Richard Shelby: “I want to first commend the chairman and the ranking member for their skill in crafting this bill. I am particulary…”

“I want to first commend the chairman and the ranking member for their skill in crafting this bill. I am particulary pleased that the committee reported bill has included an additional $100 million for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration over that proposed by the House. As the chairman knows, NASA is an important part of the Huntsville-Madison County, AL, economy, and I am grateful for the chairman's willingness to add these extra funds for NASA's 1997 budget. I would like to make the chairman aware of an important project in north Alabama. Since 1994, NASA, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the Universities Space Research Association have jointly run a Global Hydrology and Climate Center [GHCC] in Huntsville. Since its creation, the center has developed a unique expertise in studying the importance of the Earth's hydrologic cycle and its importance to climate change. The GHCC has created a state-of-the-art capability and understanding the importance of water vapor and its effect on greenhouse gases. In addition to this basic research, the center has developed important applications that demonstrate the links between better understanding of hydrology and more cost-effective use and regulation of natural resources in the southeastern United States.”