[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

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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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