[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 185 (Wednesday, December 5, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2501-E2502]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING 200 YEARS OF RESEARCH, SERVICE, AND STEWARDSHIP BY NOAA AND 
                        ITS PREDECESSOR AGENCIES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 4, 2007

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H. Con. Res. 147) 
     recognizing 200 years of research, service to the

[[Page E2502]]

     people of the United States, and stewardship of the marine 
     environment by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration and its predecessor agencies, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, for their 200 years of dedicated 
research and service to the United States.
  NOAA and its predecessors conducted some of the earliest 
oceanographic research and have continued to serve the United States 
for commerce, defense, and environmental purposes. NOAA is a leader for 
scientific research and environmental monitoring and protection, 
providing an outstanding example to the international community.
  NOAA continues that storied legacy in the 21st century with and 
oceanographic monitoring, the protection of our natural resources, its 
stewardship of the marine environment, and as our first line of warning 
for storms and hurricanes.
  NOAA programs have provided invaluable service to commerce and 
defense, serving throughout the country's history in war and peacetime; 
more than 100 million maps and charts for U.S. and Allied Forces.
  Their programs promote safe and efficient commerce/transportation and 
work toward the advancement of a global environmental observation 
system. Programs also include missions for the conservation of marine 
resources, coastal management, and protection from storms and other 
hazards--especially Gulf Coast hurricanes.
  NOAA's National Weather Service/Weather Forecast Offices at the 
Corpus Christi International Airport and the Brownsville/South Padre 
Island International Airport provide weather and flood warnings, daily 
forecasts, and meteorological and hydrologic data for the South Texas 
Gulf Coast area.
  NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service/Seafood Inspection Program 
in Brownsville offers a voluntary inspection program for fishery 
products on a fee-for-service basis, as well as other services to local 
fishermen and fish processors.
  NOAA's National Ocean Service operates seven tide stations in Texas 
to monitor sea level trends, provide real-time data for storm surge 
warning, including South Texas locations in Corpus Christi and Port 
Isabel.
  This week I will greet NOAA researchers in my district who are 
seeking a new location for a weather research center. I look forward to 
welcoming these distinguished researchers and discussing their needs 
for the future weather research center.

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