National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013

Floor Speech

Mr. HALL. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2431, a bill to reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System.

I want to thank Chairman SMITH for his good work in bringing this bill to the House floor and for his bipartisan support. I also want to thank the gentleman and Representative BEN LUJÁN of New Mexico for joining me as an original sponsor. In 1998, Congress passed the National Drought Policy Act, establishing a Commission to provide recommendations on Federal drought policies.

The concept of creating a national drought monitoring and information system was proposed by the Commission in its 2000 report and promoted by various stakeholders, including the Western Governors' Association and in the 2004 report, ``Creating a Drought Early Warning System for the 21st Century.'' I was pleased to become involved in this effort with former Congressman and now-Senator Mark Udall and to introduce the NIDIS Act of 2006, which Congress passed and became public law.

NIDIS is administered within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NIDIS established the U.S. Drought Portal, which has become a very valuable resource for decisionmakers at the Federal, State, and local levels, and for farmers, businessmen, and individuals.

This Web site provides current data for weather observations, early warnings about droughts, and support services for managing droughts. The Web site includes the U.S. Drought Monitor map, another valuable feature that is updated weekly. For example, according to the most recent Drought Monitor map, about 21 percent of the U.S. is experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions. More than 56 percent of the country has abnormally dry to exceptional drought conditions.

Madam Speaker, NIDIS is an example of a program that is working effectively and that has broad support. Rather than creating a new government bureaucracy, NIDIS represents a collaborative framework between Federal, states, and academic partners.

The NIDIS reauthorization will improve interagency coordination, early warnings, critical data sharing, and decision services related to drought. The bill encourages further research, monitoring, and forecasting, along with further development of regional early warning systems.

Madam Speaker, reauthorizing NIDIS will strengthen this important program and will help our State, it will help the local, and it will help the Federal officials, farmers, and water managers better prepare for and respond to drought.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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