The same week that the National Weather Service reported there had been 100 tornadoes in Oklahoma so far this year along with several fatalities, a U.S. House Committee opened hearings into funding for the agency under which the Weather Service falls.
Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas, who chairs the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, spoke at the hearing for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, expressing disappointment that NOAA had made cuts to some of its programs.
“I cannot stress enough how crucial it is to invest in our country’s weather system,” he declared.
“In the Weather Act Reauthorization, we place additional responsibilities on the Weather and Air Chemistry Research programs within the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and increase authorizations for those programs. 394 Members of Congress voted in support of this effort,” Chairman Lucas said.
“This budget takes the opposite approach and decreases the funding for the OAR office and the Weather and Air Chemistry Research programs.”
Rep. Lucas said he was extremely disappointed to see another decrease in funding for the National Mesonet Program and a continued plan to flat fund Commercial Data Purchases.
“These two programs are golden examples of how NOAA can supplement and even improve their weather data inventory with cheaper, flexible industry efforts.”
The Oklahoma Representative exxplained that in approval the Weather Act Reauthorization, he and others in the House placed more responsibilities on the Weather and Air Chemistry Research programs.
“This budget takes the opposite approach and decreases the funding for the OAR office and the Weather and Air Chemistry Research programs.”
Lucas said what NOAA was proposing in its budget request is a message that “the need for improved early and accurate forecasting of severe weather is not a priority of this Administration.”
