House Science Committee Passes Smith Amendment

Press Release

House Science Committee Passes Smith Amendment

Last night, Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) offered two amendments on drought mitigation efforts and the scientific review process to HR 2704, the National Climate Service Act of 2009. This bill would establish the National Climate Service within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and help define the goals and components of the service.

The overall bill would require the Administration establish a Climate Service Office to expand the delivery of climate services and forecasting to decision-makers.

Smith's first amendment would require the National Integrated Drought Information System to coordinate with state climate offices and Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessment teams to evaluate management practices and technologies currently used for drought mitigation at the state and local level.

Smith's amendment, which passed without opposition, would help alleviate duplication of efforts by coordinating all drought mitigation practices at the federal, state, and local levels.

"Nebraska's Third District has been hard hit in recent years by drought. I have seen first-hand the importance having the necessary steps in place to help mitigate the impacts of drought. Efficient and timely coordination at all levels will go a long way to ensuring the steps are in place. It doesn't make any sense for a federal office to conduct research already occurring or completed at the state or local level," Smith, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, said.

Smith's second amendment, which failed by a vote of 9-17, would have ensured all weather and climate models upon which any climate services and products are based are subject to an in-depth review.

Currently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - which assesses the scientific, technical, and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change - accepts data and publishes reports from every country's climate model.

At this time, there is no uniformity in the data collection and no peer-review of the information.

Smith's amendment would have required the National Climate Service Office to ensure all weather and climate models upon which any climate service and products are based are subject to an open and transparent peer-review process.

"I am disappointed some would wish to fast-track what could be devastating policies without the benefit of having the science upon which the policies are based be peer-reviewed. In the scientific community, peer-review is a necessary and valuable process to ensure accuracy and efficacy, and the science upon which federal policies are based should be held to the same scrutiny," Smith said.

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