'There Is Too Much At Risk': Suzanne Bonamici Shreds Trump, GOP Over Cuts To Public Weather Services

Forbes Breaking News

During a House Science Committee hearing prior to the congressional recess, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-WA) spoke about cuts to NOAA and NWS in the Republican budget.

Transcript

00:00I now recognize my colleague from Oregon, Ms. Bonamici, for five minutes of questions.

00:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, and thank you to the witnesses.

00:09I also want to acknowledge, I know Chairman Babbitt was here, his personal connection to the tragedy in Texas.

00:17So this is a time when Americans are facing increasingly deadly storms and floods and heat waves,

00:22so accurate and timely weather forecasts are critical.

00:25Instead of strengthening NOAA, which is, of course, the backbone of our weather enterprise,

00:30the Trump administration is slashing funds, gutting staff, and continuing its ongoing pursuit to privatize essential functions.

00:38Now, I want to follow up on my key member Amo's comments.

00:41This is the weather forecasting bill of, people say, 2017, but I've been working on this since 2013,

00:47and it took a while to get there, and I do support public-private partnerships,

00:52but I also want to emphasize that NOAA and the National Weather Service are critical for operational integrity

00:58and public safety and access.

01:00We cannot sideline the essential scientific research that powers our forecasting system,

01:05and much of the innovation we see in weather forecasting, which is a good thing,

01:09derives from decades of federally-funded basic research and open NOAA data sets.

01:15So does the private sector have a responsibility to build on rather than replace NOAA's public mission?

01:20If you could just answer it, and I hope you can keep this a yes or no, just because I have other questions.

01:24Mr. Cabot?

01:26Absolutely.

01:27Dr. Nielsen-Gammon?

01:28Yes.

01:29Dr. Abdilladi?

01:30Yes.

01:31Dr. Gupta?

01:32Yes.

01:33Thank you so much.

01:34So, Mr. Cabot, how do you and other industry leaders plan to deliver forecasting products that enhance NOAA's services?

01:40What safeguards should Congress consider so this remains a successful partnership?

01:44Well, Congresswoman, we already benefit greatly, as you said, from both the research and the operational tools

01:50that NOAA and other agencies have developed in this industry.

01:54But there's also a bit of a paradigm shift that's happening where the private sector is also contributing

02:00that level of scientific input and innovation and building tools to help complement the data that NOAA has

02:06and providing data to NOAA to fill gaps that it has as well.

02:10In terms of safeguards, you know, I think having independent third-party validations, making sure that the data is sound,

02:17making sure that it's reliable because it protects lives and property is critical.

02:21Thank you so much.

02:22And, Dr. Abdilladi, since the beginning of this year and Donald Trump's inauguration,

02:27at least 1,500 NOAA employees, including meteorologists, data scientists, technical staff, were terminated or forced to resign.

02:35Several cooperative institutes, which are critical, as you know, have not received federal funding.

02:40And, in fact, some of the administration is calling for the complete elimination of CIs.

02:45So NOAA's cooperative institutes produce more than half of the agency's lab research, including validation of AI forecasting models.

02:52So what would the administration's proposal of eliminating CIs mean for the future of accurate weather forecasting innovation?

02:59And who would be harmed if that research is no longer publicly available?

03:03In short, it would be devastating because it would remove the capability, some of which could be taken over or is complemented by industry.

03:13But sometimes we delve in to understand for the purpose of understanding that ultimately delivers the benefits of that understanding

03:22without an eye toward sort of closing a business case, which is necessary for private entities.

03:30As far as who would be harmed by that, the American people.

03:35And also some of these cuts, we train the next generation.

03:40So the American people would be harmed for generations to come.

03:43We've already got people who've lost grants, who've had them pulled back,

03:47that can't carry out the work that they successfully competed for that ultimately would benefit.

03:53And I assure you that's a serious concern of many members of this committee.

03:56And, again, Dr. Abdelati, you talked about people.

04:00And I know Dr. Nielsen-Gammon, you mentioned this as well.

04:02But I want to emphasize, I sat in this room and where you sit today,

04:07we had a whole discussion about the importance of social science and the social scientists,

04:12their contribution, especially in improving weather warning systems for clarity to reduce confusion.

04:20So if you could just comment on the importance of having that input as well as the hard science

04:25to have that social science and what it means in terms of, I mean,

04:28I represent a district on the Pacific Northwest, and I know Dr. Gupta,

04:32you know this being from Washington State.

04:34We have a Cascadia subduction zone.

04:36We need good tsunami warnings.

04:38And they need to be accurate and timely and conveyed in a way that's urgent.

04:44So if you could just comment on the importance of that full range of science.

04:47It's critical, and I included that in my written testimony.

04:50But ultimately, the value of the work is fully realized when we understand how people absorb information,

04:59use it, react to it, and act on it.

05:02So social science informs that.

05:06And so it's critical.

05:07And I will say that tends to be done in the universities at the cooperative institutes.

05:13The federal agencies, NOAA in particular, does not really have a budget to support social science

05:18except what's done through the cooperative institutes.

05:20I appreciate that.

05:21I'm also on the education committee and fighting against the attacks on higher education.

05:25So thank you.

05:26As I yield back, I just want to emphasize we need to invest in NOAA.

05:30Lives and livelihoods are at stake.

05:32There is too much at risk.

05:33Thank you again, and I yield back.

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