Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5309) to authorize and strengthen the tsunami detection, forecast, warning, research, and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.
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Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5309, the bill now under consideration.
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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5309, the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2014, amends and strengthens the Tsunami Warning and Education Act of 2006. It reauthorizes an important program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and sharpens its focus on tsunami detection, forecasts, and warnings.
The recent absence of tsunami disasters here in the U.S. does not mean we should stand by as spectators. The threat is very real. The tsunami resulting from the 2011 earthquake in Japan caused massive destruction and is a vivid reminder of the need for enhanced early warning capabilities.
Tsunamis pose a similar threat to America's coastline. They have the ability to injure Americans, damage property, and harm the economy.
This bill updates the tsunami forecasting and warning program operated by NOAA. It modernizes and enhances the accuracy of forecasts, improves standards and guidelines for mapping and modeling tsunamis, and supports research efforts related to tsunami science.
H.R. 5309 expands outreach responsibilities of the NOAA administrator to coordinate with State and local emergency managers to improve tsunami education and awareness. This will help develop resilient communities in the face of tsunamis and other coastal hazards.
This bill strengthens scientific research on these phenomena, fosters outreach programs, and advances technological forecasts to better understand and respond to disasters when they occur.
I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), the vice chairman of the Science Committee; our Environment Subcommittee ranking member, Ms. Bonamici of Oregon; and the ranking member of the full committee, Ms. Johnson of Texas, for their initiative on this bipartisan legislation.
I really want to single out the gentlewoman from Oregon for her efforts on this particular subject. She has engaged this subject for the last several months, has been instrumental in our getting here to the floor today, and it is her initiative that is going to benefit the country.
So I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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