An amendment to a congressional spending bill that protects research by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which tracks extreme and climate change, was approved by the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
The amendment was steered into the funding bill late Wednesday through a bipartisan effort led by U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman, D-Weston, and South Florida lawmakers U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart R-Miami, and U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Boca Raton.
The amendment comes in the wake of this year’s massive Trump administration cuts and layoffs at NOAA. Experts say the vacancies pose dangerous consequences for people if extreme weather warnings are slowed.
In a statement, Wasserman Schultz said the $2 billion in funding cuts and staff freezes forced Congress to take action, saying the amendment protects NOAA’s ability to keep American families safer from deadly hurricanes or extreme storms.
“Right before hurricane season started, the staff at South and Central Florida NOAA facilities were already being gutted,” Wasserman Schultz said. “Our most senior news meteorologist in South Florida warned viewers, on air, that he may be unable to provide accurate forecasts due to a lack of critical data.”
“This cannot continue to happen to an agency as vital as NOAA,” she said. “Every minute of warning could mean hundreds of fewer funerals.
The funding bill, including the amendment, now moves to the full House for a vote.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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