[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 85 (Thursday, June 29, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED 
                   AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. NEIL ABERCROMBIE

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 26, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4690) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and 
     State, the Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes:

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman Young, 
Ranking Member Obey, Subcommittee Chairman Regula, Ranking Member 
Serrano, and the other Members of the Commerce, Justice, State, and the 
Judiciary Appropriations Subcommittee and Appropriations Committee for 
their obvious hard efforts in producing H.R. 4690. I have strong 
reservations about the funding cuts that the bill imposes on the 
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The bill funds 
NOAA at a level 61 percent below the Administration's request and could 
result in the elimination of 1,000 NOAA jobs. If this happens, it will 
have a devastating effect on the critical research, fisheries 
management, water quality, and community-based educational programs 
which are absolutely necessary to our country's vitality and continued 
strength.
  Mr. Chairman, this country is witnessing the largest federal 
government surplus in history. I believe that part of this money should 
be returned to the American people. I believe that we should be 
investing part of the surplus in America's future. NOAA plays an 
essential role in the lives of all Americans. From issuing weather 
forecasts to managing our nation's ocean and living marine resources, 
NOAA contributes significantly to the nation's economic and 
environmental health. Nearly one out of every six jobs is marine-
related and one-third of our Gross Domestic Product is produced in 
ocean and coastal areas.
  I am particularly upset that the Committee has chosen to cut all 
funding, $16 million requested by the Administration, for coral reef 
research and conservation efforts. Coral reefs truly are the 
``rainforests of the oceans.'' There have been many concerted efforts 
by the Administration, Congress, states, and local communities to 
protect and safely manage corals. Since the release by the Coral Reef 
Task Force of its National Action Plan in March, NOAA and its Federal, 
state, territorial, and local partners have moved forward to improve 
our protection of these valuable and fragile areas. I am presently 
involved in bipartisan legislation that will contribute to the 
effective stewardship of coral reefs. NOAA is an important partner in 
the process, since many corals fall within its purview. All of the 
efforts supported by NOAA will be terminated at the proposed funding 
level, and threaten to harm the ecological and economic stability in 
our nation's waters where corals reside.
  Mr. Chairman, some may ask whether we can afford, or even need, all 
the services that NOAA provides. However, at a time when there is an 
even greater need for accurate weather information to protect the lives 
of our people and the well-being of our agricultural communities, at a 
time when our fisheries are at risk, at a time when development is 
booming in coastal communities, and at a time when we have the 
additional financial resources, I ask, how can we afford not to provide 
the Administration's request for NOAA, which has the capability to 
provide the expertise which is so vitally important to the continued 
stewardship of our marine resources? NOAA has been a valuable federal 
partner in contributing to our nation's economic potency by providing 
the knowledge required for effective stewardship of our coastal 
resources. Investing in NOAA will ensure we can continue to safely 
conserve our coastal and oceanic resources for generations to come. I 
sincerely hope that these concerns will receive consideration when the 
House goes to conference with the Senate on H.R. 4690.

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