Date: 2014-09-08
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 5309. the "Tsunami Warning. Education. and Research Act of 2014". First. I want to thank the Ranking Member of the Environment Subcommittee. Ms. BONAMICI. for her work on this legislation and her commitment to maintaining the health and vitality of the Nations oceans and coastal communities. I would also like to thank Mr. ROHRABACHER for joining her in this bipartisan effort. And finally. I want to thank the Chairman of the Science Committee. Mr. SMITH. for helping to move this bipartisan bill to the floor today. Over 120 million Americans call the United States coastline their home. These coastal communitiesfrom major cities to small townsplay a vital role in sustaining the American economy. supporting commercial fishing enterprises. tourism. and maritime commerce. In fact. approximately onethird of the U.S. gross domestic product has its origins in coastal areas. That is why the bill we are considering today is so important. It would reauthorize the Tsunami Warning and Education Act of 2006. and allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to continue to protect Americans and our coastal economies from the threat of tsunami. This legislation is a perfect example of a familiar saying: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Our tsunami warning program has been effective over the last eight years. but we must remain vigilant in our preparedness and continue to invest in the research and development. and education and outreach. necessary to improve the resiliency of our coastal communities to these destructive waves. We were reminded in 2004 in Sumatra. and again in 2011 in Japan. of the devastation that can be caused by a tsunami. Since the United States has not been struck by a major tsunami since 1964. I think it is useful to put the potential threat into perspective. I know I do not have to remind anyone of the amount of damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. A single tsunami event in the United States could dwarf the devastation caused by either of those disasters. Billions and billions of dollars in economic damages and countless lives are at risk if we do not maintain. and improve. our tsunami detection and forecasting capabilities. H.R. 5309 advances NOAAs research efforts to do just that and may ultimately add minutes of critical response time to tsunami warnings. The bill also recognizes that the results of NOAAs research must be translated into outreach and education activities at the state and local level. The effective and timely communication of threats is critical in mitigating the impacts of a natural disaster. Increased warning times are only effective if people know how to respond. I am pleased that this legislation emphasizes and supports local community preparedness. Resiliency to natural disasters is an important part of strengthening the nations economic security. I want to ensure that our coastal communities have the resources and tools they need to minimize the loss of life and property caused by a tsunami. Reauthorizing NOAAs tsunami activities by passing H.R. 5309 is a key step in helping to do just that. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.