
Seasonal Forecasting Innovation: Plans for the Twenty-First Century.
The report outlines current uses of NOAA S2S products and services, and
how NOAA plans to improve the usability and transference of data,
information, and forecasts. Developed with input from Federal,
regional, State, Tribal, and local government agencies, research
institutions, and the private sector, the report outlines innovations
needed to achieve two goals for improving products and services: (1)
improving the skill of foundational tools in order to improve the skill
of the official S2S forecasts; and (2) enhancing the value of S2S
products for stakeholders.
The report recommended a number of pilot projects, including one
for improving forecasts of winter precipitation (which provides the
snowpack sustaining water supplies in mountain areas) in the West, and
one for spring/summer precipitation forecasts for agricultural water
supply in the Plains States. Another was recommended for Artic sea ice
and one for tropical cyclones.
The WSWC urges the subcommittee to provide resources to start the
western pilot project to improve S2S precipitation forecasting to
support water management. In fiscal year 2021 NOAA's Weather Research
Program line item was budgeted at $26.5 million. The fiscal year 2022
President's budget request is $26.7M. A $15 million investment in S2S
pilot projects would be on par with NOAA's successful Hurricane
Forecast Improvement Project (HFIP).
Much of the West is currently experiencing unprecedented drought
conditions. Currently, nearly all of our 18 member States are suffering
from severe to exceptional drought, with half afflicted by the latter,
the driest condition represented on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale
(www.drought.gov). Agricultural interests are hit hardest as crops,
feed, and forage deteriorate and rise in cost, threatening farmers,
ranchers, and dairies. In some cases, producers are culling herds.
Municipal water shortages are also possible, particularly for rural
communities. Dry, hot, and windy weather combined with dried out
vegetation has wildfires on the rise.
The scientific insights, data, and tools that the S2S pilot
projects promise would help agricultural, rural, and urban water and
land managers make better decisions. Better forecasts will provide
private and public decisionmakers with longer lead times than are
currently feasible to implement mitigation policies and programs. This
would help to protect surface and ground-water supplies and provide
greater certainty to farmers and ranchers who must make important crop,
livestock, and conservation decisions now without reliable extended
precipitation forecasts.
Current skill in S2S precipitation forecasting is not adequate to
support water management decision-making, and a priority need to be
placed on improving S2S forecasting capabilities. Water is the life-
blood of the West, which experiences far greater variability in annual
precipitation than does the eastern half of the country. Managing water
in the West is about managing for the extremes of droughts and floods,
and the need to store water when available to manage it during drier
times for cities, farms, energy, and the environment. Better longer-
term precipitation forecasts are a necessary tool for more efficient
water resource management. Will this summer (or next winter) be wet or
dry? This is a critical question asked every year by State, local,
Federal, and Tribal water managers, as well as by cities, farmers, and
hydroelectric powerplant operators.
Although the skill of conventional short-term weather forecasts
(which go out as far as two weeks) has improved over the past several
decades, the same cannot be said for the critical longer-term forecasts
important for water management. These longer S2S forecasts span time
periods of several weeks out to one or 2 years. The NWS's Climate
Prediction Center (CPC) has minimal skill when producing available S2S
forecasts.
As documented by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental
Information, disasters at both wet and dry extremes of the hydrologic
cycle are responsible for billions of dollars in losses. With better
S2S forecasts, water managers can better prepare for and respond to
drought and flooding, reducing loss of lives and property, as well as
economic and environmental losses. Similarly, decision makers in
agriculture, fisheries, hydroelectric power generation, and emergency
management sectors share a common interest in more skillful and useful
forecasts.
Lead time is critical in making water management decisions. Longer
lead times are especially useful in planning and managing for the
extremes of droughts and floods. Skillful S2S forecasts would inform
and allow for more efficient operation of dams and reservoirs,
balancing competing objectives of flood control and water storage.
Absent good predictive capability, weeks ahead, reservoir operators
must manage risk as conservatively as possible to ensure that space
will be available to hold winter-spring runoff and manage floods.
Better forecasts would allow operators to store more water for use
during drought, while still providing flood protection--the equivalent
of developing new water supplies at minimal cost. There are
opportunities for improving S2S forecasting, but historically there has
been a S2S research investment gap between conventional numerical
weather modeling and century-scale climate modeling. Significant
scientific progress has been achieved at the weather and century-scale
ends of this spectrum, thanks to ongoing Federal investments, but much
remains to be done at the S2S scale.
According to the American Meteorological Society, the skill of 5-
to 6-day NWS temperature forecasts in 2012 is equivalent to that of 3-
to 4-day forecasts in 1992. Also, substantial Federal support from 1990
onwards for the U.S. Global Change Research Program resulted in major
progress in developing increasingly complex climate models. However,
similar progress and investment have not occurred at the S2S time scale
so important for western water management. Improving S2S precipitation
forecasting is a scientifically challenging subject that will require a
commitment of dedicated, sustained funding. There is no silver bullet
for S2S forecasting improvement, but the necessary ingredients for
making progress include investment in all aspects of the subject (human
resources, high-performance computing, observing systems, and
transition of research innovations to operations). Well-defined metrics
and timelines for evaluating success, with a strong project management
focused on outcomes, are needed.
Regional pilot projects in areas where NOAA's current predictive
skill is minimal are key to accelerating advancement of forecasting
skill. Pilots provide opportunities to test tools such as statistical
models or hybrid statistical-dynamical tools that can enhance
information provided by NOAA's dynamical models.
The international Colorado River Basin has experienced prolonged
drought conditions, for over 20 years, resulting in declining reservoir
elevations in Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Water agencies in the seven
Colorado River Basin States have been taking unprecedented steps to
manage the risk of shortage, including executing historic drought
contingency plans with the Department of the Interior in 2019. Drought
risk management programs in the contingency plans cost money and/or
water. Skillful seasonal precipitation forecasts would help support
decisions to balance costs against risks of shortage.
In 2015 NOAA released its first-ever service assessment for
drought, for the California drought which had then completed its third
year. NOAA assessments evaluate its performance after significant
hydrometeorological, oceanographic, or geologic events. The assessments
are triggered by factors such as major economic impacts to a large area
or population, or extensive national public interest impacts.
Assessments evaluate the effectiveness of products and services made
available to stakeholders, to help NOAA continuously improve the
services it provides. The drought assessment's top finding given the
input received from numerous stakeholders emphasized the need for an
improved seasonal prediction capability focused on cool-season mountain
precipitation, both in California and in the Colorado River Basin. ``A
majority of the stakeholders interviewed for this assessment noted one
of the best services NOAA could provide is improved seasonal
predictions with increased confidence and better interpretation.''
NOAA's CPC seasonal precipitation products are national in scale
and are not designed to provide regional forecast information--
information which is most relevant to decision makers. For instance,
State and Federal officials managing California's water supply have a
major unmet need for skillful predictions targeted at cool-season
snowpack for the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Improving the skill of S2S precipitation forecasting to make it
usable for water resources management is scientifically challenging. In
2016, the National Academy of Sciences released a report on a national
research agenda for improving S2S forecasting. The report provided a
vision for S2S forecasts that could be as widely used in the next
decade as conventional weather forecasts are today. It identified key
strategies and made 16 specific recommendations for a research agenda.
It noted, ``More skillful and useful S2S forecasts--developed through
sustained engagement with users and advances in basic knowledge and
technological capabilities--could radically improve the basis for
decision making on S2S timescales. There are also emerging science and
technical capabilities that make rapid advances in S2S forecasts more
likely than envisioned even 5 years ago.''
Preliminary experimental work being performed by NOAA's Earth
Systems Research Laboratory (ESRL) under a contract with the California
Department of Water Resources developed a preliminary statistical model
for S2S precipitation using sea surface temperatures and sea level
pressure. This work demonstrates a potential opportunity for improving
S2S forecasting precipitation through NOAA investment in statistical
modeling.
NOAA outlooks now rely heavily on the El Nino-Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) as a source of predictability. NOAA's early winter forecast in
2014 called for a weak to moderate El Nino with above-normal
precipitation for California. ENSO conditions were neutral and
California had one of its driest years on record. In 2015, NOAA
correctly predicted the onset of very strong El Nino conditions, but
the expectation of a wet Southern California and dry Pacific Northwest
was met with continued drought in Southern California and flooding in
the Pacific Northwest, illustrating how much work remains to be done to
improve seasonal forecasting.
NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) tracks
U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (https://
www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions). The 2012 drought was the most extensive
drought to affect the U.S. since the 1930s, with moderate to extreme
drought conditions affecting more than half the country. Estimated
losses totaled $34.8 billion. Drought in the West and Plains States in
2013 caused an estimated $11.7 billion in losses. In 2014 California
suffered its worst drought of record, and together with other States,
losses were estimated at $4.4 billion. The western drought of 2015 cost
$5 billion and in 2016 a Southeast and Northeast drought cost $3.8
billion. Similarly, drought costs across the Nation have been estimated
at $2.7 billion in 2017, $3.1 billion in 2018, and $4.5 billion in
2020. These numbers don't include related wildfire losses, or losses
due to floods. This year the West is experiencing another drought, the
costs of which will be significant.
Better S2S forecasts would help inform decision-making and help
mitigate such losses. This $15 million request for a pilot project to
accelerate research and improve S2S predictive capabilities is a small
investment, compared to the potential savings nationwide.
______
Prepared Statement of the Western States Water Council
nasa's applied earth science research programs
The Western States Water Council (WSWC) is a policy advisory body
representing 18 States. Members are appointed by their respective
governors. Since 1965, the WSWC has long been involved in western water
conservation, development, protection, and management issues, as well
as promoting development and advancement of earth science, particularly
water-related data acquisition, management and dissemination.
The WSWC championed the placement of a thermal infrared (TIR)
imager on Landsat 8 and the expedited construction and launch of
Landsat 9 with TIR capabilities. We strongly support innovation to
provide similar next generation National Land Imaging Program data--
including thermal imaging capabilities--while exploring the potential
for medium and longer-term advances in technology, design and future
capabilities to meet existing and future uses. Landsat TIR data is used
extensively by western States and others to measure and monitor
agricultural and other outdoor water uses and needs. It is increasingly
important for present and future management of our scarce water
resources and is an excellent example of the application of basic
science pioneered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA).
In the West, the agricultural and water communities have benefited
tremendously from the use of moderate resolution thermal satellite data
to map out, measure and monitor consumptive water use. Agriculture is
by far the largest consumer of water in the West, and better managing
that use is an essential component of both water and food security, as
well as sustainable economic development and environmental protection.
Increasing demands for water related to growth and changing values are
leading to more and more transfers of water from agriculture to other
uses, with resulting challenges in maintaining viable rural
agricultural communities. Many western States are using Landsat thermal
data to protect water rights and manage water use.
NASA has identified the ``water and energy cycle'' and ``water
resources'' as topics to support in the agency's research and
applications programs respectively. The Council strongly supports and
works cooperatively to advance linkages between NASA's capabilities and
water managers' needs, working with NASA/JPL's Western Water
Applications Office (WWAO). WWAO's mission is to ``connect the drops''
and improve how water is managed in the arid western U.S. by getting
NASA science, data and technology into the hands of water managers and
decision makers. Connection, data and innovation are at the heart of
WWAO.
The Council urges the Congress to appropriate sufficient funds to
support and enhance WWAO's and NASA's focus on research for water
resources applications, as well as to promote long-term engagement with
State and regional agencies in the western United States responsible
for water management and water policy--so as to maximize benefits to
the public from NASA's existing and future investments in Earth
observations, Earth system models and systems engineering.
The WSWC also calls on the Congress to plan for and provide
resources for long-term continuity of observations and the transition
from research to operations (R2O), such as the use of Landsat TIR
sensor data. The Open Evapotranspiration (OpenET) software system and
data platform is another example of the use of NASA TIRs data through
an operational use partnership (https://openetdata.org/). OpenET is a
collaboration involving scientists from Federal agencies and academic
institutions using satellite and weather data to map consumptive water
use/evapotranspiration (ET) at the individual field scale.
Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is another tool that
NASA has used to measure land subsidence due to groundwater extraction,
and its use has been demonstrated as part of NASA's Airborne Snow
Observatory (ASO) for estimating snowpack conditions. Additional
airborne and spaceborne remote sensing research and observations have
the potential to provide information on varied temporal and spatial
scales that could with sustained engagement focus on the R2O transition
and ultimately be useful for water resources planning, management and
decision-making.
NASA's work with the California Department of Water Resources on
applications for use of remote sensing information has demonstrated
that the potential exists for repurposing data collected from certain
present NASA missions for water management applications, and that
additional potential exists for research applications with sensors
planned in future Decadal Survey missions such as the NASA-ISRO
Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), which is designed to observe and take
measurements of the planet's crust and disturbances, including
subsidence due to groundwater pumping. The successful transfer of
technology from the research domain to the applications domain is
dependent, in part, on continuing communication between researchers and
those responsible for resource management and policy decisions and a
long-term commitment to maintaining such communication.
Much of the West is currently experiencing unprecedented drought
conditions. Currently, nearly all of our 18 member States are suffering
from severe to exceptional drought, with half afflicted by the latter,
the driest condition represented on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale
(www.drought.gov). Agricultural interests are hit hardest as crops,
feed, and forage deteriorate and rise in cost, threatening farmers,
ranchers, and dairies. In some cases, producers are culling herds.
Municipal water shortages are also possible, particularly for rural
communities. Dry, hot, and windy weather combined with dried out
vegetation has wildfires on the rise. Western States are using NASA
tools to monitor drought-related impacts and consumptive water uses and
needs.
Thank you for the opportunity to express our support for various
NASA programs and missions the application of which support western
water management.
______
Prepared Statement of the Wildlife Conservation Society
funding for the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa)
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) would like to thank Chair
Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and the Members of the subcommittee for
providing this opportunity to submit testimony in support of funding in
the fiscal year 2022 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Sanctuaries Program, the
National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources funding
for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale and for
Regional Ocean Data Portals within the Coastal Zone Management Grants
and Services funding line.
WCS was founded with the help of Theodore Roosevelt in 1895 with
the mission of saving wildlife and wild places worldwide. Today, WCS
manages the largest network of urban wildlife parks in the United
States. Visited by 4 million people annually, the network includes our
flagship, the Bronx Zoo, as well as the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn.
Globally, our goal is to conserve the world's most important wild
places, focusing on 14 priority regions that are home to more than 50
percent of the world's biodiversity. We have offices and field programs
in more than 60 countries and with our partners manage more than 200
million acres of protected areas around the world, employing more than
4,000 staff including about 200 Ph.D. scientists and 100 veterinarians.
Working in all the world's oceans, WCS combines its expertise in the
field, aquarium and zoos to achieve its conservation mission both in
New York and around the world. In our view, the largest threats facing
marine wildlife and habitats require innovative, science-based
solutions that balance conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.
The future of our ocean and coastal resources--and our National
well-being--depends on a strong NOAA. For these reasons, we support
robust investment in the Federal Government's premier ocean science,
conservation and management agency. We ask that the subcommittee
Members use this additional investment in NOAA in the fiscal year 2022
Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations bill to
increase investments in the National Marine Sanctuaries Program, North
Atlantic right whale conservation and regional ocean data portals.
NOAA--National Marine Sanctuaries Program--$84.503 Million: The
National Marine Sanctuary System is our essential network of protected
waters held in trust for all Americans. Marine sanctuaries and
monuments are home to millions of species, preserve our Nation's
maritime heritage, and promote access for exploration and world-class
outdoor recreation. The conservation and sustainable use of marine
ecosystems and biodiversity are vital to maintaining a healthy ocean
and Great Lakes, addressing the climate crisis, and underpinning
productive coastal economies.
The United States is an ocean nation containing 3.4 million square
nautical miles of ocean-larger than the combined land area of all 50
States. The National Marine Sanctuary Program serves as trustee for 14
ecologically and culturally significant ocean and Great Lakes sites.
The system works with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote
responsible, sustainable ocean uses that ensure the health of our most
valued ocean places. A healthy ocean is the basis for thriving
recreation, tourism and commercial activities that drive coastal
economies. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries also leads the
National Marine Protected Areas Center, the Nation's hub for building
innovative partnerships and tools to protect our special ocean.
WCS strongly supports the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment
to 30x30 goals--conserving at least 30 percent of the world's lands and
oceans by 2030 (30x30). U.S. implementation of 30x30 provides a
critical foundation for global success on biodiversity conservation,
mitigating and adapting to climate change through natural climate
solutions, and preventing zoonotic spillover that causes pandemics such
as COVID-19. It provides an opportunity for improved inter-agency
coordination, as well as alignment, and synergy among existing and new
laws, regulations, and mechanisms to enhance habitat protection. 30x30
can also provide a pathway to reconciliation of the issues of equity
and justice that underlie conservation in this country by honoring and
elevating the role of Indigenous Nations in any 30x30 strategy.
Although there are places that merit all protections that U.S. law
can provide, working lands and busy waters also play a critical role in
meeting the Nation's 30x30 goals. As such, the National Marine
Sanctuaries Program which balances conservation and sustainable use
must be an integral part of the U.S. response. The program needs
additional resources to support existing Sanctuaries as well as to
initiate the public-facing, stakeholder-driven process to designate new
Sanctuaries in areas that NOAA has determined are worthy of
designation. While there is no Sanctuary in the New York Bight, WCS
nominated Hudson Canyon as a National Marine Sanctuary in 2016. Located
just 100 miles from the Statue of Liberty, NOAA determined it is a site
of ecological and economic importance and placed the nomination in its
inventory of successful nominations. WCS's nomination recommended a
Hudson Sanctuary designation would supplement and complement existing
regulations by ensuring that oil, gas and mineral exploration and
extraction be permanently precluded from a Hudson Sanctuary and that
the existing authorities (e.g. Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council,
the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and NOAA's Highly
Migratory Species Division) continue to regulate fisheries when a
Sanctuary is designated. With increased resources from Congress, WCS
looks forward to NOAA initiating the public-facing, stakeholder driven
designation process for Hudson Canyon.
For these reasons, WCS supports the Biden-Harris Administration's
recommended investment of $85.503m for the fiscal year 2022 Sanctuaries
and Marine Protected Areas ORF as detailed in the President's Budget
Request and Congressional Justification.
NOAA--Office of Protected Species, funding for North Atlantic Right
Whale conservation within Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, and Others
Species, $20 Million: NOAA's Office of Protected Species is responsible
for the conservation, protection and recovery of more than 150
endangered and threatened marine species under the Endangered Species,
including the North Atlantic right whale. The Office is also
responsible for the management and protection of all whales, dolphins,
porpoises, seals, and sea lions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Fewer than 360 North Atlantic right whales remain on Earth, with as
few as 90 breeding-aged females. While the 17 newborn calves sighted
this winter offer an emblem of hope, right whale deaths still outnumber
births by a margin of three to two. We are facing an emergency
situation: this species cannot recover without a significant reduction
to the high level of mortality they are currently experiencing,
including from ship strikes in high trafficked areas such as New York
and New Jersey waters. Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation
Society, in collaboration with partners that include the Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, monitor right whales and other marine
mammals as they migrate through New York's busy waters. The New York
Bight is used for shipping, fishing, and wind farm development, yet the
impacts of these activities on whales is poorly understood. Eight
million dollars out of $20 million is needed to increase investments in
research, monitoring and management related to vessel strikes and
fishing gear entanglements by NOAA. With this funding, managers,
stakeholders and the public will be able to contribute to the
conservation of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
NOAA--Coastal Zone Management Grants and Services, Regional Data
Portals, $10 Million: The ocean is increasingly crowded and conflicts
arising from current and emerging offshore ocean uses present unique
management challenges. These challenges must be addressed regionally,
including collaboration between regions, and holistically with States,
Tribes, fishery management councils, Federal agencies, and other ocean
users across all sectors, including industry and conservation partners.
Regional Ocean Partnerships (ROPs), convened by coastal State
governors, are already structured to maximize interagency collaboration
on cross-jurisdictional ocean and coastal matters and many have been
efficient models for convening all ocean users.
Ocean data portals developed by ROPs are designed to maximize
interagency collaboration on cross-jurisdictional ocean and coastal
matters while also providing an important tool for stakeholder
engagement and public education. Both ROPs and the publicly accessible
ocean data portals they manage serve a key coordinating function,
working to enhance a common understanding among stakeholders and
agencies about ocean resources and their use. This leads to improved
management decisions that help cut costs, benefit our business
ventures, boost our scientific understanding, and conserve ocean
ecosystems. WCS relies on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the
Ocean (MARCO) data portal to inform our conservation work. We also use
this unique tool to inspire and educate teachers and students about
marine conservation.
WCS appreciates the opportunity to share its perspective and to
make a case for increases in Federal investments in conservation in the
fiscal year 2022 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act. As an ocean nation, Americans depend on Federal
investment in NOAA programs that are rooted in marine science and
stakeholder engagement. These investments will help us balance marine
conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide details on these WCS
requests to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Appropriations subcommittee in preparation for the fiscal year 2022
Appropriations Act. WCS marine science and policy experts are available
to the subcommittee should there be any follow up questions.
Contact: Noah Chesnin, Associate Director, New York Seascape
Program, nchesnin@wcs.org