[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E835-E836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGECIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2020

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2019

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3055) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, 
     Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2020, and for other purposes:

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Chair, I wish to comment in support of 
the amendment to H.R. 3055 offered by Representative Lizzie Fletcher, 
Chair of the Environment Subcommittee of the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology. This amendment would require the Administrator 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, to 
contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and 
Medicine to undertake an inaugural decadal study of the U.S. weather 
enterprise.
  Most Americans utilize weather forecasts on a daily basis. 
Increasingly, businesses across the country are relying on specialized 
weather forecasts to make business decisions. With climate change 
causing severe weather events to become more frequent and intense, like 
the hurricanes that impact my state, accurate and timely weather 
forecasts can be the difference between whether or not people need to 
evacuate their homes.
  However, while the U.S. is a global leader in atmospheric and weather 
research, the nation is falling behind in weather modeling and forecast 
accuracy. These forecasts are essential for the protection of human 
lives and property. There is a need to understand how the members of 
the U.S. weather enterprise, which is comprised of public, private, and 
academic partners, can better define their roles to increase the 
overall efficiency of the enterprise, leverage and prioritize 
investments, and improve weather models and forecast accuracy.
  A decadal survey would provide policymakers with the relevant 
information to prioritize investments in weather forecasting, modeling, 
and data assimilation over the next ten years; assess the current U.S. 
weather enterprise; and evaluate future potential federal investments 
in research, weather satellites, radars, and other observation 
technologies to ensure that all domestic users of weather information 
receive it in the most efficient and effective manner possible. The 
decadal survey would also evaluate the implementation of the Weather 
Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 by NOAA, which is the 
most recent and comprehensive federal mandate aimed at improving 
weather forecasts.
  The National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering have 
previously conducted a number of important decadal surveys for various 
areas of science, including space and Earth sciences, which have been 
widely viewed as providing successful roadmaps for the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration and NOAA in prioritizing future 
research, observations, and missions. Similarly, a weather decadal 
survey would create a shared vision for the next generation of the U.S. 
weather enterprise. The need for a terrestrial weather decadal survey 
was a topic of discussion at the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology's Environment Subcommittee hearing on the U.S. weather 
enterprise in May.
  Momentum and support for a weather decadal survey have been growing 
over the last couple of years, and I include in the Record a letter 
from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in 
support of this amendment. UCAR represents over 100 of the leading U.S. 
colleges and universities providing training in atmospheric sciences.
  I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
         University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Office 
           of the President,
                                                    June 20, 2019.
     Hon. Jose Serrano,
     Chair, Committee on Appropriations,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Robert Aderholt,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Appropriations,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Serrano and Ranking Member Aderholt: As 
     president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric 
     Research (UCAR) and on behalf of our 117 member universities, 
     I am writing to express our support for Representative 
     Fletcher's Amendment #110 for H.R. 3055, the Commerce, 
     Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 
     which would create an inaugural decadal survey of the U.S. 
     weather enterprise.
       A decadal survey for the U.S. weather enterprise would help 
     policymakers and relevant agencies prioritize investments and 
     coordinate efforts more effectively in the near- and long-
     term, as well as help industry and academia understand how to 
     best assist agencies in working towards common goals. This 
     decadal survey will assist the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in achieving its 
     initiatives outlined in the Weather Research and Forecasting 
     Innovation Act of 2017, which include developing a formal 
     plan for weather research, developing an annual report on the 
     state of its weather models, improving its watch-and-warning 
     system based on recommendations from social and behavioral 
     scientists, and other provisions.
       Between 1989 and 2000, the nation invested an estimated 
     $4.5 billion to modernize and restructure the National 
     Weather Service (NWS), and to improve severe weather warning 
     times and forecast accuracy. While the NWS has made 
     significant strides since that time and further bolstered its 
     supercomputing assets and modeling capabilities, it stands at 
     a critical juncture. It must decide how to replace numerous 
     weather satellite and groundbased radar stations, which are 
     rapidly aging and becoming obsolete, with new technologies 
     and capabilities. Advancements in digital radar technologies 
     from academia and other federal agencies, as well as numerous 
     industry and non-federally provided surface, boundary layer, 
     and satellite observations, need to be integrated into an 
     overall strategy, an effort whose value extends beyond its 
     direct benefit to the NWS.
       The National Academies Board on Atmospheric Sciences and 
     Climate (BASC) has already announced plans to ``outline a 
     vision for the U.S. weather enterprise over the next 10-25 
     years'' but need funding to execute the study. The study 
     would aim to identify a community vision and framework for 
     coordination as well as critical investments, institutions, 
     and mechanisms needed to achieve them. Over the past year and 
     a half, BASC has worked to garner support from the U.S. 
     weather enterprise's three primary sectors: the federal 
     government, academia, and industry. The study would address 
     many of the challenges the weather community has grappled 
     with over the last decade, including the appropriate balance 
     and coordination of efforts between the three sectors.
       The current study proposal describes the weather enterprise 
     as having entered ``a time of rapid change,'' with 
     technological advances in artificial intelligence, computing, 
     and sensors bringing new challenges and opportunities. It 
     also notes the community is ``on the brink of unprecedented 
     improvements'' in areas such as hyper-local, subseasonal-to-
     seasonal, and impact-based weather forecasting. Meanwhile, 
     the growing and evolving role of the private sector continues 
     to generate opportunities for exciting innovations, but also 
     could create a more complicated landscape for the weather 
     enterprise. A decadal survey would create a process for 
     regular assessment of the weather enterprise, ensuring the 
     latest innovation, technology, and information are used to 
     design and operationalize weather data and forecast systems.
       The boundaries of the weather enterprise operations have 
     been driven by the science into new forecast areas, and the 
     weather, water and climate enterprise needs to consider doing 
     what we have done in the area of earth observations, and 
     start planning over ten year periods. Given the implications 
     of water and weather, I urge this Committee to strongly 
     consider supporting Amendment #110 of H.R. 3055 for the 
     weather community. There is widespread recognition that with 
     limited resources our community must present Congress and the 
     Administration with priorities. A decadal process will allow 
     us to prioritize what has to be done and do so in recognition 
     of the current fiscal realities.
           Sincerely,

                                        Antonio J. Busalacchi,

                                 President, University Corporation
                                         for Atmospheric Research.

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