Political Quotes

“This amendment provides funding for the Agricultural Weather Service Centers at Stoneville, MI and Auburn, AL and requires the National Weather Service to continue the operation of these important weather centers. This bill calls for the privatization of elements of the National Weather Service [NWS], including services for agriculture and forestry. These weather service centers provide several important services to America's farmers. Millions of dollars and hundreds of family farms are at risk without proper weather information. Many important products and services would be terminated if these centers are closed. Special freeze forecasts, special advisories for extreme weather events, and agricultural weather guidance would all be eliminated. All agricultural climatology services to State and Federal agencies would cease as would all liaison activities with the land grant universities and other agencies. Cooperative research with scientists at all universities would end. Some argue that farmers can obtain the weather services they require from the private sector from the many commercial weather services that operate around the Nation. However, none of the commercial weather services provide the kind of agricultural weather information available from these agricultural weather service centers. Additionally, there are only a very small number of companies that could potentially provide some agricultural services.”