Sam Farr: “The bill we debate today cuts NOAA funding by 15 percent when compared to fiscal year 2004 levels. The decision to cut…”

“The bill we debate today cuts NOAA funding by 15 percent when compared to fiscal year 2004 levels. The decision to cut the funding of vital NOAA programs flies in the face of two in-depth oceans studies, The Preliminary Report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission Report, both released during the past year. These two reports document the crises facing our oceans--crises, as noted by the reports, which require attention now. Today. Unfortunately, instead of using the findings of the two reports to take steps forward, we will in fact be taking many steps backward if we decide to under-fund NOAA programs, especially those within the National Ocean Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.”