[House Report 110-701]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
110th Congress Rept. 110-701
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session Part 2
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NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2008
_______
July 11, 2008.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Gordon of Tennessee, from the Committee on Science and Technology,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
ADDITIONAL VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 5618]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Science and Technology, to whom was
referred the bill (H.R. 5618) to reauthorize and amend the
National Sea Grant College Program Act, and for other purposes,
having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an
amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Amendment.......................................................2
II. Purpose of the Bill.............................................5
III. Background and Need for the Legislation.........................5
IV. Hearing Summary.................................................6
V. Summary of Committee Actions....................................7
VI. Summary of Major Provisions as Reported.........................8
VII. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill as Reported.............8
VIII. Committee Views................................................10
IX. Cost Estimate..................................................11
X. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate......................11
XI. Compliance With Public Law 104-4...............................12
XII. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations...............12
XIII. Statement on General Performance Goals and Objectives..........12
XIV. Constitutional Authority Statement.............................12
XV. Federal Advisory Committee Statement...........................12
XVI. Congressional Accountability Act...............................12
XVII. Earmark Identification.........................................12
XVIII.Statement on Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law.........13
XIX. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported..........13
XX. Committee Recommendations......................................22
XXI. Additional Views...............................................23
XXII. Proceedings of the Subcommittee Markup.........................25
XXIII.Proceedings of the Full Committee Markup.......................43
I. Amendment
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Sea Grant College Program
Amendments Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Except as otherwise expressly provided therein, whenever in this Act
an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or
repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be
considered to be made to a section or other provision of the National
Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.).
SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Section 202(a) (33 U.S.C. 1121(a)) is amended--
(1) by amending paragraph (1)(D) to read as follows:
``(D) encourage the development of preparation,
forecast, analysis, mitigation, response, and recovery
systems for coastal hazards;'';
(2) in paragraph (2) by striking ``program of research,
education,'' and inserting ``program of integrated research,
education, extension,''; and
(3) by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following:
``(6) The National Ocean Research Priorities Plan and
Implementation Strategy issued by the National Science and
Technology Council's Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and
Technology on January 26, 2007, identifies research priorities
for compelling areas of interaction between society and the
ocean, and calls for the engagement of a broad array of ocean
science sectors (government, academia, industry, and non-
government entities) to address the areas of greatest research
need and opportunity.
``(7) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
through the national sea grant college program, offers the most
suitable locus and means for such commitment and engagement
through the promotion of activities that will result in greater
such understanding, assessment, development, utilization, and
conservation. The most cost-effective way to promote such
activities is through continued and increased Federal support
of the establishment, development, and operation of programs
and projects by sea grant colleges, sea grant institutes, and
other institutions, including strong collaborations between
Administration scientists and research and outreach personnel
at academic institutions.''.
(b) Purpose.--Section 202(c) (33 U.S.C. 1121(c)) is amended by
striking ``to promote research, education, training, and advisory
service activities'' and inserting ``to promote integrated research,
education, training, and extension activities''.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
(a) Amendments.--Section 203 (33 U.S.C. 1122) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (11) by striking ``advisory services'' and
inserting ``extension services'';
(2) in each of paragraphs (12) and (13) by striking ``(33
U.S.C. 1126)''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(17) The term `regional research and information plan'
means a plan developed by one or more sea grant colleges or sea
grant institutes that identifies regional priorities to
implement the National Ocean Research Priorities Plan and
Implementation Strategy.
``(18) The term `National Ocean Research Priorities Plan and
Implementation Strategy' means such plan and strategy issued by
the National Science and Technology Council's Joint
Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology on January 26,
2007.''.
(b) Repeal.--Section 307 of the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for
the designation of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary''
(Public Law 102-251; 106 Stat. 66) is repealed.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM, GENERALLY.
(a) Program Elements.--Section 204(b) (33 U.S.C. 1123(b)) is
amended--
(1) by amending in paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) sea grant programs that comprise a national sea grant
college program network, including international projects
conducted within such programs and regional and national
projects conducted among such programs;'';
(2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) administration of the national sea grant college
program and this title by the national sea grant office and the
Administration;'';
(3) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'';
(4) by amending paragraph (4) to read as follows:
``(4) any regional or national strategic investments in
fields relating to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources
developed in consultation with the board and with the approval
of the sea grant colleges and the sea grant institutes; and'';
and
(5) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(5) methods for the national sea grant college program to
explore the environmental and scientific considerations,
including providing scientifically sound data, relative to the
production of ocean and coastal offshore petroleum, natural
gas, geothermal, wind, and ocean thermal energy resources,
including the siting of energy related facilities in the
coastal zone.''.
(b) Technical Correction.--Section 204(c)(2) (33 U.S.C. 1123(c)(2))
is amended by striking ``Within 6 months of the date of enactment of
the National Sea Grant College Program Reauthorization Act of 1998,
the'' and inserting ``The''.
(c) Functions of Director of National Sea Grant College Program.--
Section 204(d) (33 U.S.C. 1123(d)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``long-range'';
(2) in paragraph (3)(A)--
(A) by striking ``(A)(i) evaluate'' and inserting
``(A) evaluate and assess'';
(B) by striking ``activities; and'' and inserting
``activities;''; and
(C) by striking clause (ii); and
(3) in paragraph (3)(B)--
(A) by redesignating clauses (ii) through (iv) as
clauses (iv) through (vi), respectively, and by
inserting after clause (i) the following:
``(ii) encourage collaborations among sea
grant colleges and sea grant institutes to
address regional and national priorities
established under subsection (c)(1);
``(iii) encourage cooperation with Minority
Serving Institutions--
``(I) to enhance collaborative
research opportunities for faculty and
students in the areas of atmospheric,
oceanic, and environmental sciences,
and remote sensing;
``(II) to improve opportunities for,
and retention of, students and faculty
from Minority Serving Institutions in
the NOAA related sciences; and
``(III) to increase the number of
such students graduating in NOAA
science areas;''; and
(B) in clause (iv) (as so redesignated) by striking
``encourage'' and inserting ``ensuring''.
SEC. 6. PROGRAM OR PROJECT GRANTS AND CONTRACTS.
(a) Exemption From Limitation on Cost Share.--Section 205(a) (33
U.S.C. 1124(a)) is amended in the matter following paragraph (2), by
inserting ``or that are appropriated under section 208(b)'' before the
period at the end.
(b) Special Grants; Maximum Amount.--Section 205(b) (33 U.S.C.
1124(b)) is amended by striking the matter following paragraph (3) and
inserting the following:
``The total amount that may be provided for grants under this
subsection during any fiscal year shall not exceed an amount equal to 5
percent of the total funds appropriated for such year under section
212.''.
SEC. 7. EXTENSION SERVICES BY SEA GRANT COLLEGES AND SEA GRANT
INSTITUTES.
Section 207(a) (33 U.S.C. 1126(a)) is amended in each of paragraphs
(2)(B) and (3)(B) by striking ``advisory services'' and inserting
``extension services''.
SEC. 8. TECHNICAL CORRECTION RELATING TO FELLOWSHIPS.
Section 208(a) (33 U.S.C. 1127(a)) is amended by striking ``Not later
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the National Sea Grant
College Program Act Amendments of 2002, and every 2 years thereafter,''
and inserting ``Every 2 years,''.
SEC. 9. NATIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY BOARD.
(a) Redesignation of Sea Grant Review Panel as Board.--
(1) Redesignation.--The sea grant review panel established by
section 209 of the National Sea Grant College Program Act (33
U.S.C. 1128), as in effect before the date of the enactment of
this Act, is redesignated as the National Sea Grant Advisory
Board.
(2) Membership not affected.--An individual serving as a
member of the sea grant review panel immediately before the
enactment of this Act may continue to serve as a member of the
National Sea Grant Advisory Board until the expiration of such
member's term under section 209(c) of such Act (33 U.S.C.
1128(c).
(3) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to such
sea grant review panel is deemed to be a reference to the
National Sea Grant Advisory Board.
(4) Conforming amendments.--
(A) In general.--Section 209 (33 U.S.C. 1128) is
amended by striking so much as precedes subsection (b)
and inserting the following:
``SEC. 209. NATIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY BOARD.
``(a) Establishment.--There shall be an independent committee to be
known as the National Sea Grant Advisory Board.''.
(B) Definition.--Section 203(9) (33 U.S.C. 1122(9))
is amended to read as follows:
``(9) The term `Board' means the National Sea Grant Advisory
Board established under section 209.'';
(C) Other provisions.--The following provisions are
each amended by striking ``panel'' each place it
appears and inserting ``Board'':
(i) Section 204 (33 U.S.C. 1123).
(ii) Section 207 (33 U.S.C. 1126).
(iii) Section 209 (33 U.S.C. 1128).
(b) Duties.--Section 209(b) (33 U.S.C. 1128(b)) is amended to read as
follows:
``(b) Duties.--
``(1) In general.--The Board shall advise the Secretary and
the Director concerning--
``(A) strategies for utilizing the sea grant college
program to address the Nation's highest priorities
regarding the understanding, assessment, development,
utilization, and conservation of ocean, coastal, and
Great Lakes resources;
``(B) the designation of sea grant colleges and sea
grant institutes; and
``(C) such other matters as the Secretary refers to
the Board for review and advice.
``(2) Biennial report.--The Board shall report to the
Congress every two years on the state of the national sea grant
college program. The Board shall indicate in each such report
the progress made toward meeting the priorities identified in
the strategic plan in effect under section 204(c). The
Secretary shall make available to the Board such information,
personnel, and administrative services and assistance as it may
reasonably require to carry out its duties under this title.''.
(c) Extension of Term.--Section 209(c)(2) (33 U.S.C. 1128(c)(2)) is
amended by striking the second sentence and inserting the following:
``The Director may extend the term of office of a voting member of the
Board once by up to 1 year.''.
(d) Establishment of Subcommittees.--Section 204(c) (33 U.S.C.
1123(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(8) The Board may establish such subcommittees as are reasonably
necessary to carry out its duties under subsection (b). Such
subcommittees may include individuals who are not Board members.''.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Authorization.--Section 212(a) (33 U.S.C. 1131(a)) is amended to
read as follows:
``(a) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary to carry out this title--
``(1) $66,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
``(2) $72,800,000 for fiscal year 2010;
``(3) $79,600,000 for fiscal year 2011;
``(4) $86,400,000 for fiscal year 2012;
``(5) $93,200,000 for fiscal year 2013; and
``(6) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.''.
(b) Repeal of Distribution Requirement.--Section 212 (33 U.S.C. 1131)
is amended by striking subsection (c), and by redesignating subsections
(d) and (e) as subsections (c) and (d), respectively.
II. Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of this bill is to reauthorize and amend the
National Sea Grant College Program Act.
III. Background and Need for Legislation
The National Sea Grant College Program was established in
1966 upon the enactment of the National Sea Grant College Act
(33 U.S.C. 1121-1131) with the goal of improving marine
resource conservation, management, and utilization. The Act was
last reauthorized by the National Sea Grant College Program Act
Amendments of 2002 (Public Law 107-299), and the authorization
of appropriations expires at the end of Fiscal Year 2008. The
National Sea Grant College Program is patterned after the Land
Grant College System, which was created in 1862. Though
originally assigned to the National Science Foundation, the
National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) is now housed within the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Today, Sea Grant, as it is commonly called, is a nationwide
network of over 30 Sea Grant College programs comprised of
researchers, educators, and marine extension agents at some of
the nation's top academic institutions. Sea Grant Colleges
sponsor a wide range of applied and basic marine science
research, education, training, and technical assistance
programs promoting the understanding and utilization of ocean,
coastal and Great Lakes resources. Sea Grant advisory and
extension staff provide informal education for the general
public, disseminate research findings to user groups, and
communicate local needs and problems to Sea Grant and other
marine-related program managers and researchers.
The system also supports education and training through its
two fellowship programs, the John A. Knauss Marine Policy
Fellowship and the Sea Grant/NOAA Fisheries Graduate
Fellowship. Sea Grant benefits from the input and support of
the Sea Grant Review Panel (Review Panel). This panel is made
up of 15 members with marine science backgrounds or knowledge
and experience in the fields where Sea Grant works.
The most significant developments over the past six years
pertain to Sea Grant's strategic planning and program
evaluation procedures. The National Sea Grant College Program
Act Amendments of 2002 directed NOAA to contract with the
National Research Council (NRC) to evaluate Sea Grant's process
of reviewing individual programs and recommend ways to improve
the overall effectiveness of the evaluation process to ensure
fairness, consistency, and enhancement of performance. In its
2006 report, the NRC noted that ``real improvements have
occurred'' in Sea Grant since changes were instituted after the
last NRC evaluation in 1994.\1\ The 2006 report recommended
strengthening the strategic planning process for the individual
programs; increasing the interaction between the NSGO and the
individual programs; and improving the program rating and
ranking process through annual assessments by the national
office. In addition, the report provided recommendations to
improve the independent reviews that are conducted on a four-
year cycle. Sea Grant's response to the NRC report dovetailed
with the Bush Administration's efforts to carry out the
recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.\2\
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\1\Evaluation of the Sea Grant Program Review Process. Ocean
Studies Board. 2006. National Research Council. Washington, DC. 210 pp.
\2\U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. 2004. An Ocean Bluepint for the
21st Century. Final Report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.
Washington, DC.
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The Administration's 2004 U.S. Ocean Action Plan\3\ called
for the National Science and Technology Council's Joint
Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology to prepare an
Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy
(Strategy). Issued in 2007 after significant input from the
ocean research community, the Strategy established priorities
for ocean science and technology for the next decade. Using
this new interagency priorities plan for ocean science, NSGO
and the Sea Grant colleges nationwide have developed a new
strategic plan that links Sea Grant's priorities with the
larger interagency effort. The realigned strategic planning
effort, combined with the improvements in the review process
recommended by the National Academy of Sciences, is intended to
set Sea Grant on a more strategic course for the future.
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\3\U.S. Ocean Action Plan: The Bush Administration's Response to
the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. December 17, 2004. Council on
Environmental Quality, Washington, DC. 39 pp. http://
www.oceans.ceq.gov.
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Funding for the Sea Grant Program has not kept pace with
the growing needs of our coastal communities. With the costs of
research and education rising, the near flat funding of Sea
Grant during the last few years has forced programs to reduce a
number of education and outreach activities, leaving numerous
high-quality research and outreach projects unsupported. These
growing needs juxtaposed with the current budgetary landscape
underpin the reasonable and justifiable increases in authorized
appropriations reflected in H.R. 5618.
The National Sea Grant College Program has established an
impressive record over the course of its 42-year history. H.R.
5618 builds on the experience of the Sea Grant Association, the
Review Panel, NSGO, and Sea Grant's national network of
stakeholders to strengthen this important extramural marine
science and outreach program.
IV. Hearing Summary
The Energy and Environment Subcommittee held a hearing in
the 110th Congress on May 21, 2008 to hear testimony on H.R.
5618, from the following witnesses:
Mr. Craig McLean, Deputy Assistant
Administrator for Programs and Administration, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research
Mr. Paul S. Anderson, President, Sea Grant
Association and Director, Maine Sea Grant College
Program
Mr. M. Richard DeVoe, Executive Director,
South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium
Mr. Patrick Riley, General Manager, Western
Seafood, Freeport, TX
The hearing focused on the legislation to reauthorize the
National Sea Grant Program through fiscal year 2014. The
hearing also examined the program's major accomplishments,
program activities, and the effectiveness of the extension and
outreach aspects of program development.
Mr. Craig McLean discussed the mission and importance of
the Sea Grant Program, future plans for the program, some
programmatic issues, and issues the administration would like
to see addressed in the reauthorization. Mr. Paul Anderson
represented the institutions through the association of the 32
Sea Grant Programs from around the nation. He discussed the
importance of supporting the National Sea Grant College
Program, as well as the program's activities, accomplishments,
and its contribution to NOAA's mission. Mr. Anderson also
offered recommendations on how to strengthen the research,
education and training components of the program. Mr. M.
Richard DeVoe discussed the South Carolina Sea Grant program
and its relationship to the overall Sea Grant program and
summarized his key recommendations and expressed strong support
for H.R. 5618. Mr. Patrick Riley represented the partners and
stakeholders of the National Sea Grant College Program and he
discussed the use of information generated through the programs
extension and outreach efforts, and commented on its
usefulness. Mr. Riley expressed his support for the Sea Grant
program and for the reauthorization bill.
V. Summary of Committee Actions
On March 13, 2008, Rep. Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, for
herself and Rep. Faleomavaega, Rep. Saxton, Rep. Abercrombie,
Rep. Gilchrest, and Rep. Farr introduced H.R. 5618, the
National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008,
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and
subsequently to the Committee on Science and Technology.
In the 110th Congress, the Subcommittee on Energy and
Environment met to consider H.R. 5618 as reported from the
Committee on Natural Resources on June 18, 2008. Mr. Baird
moved that the Subcommittee favorably report the bill, H.R.
5618, to the Full Committee on Science and Technology without
amendment. The motion was agreed to by a voice vote.
The Committee on Science and Technology met on June 25,
2008, to consider H.R. 5618 as reported by the Subcommittee and
to consider the following amendments to the bill:
An amendment offered by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
to expand the functions of the Director of the National Sea
Grant College Program to encourage the Sea Grant program to
collaborate with Minority Serving Institutions in the
atmospheric, oceanic, and environmental science research areas
to improve the retention of the students and faculty from
Minority Serving Institutions and increase the number of
students graduating in these science fields.
The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
An amendment offered by Rep. W. Todd Akin (R-MO) to amend
Section 5 of the bill to add a new program element to the
National Sea Grant College Program to require support for
methods to minimize conflicts and delays in the expedited
production of ocean and coastal energy resources including
those associated with siting refineries in coastal areas.
A second degree amendment was offered to Mr. Akin's
amendment by Rep. Bartlett, Rep. Wu, and Rep. Akin to amend
Section 5 of the bill to add a new program element to the
National Sea Grant College Program to require support for
development of methods to explore the environmental and
scientific considerations, including provision of
scientifically sound data, in connection with the production of
ocean and coastal energy resources, including the siting of
energy-related facilities in the coastal zone.
The second degree amendment was adopted by voice vote.
The amendment, as amended, was adopted by voice vote.
An amendment offered by Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) that would
require the Director of the Sea Grant Program to advise the
Secretary of Commerce on ways to incorporate programs and
research on the expedited production of ocean and coastal
energy resources into the curriculum of the program.
The amendment failed by a recorded vote.
Rep. Gingrey moved that the Committee favorably report the
bill, H.R. 5618, to the House, as amended. The motion was
agreed to by a voice vote.
VI. Summary of Major Provisions as Reported
H.R. 5618, the National Sea Grant College Program Act of
2008, amends current law to expand the scope and purposes of
the National Sea Grant College Program. The bill expands the
responsibilities of the Sea Grant Review Panel and renames this
panel the ``National Sea Grant Advisory Board.'' The bill
directs the Board to provide advice to the Secretary of
Commerce to ensure Sea Grant activities are consistent with and
supportive of national objectives. In addition, the bill
increases the percentage of funds exempt from the non-federal
match requirement from the current 1 percent to 5 percent. The
bill also amends the Sea Grant program performance review
standards. H.R. 5618 replaces the ranking system review
requirements adopted as part of the 2002 amendments with NRC-
recommended measures for program review, combined with program
planning requirements.
In addition the bill amends the duties of the Director of
the Sea Grant Program to include encouragement of cooperation
and research collaborations with Minority Serving Institutions.
The bill adds a new program element to the National Sea Grant
College Program to require support for development of methods
to explore the environmental and scientific considerations,
including provision of scientifically sound data, in connection
with the production of ocean and coastal energy resources,
including the siting of energy-related facilities in the
coastal zone.
Authorized funding levels would increase incrementally from
$66 million to $100 million for the period between Fiscal Year
2009 through Fiscal Year 2014.
VII. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill as Reported
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 entitles the legislation as the ``National Sea
Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008.''
Section 2. References
Section 2 clarifies that all amendment references in the
legislation are made to the National Sea Grant College Program
Act (33 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.).
Section 3. Findings and purposes
Section 3 amplifies the extension aspects of the Sea Grant
program and cites the relevance of the National Ocean Research
Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy to the Sea Grant
Program.
Section 4. Definitions
Section 4 defines key terms included within the text of the
proposed legislation, including ``regional research and
information plan'' and ``National Ocean Research Priorities
Plan and Implementation Strategy'' where they appear in the
bill.
Section 5. National Sea Grant College Program, generally
Section 5 amends the Program Elements to expand Sea Grant
programs to include regional and national projects among Sea
Grant institutions; to add regional strategic investments in
projects undertaken through sea grant projects; and for the
program to support development of methods to explore the
environmental and scientific considerations in connection with
the production of ocean and coastal energy resources, including
the siting of energy-related facilities in the coastal zone.
Section 5 also augments the functions of the Director of the
National Sea Grant College Program to include encouragement of
collaborations among participating colleges and institutions in
the Sea Grant Program and encouraging collaborations with
Minority Serving Institutions. This section also strikes the
sea grant program performance ranking system for allocating
additional resources on the basis of performance.
Section 6. Program or project grants and contracts
Section 6 exempts the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy
Fellowship Program from having to match grant awards in order
to achieve parity between fellows placed in Congressional
offices with those fellows placed in federal agencies.
This section also increases the percentage of funds exempt
from the non-federal match requirement from the current 1
percent to 5 percent.
Section 7. Extension services by Sea Grant colleges and Sea Grant
institutes
Section 7 clarifies that one of the requirements for
designation includes an extension program (as opposed to an
``advisory service'').
Section 8. Technical Correction relating to fellowships
Section 8 updates the statutory language requiring a report
every two years on efforts to include minority and economically
disadvantaged students.
Section 9. National Sea Grant Advisory Board
Section 9 expands the responsibilities of the National Sea
Grant Review Panel, renaming the panel as the ``National Sea
Grant Advisory Board'' to more appropriately and accurately
describe its purpose and function.
Section 10. Authorization of appropriations
Section 10 increases authorized funding levels from $66
million to $100 million for the period between Fiscal Year 2009
through Fiscal Year 2014.
VIII. Committee Views
It is the view of the Committee that the National Sea Grant
College program plays an essential role in promoting knowledge-
based management of our ocean, coastal and Great Lakes
resources. The Committee strongly supports the education,
research, and extension missions of Sea Grant and believes this
partnership between federal and state governments continues to
provide many benefits to the nation. The Committee believes The
National Sea Grant College Program has established an
impressive record over the course of its 42-year history.
The Committee is aware that many Sea Grant programs address
issues of local as well as national concern. In the case of
local Sea Grant projects within states, the general match
requirement is appropriate. The Committee recognizes the
concern of the Sea Grant community that the match requirement
may constrain the ability of the Sea Grant Program to
participate in joint competitive programs with other NOAA
offices or other federal agencies because of the fact that
incoming proposals for Sea Grant funding require a match. Thus,
the Committee believes increasing the percentage of funds
exempt from the non-federal match requirement from the current
1 percent to 5 percent will alleviate this constraint.
The Committee recognizes the ranking system review
requirements adopted as part of the Sea Grant 2002 amendments
created some disincentives for Sea Grant institutions to work
cooperatively or form partnerships. The Committee recognizes
the implementation of the National Academies' recommended
measures for program review, combined with improved planning
may provide a better mechanism to achieve continuous program
improvement.
The Committee believes there are many potential benefits
that could be gained through greater collaboration between the
Sea Grant colleges and institutions and Minority Serving
Institutions. The Committee encourages the Sea Grant Program to
adopt recommendations from the third national conference held
by NOAA in conjunction with the Historical Black Colleges and
Universities and Minority Serving Institutions outlined in the
report: Expanding Opportunities in Oceanic and Atmospheric
Sciences III.\4\
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\4\Jearld, A., Jr., and D. Peloquin, compilers. 2005. Expanding
Opportunities in Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences III: Proceedings of
the Third National Conference to Strengthen the Links among HBMSCUs,
NOAA, Business, and Graduate Studies in Marine and Atmospheric
Sciences, Held at Jackson State University, Jackson, 8MS. April 1-3,
2001. Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 05-11.
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The Committee is aware that the needs for information,
training, technology and management options of our coastal
communities have increased, and that the funding for the Sea
Grant program to support these needs has not been adequate. The
Committee is also aware that the near flat funding of Sea Grant
during the last few years has forced programs to reduce a
number of education and outreach activities, leaving numerous
high-quality research and outreach projects unsupported. The
Committee supports modest increases of funding for the Sea
Grant Program and H.R. 5618 reflects this support through the
increased authorized funding levels for the Program of $66
million to $100 million for the period between Fiscal Year 2009
through Fiscal Year 2014.
IX. Cost Estimate
A cost estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 has been timely submitted to
the Committee on Science and Technology prior to the filing of
this report and is included in Section XI of this report
pursuant to House Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(3).
H.R. 5618 does not contain new budget authority, credit
authority, or changes in revenues or tax expenditures. Assuming
that the sums authorized under the bill are appropriated, H.R.
5618 does authorize additional discretionary spending, as
described in the Congressional Budget Office report on the
bill, which is contained in Section XI of this report.
X. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
H.R. 5618--National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008
Summary: H.R. 5618 would authorize funding for the national
sea grant program, which is administered by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Assuming
appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that
spending for the program from those appropriations would total
$316 million over the 2009-2013 period. An additional $182
million would be spent after 2013, including $100 million
authorized to be appropriated for 2014. Enacting H.R. 5618
would not affect direct spending or revenues.
H.R. 5618 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary impact of H.R. 5618 is shown in the following table.
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300
(natural resources and environment).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
--------------------------------------------------
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009-2013
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Authorization Level.......................................... 66 73 80 86 93 398
Estimated Outlays............................................ 20 55 74 80 87 316
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basis of estimate: H.R. 5618 would authorize the
appropriation of $498 million, including $398 million over the
2009-2013 period and $100 million for fiscal year 2014, for the
national sea grant program. Those amounts are used by NOAA for
grants, fellowships, and related administrative functions under
the program. For this estimate, CBO assumes that all amounts
authorized by H.R. 5618 will be appropriated near the start of
each fiscal year and that outlays will follow historical
spending patterns for the sea grants program. In 2008, $57
million was appropriated for this program.
Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 5618
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or
tribal governments. The bill would benefit public universities
by reauthorizing the national sea grant college program, which
provides grants to improve marine resource conservation,
management, and utilization. Any costs state, local, or tribal
governments might incur, including matching funds, would result
from complying with conditions of aid.
Previous estimate: On May 6, 2008, CBO transmitted a cost
estimate for H.R. 5618 as ordered reported by the House
Committee on Natural Resources on April 30, 2008. The two
versions of the legislation are similar and the estimated costs
are the same.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Cost: Tyler Kruzich; Impact
on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Neil Hood; Impact on
the Private Sector: Amy Petz.
Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant Director
for Budget Analysis.
XI. Compliance With Public Law 104-4
H.R. 5618 contains no unfunded mandates.
XII. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations
The oversight findings and recommendations of the Committee
on Science and Technology are reflected in the body of this
report.
XIII. Statement on General Performance Goals and Objectives
Pursuant to clause (3)(c) of House Rule XIII, the goal of
H.R. 5618 is to reauthorize and amend the national sea grant
college program act.
XIV. Constitutional Authority Statement
Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United
States grants Congress the authority to enact H.R. 5618.
XV. Federal Advisory Committee Statement
H.R. 5618 does not establish nor authorize the
establishment of any advisory committee.
XVI. Congressional Accountability Act
The Committee finds that H.R. 5618 does not relate to the
terms and conditions of employment or access to public services
or accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of
the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 104-1).
XVII. Earmark Identification
H.R. 5618 does not contain any congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in
clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI.
XVIII. Statement on Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law
This bill is not intended to preempt any state, local, or
tribal law.
XIX. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM ACT
TITLE II--NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM
* * * * * * *
SEC. 202. DECLARATION OF POLICY.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds and declares the following:
(1) The national interest requires a strategy to--
(A) * * *
* * * * * * *
[(D) encourage the development of forecast
and analysis systems for coastal hazards;]
(D) encourage the development of preparation,
forecast, analysis, mitigation, response, and
recovery systems for coastal hazards;
* * * * * * *
(2) Investment in a strong [program of research,
education,] program of integrated research, education,
extension, training, technology transfer, and public
service is essential for this strategy.
* * * * * * *
[(6) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, through the national sea grant college
program, offers the most suitable locus and means for
such commitment and involvement through the promotion
of activities that will result in greater such
understanding, assessment, development, utilization,
and conservation. The most cost-effective way to
promote such activities is through continued and
increased Federal support of the establishment,
development, and operation of programs and projects by
sea grant colleges, sea grant institutes, and other
institutions, including strong collaborations between
Administration scientists and scientists at academic
institutions.]
(6) The National Ocean Research Priorities Plan and
Implementation Strategy issued by the National Science
and Technology Council's Joint Subcommittee on Ocean
Science and Technology on January 26, 2007, identifies
research priorities for compelling areas of interaction
between society and the ocean, and calls for the
engagement of a broad array of ocean science sectors
(government, academia, industry, and non-government
entities) to address the areas of greatest research
need and opportunity.
(7) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, through the national sea grant college
program, offers the most suitable locus and means for
such commitment and engagement through the promotion of
activities that will result in greater such
understanding, assessment, development, utilization,
and conservation. The most cost-effective way to
promote such activities is through continued and
increased Federal support of the establishment,
development, and operation of programs and projects by
sea grant colleges, sea grant institutes, and other
institutions, including strong collaborations between
Administration scientists and research and outreach
personnel at academic institutions.
* * * * * * *
(c) Purpose.--It is the purpose of the Congress to achieve
the objective of this title by extending and strengthening the
national sea grant program, initially established in 1966, [to
promote research, education, training, and advisory service
activities] to promote integrated research, education,
training, and extension activities in fields related to ocean,
coastal, and Great Lakes resources.
SEC. 203. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this title--
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
[(9) The term ``panel'' means the sea grant review
panel established under section 209.]
(9) The term ``Board'' means the National Sea Grant
Advisory Board established under section 209.
* * * * * * *
(11) The term ``project'' means any individually
described activity in a field related to ocean,
coastal, and Great Lakes resources involving research,
education, training, or [advisory services] extension
services administered by a person with expertise in
such a field.
(12) The term ``sea grant college'' means any
institution, or any association or alliance of two or
more such institutions, designated as such by the
Secretary under section 207 [(33 U.S.C. 1126)] of this
Act.
(13) The term ``sea grant institute'' means any
institution, or any association or alliance of two or
more such institutions, designated as such by the
Secretary under section 207 [(33 U.S.C. 1126)] of this
Act.
* * * * * * *
(17) The term ``regional research and information
plan'' means a plan developed by one or more sea grant
colleges or sea grant institutes that identifies
regional priorities to implement the National Ocean
Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy.
(18) The term ``National Ocean Research Priorities
Plan and Implementation Strategy'' means such plan and
strategy issued by the National Science and Technology
Council's Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and
Technology on January 26, 2007.
SEC. 204. NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM.
(a) * * *
(b) Program Elements.--The national sea grant college program
shall consist of the financial assistance and other activities
authorized in this title, and shall provide support for the
following elements--
[(1) sea grant programs which comprise a national sea
grant college program network, including international
projects conducted within such programs;
[(2) administration of the national sea grant college
program and this title by the national sea grant
office, the Administration, and the panel;]
(1) sea grant programs that comprise a national sea
grant college program network, including international
projects conducted within such programs and regional
and national projects conducted among such programs;
(2) administration of the national sea grant college
program and this title by the national sea grant office
and the Administration;
(3) the fellowship program under section 208; [and]
[(4) any national strategic investments in fields
relating to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources
developed with the approval of the panel, the sea grant
colleges, and the sea grant institutes.]
(4) any regional or national strategic investments in
fields relating to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes
resources developed in consultation with the board and
with the approval of the sea grant colleges and the sea
grant institutes; and
(5) methods for the national sea grant college
program to explore the environmental and scientific
considerations, including providing scientifically
sound data, relative to the production of ocean and
coastal offshore petroleum, natural gas, geothermal,
wind, and ocean thermal energy resources, including the
siting of energy related facilities in the coastal
zone.
(c) Responsibilities of the Secretary.--
(1) The Secretary, in consultation with the [panel]
Board, sea grant colleges, and sea grant institutes,
shall develop at least every 4 years a strategic plan
that establishes priorities for the national sea grant
college program, provides an appropriately balanced
response to local, regional, and national needs, and is
reflective of integration with the relevant portions of
the strategic plans of the Department of Commerce and
of the Administration.
(2) [Within 6 months of the date of enactment of the
National Sea Grant College Program Reauthorization Act
of 1998, the] The Secretary, in consultation with the
[panel] Board, sea grant colleges, and sea grant
institutes, shall establish guidelines related to the
activities and responsibilities of sea grant colleges
and sea grant institutes. Such guidelines shall include
requirements for the conduct of merit review by the sea
grant colleges and sea grant institutes of proposals
for grants and contracts to be awarded under section
205, providing, at a minimum, for standardized
documentation of such proposals and peer review of all
research projects.
* * * * * * *
(8) The Board may establish such subcommittees as are
reasonably necessary to carry out its duties under
subsection (b). Such subcommittees may include
individuals who are not Board members.
(d) Director of the National Sea Grant College Program.--
(1) * * *
(2) Subject to the supervision of the Secretary, the
Director shall administer the national sea grant
college program and oversee the operation of the
national sea grant office. In addition to any other
duty prescribed by law or assigned by the Secretary,
the Director shall--
(A) facilitate and coordinate the development
of a [long-range] strategic plan under
subsection (c)(1);
* * * * * * *
(3) With respect to sea grant colleges and sea grant
institutes, the Director shall--
(A)[(i) evaluate] evaluate and assess the
performance of the programs of sea grant
colleges and sea grant institutes, using the
priorities, guidelines, and qualifications
established by the Secretary under subsection
(c), and determine which of the programs are
the best managed and carry out the highest
quality research, education, extension, and
training [activities; and] activities;
[(ii) rate the programs according to their
relative performance (as determined under
clause (i)) into no less than 5 categories,
with each of the 2 best-performing categories
containing no more than 25 percent of the
programs;]
(B) subject to the availability of
appropriations, allocate funding among sea
grant colleges and sea grant institutes so as
to--
(i) promote healthy competition among
sea grant colleges and institutes;
(ii) encourage collaborations among
sea grant colleges and sea grant
institutes to address regional and
national priorities established under
subsection (c)(1);
(iii) encourage cooperation with
Minority Serving Institutions--
(I) to enhance collaborative
research opportunities for
faculty and students in the
areas of atmospheric, oceanic,
and environmental sciences, and
remote sensing;
(II) to improve opportunities
for, and retention of, students
and faculty from Minority
Serving Institutions in the
NOAA related sciences; and
(III) to increase the number
of such students graduating in
NOAA science areas;
[(ii) encourage] (iv) ensuring
successful implementation of sea grant
programs;
[(iii)] (v) to the maximum extent
consistent with other provisions of
this Act, provide a stable base of
funding for sea grant colleges and
institutes; and
[(iv)] (vi) encourage and promote
coordination and cooperation between
the research, education, and outreach
programs of the Administration and
those of academic institutions; and
* * * * * * *
SEC. 205. CONTRACTS AND GRANTS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants and enter into
contracts under this subsection to assist any sea grant program
or project if the Secretary finds that such program or project
will--
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
The total amount paid pursuant to any such grant or contract
may equal 66\2/3\ percent, or any lesser percent, of the total
cost of the sea grant program or project involved; except that
this limitation shall not apply in the case of grants or
contracts paid for with funds accepted by the Secretary under
section 204(c)(4)(F) or that are appropriated under section
208(b).
(b) Special Grants.--The Secretary may make special grants
under this subsection to implement the objective set forth in
section 202(b). The amount of any such grant may equal 100
percent, or any lesser percent, of the total cost of the
project involved. No grant may be made under this subsection
unless the Secretary finds that--
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
(3) the same or equivalent benefit cannot be obtained
through the award of a contract or grant under
subsection (a).
[The total amount which may be provided for grants under this
subsection during any fiscal year shall not exceed an amount
equal to 1 percent of the total funds appropriated for such
year pursuant to section 212.]
The total amount that may be provided for grants under this
subsection during any fiscal year shall not exceed an amount
equal to 5 percent of the total funds appropriated for such
year under section 212.
* * * * * * *
SEC. 207. SEA GRANT COLLEGES AND SEA GRANT INSTITUTES.
(a) Designation.--
(1) A sea grant college or sea grant institute shall
meet the following qualifications--
(A) * * *
* * * * * * *
(F) meet such other qualifications as the
Secretary, in consultation with the [panel]
Board, considers necessary or appropriate.
(2) The Secretary may designate an institution, or an
association or alliance of two or more such
institutions, as a sea grant college if the
institution, association, or alliance--
(A) * * *
(B) maintains a program of research,
[advisory services] extension services,
training, and education in fields related to
ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources.
(3) The Secretary may designate an institution, or an
association or alliance of two or more such
institutions, as a sea grant institute if the
institution, association, or alliance--
(A) * * *
(B) maintains a program which includes, at a
minimum, research and [advisory services]
extension services.
* * * * * * *
(d) Duties.--Subject to any regulations prescribed or
guidelines established by the Secretary, it shall be the
responsibility of each sea grant college and sea grant
institute--
(1) to develop and implement, in consultation with
the Secretary and the [panel] Board, a program that is
consistent with the guidelines and priorities
established under section 204(c); and
* * * * * * *
SEC. 208. FELLOWSHIPS.
(a) In General.--To carry out the educational and training
objectives of this Act, the Secretary shall support a program
of fellowships for qualified individuals at the graduate and
post-graduate level. The fellowships shall be related to ocean,
coastal, and Great Lakes resources and awarded pursuant to
guidelines established by the Secretary. The Secretary shall
strive to ensure equal access for minority and economically
disadvantaged students to the program carried out under this
subsection. [Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of the National Sea Grant College Program Act
Amendments of 2002, and every 2 years thereafter,] Every 2
years, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress
describing the efforts by the Secretary to ensure equal access
for minority and economically disadvantaged students to the
program carried out under this subsection, and the results of
such efforts.
* * * * * * *
[SEC. 209. SEA GRANT REVIEW PANEL.
[(a) Establishment.--There shall be established an
independent committee to be known as the sea grant review
panel.
[(b) Duties.--The Panel shall advise the Secretary and the
Director concerning--
[(1) applications or proposals for, and performance
under, grants and contracts awarded under section 205 ;
[(2) the sea grant fellowship program;
[(3) the designation and operation of sea grant
colleges and sea grant institutes, and the operation of
sea grant programs;
[(4) the formulation and application of the planning
guidelines and priorities under section 204(a) and
(c)(1); and
[(5) such other matters as the Secretary refers to
the panel for review and advice.
The Secretary shall make available to the panel such
information, personnel, and administrative services and
assistance as it may reasonably require to carry out its
duties.]
SEC. 209. NATIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY BOARD.
(a) Establishment.--There shall be an independent committee
to be known as the National Sea Grant Advisory Board.
(b) Duties.--
(1) In general.--The Board shall advise the Secretary
and the Director concerning--
(A) strategies for utilizing the sea grant
college program to address the Nation's highest
priorities regarding the understanding,
assessment, development, utilization, and
conservation of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes
resources;
(B) the designation of sea grant colleges and
sea grant institutes; and
(C) such other matters as the Secretary
refers to the Board for review and advice.
(2) Biennial report.--The Board shall report to the
Congress every two years on the state of the national
sea grant college program. The Board shall indicate in
each such report the progress made toward meeting the
priorities identified in the strategic plan in effect
under section 204(c). The Secretary shall make
available to the Board such information, personnel, and
administrative services and assistance as it may
reasonably require to carry out its duties under this
title.
(c) Membership, Terms, and Powers.--(1) The [panel] Board
shall consist of 15 voting members who shall be appointed by
the Secretary. The Director and a director of a sea grant
program who is elected by the various directors of sea grant
programs shall serve as nonvoting members of the [panel] Board.
Not less than 8 of the voting members of the [panel] Board
shall be individuals who, by reason of knowledge, experience,
or training, are especially qualified in one or more of the
disciplines and fields included in marine science. The other
voting members shall be individuals who, by reason of
knowledge, experience, or training, are especially qualified
in, or representative of, education, marine affairs and
resource management, extension services, State government,
industry, economics, planning, or any other activity which is
appropriate to, and important for, any effort to enhance the
understanding, assessment, development, utilization, or
conservation of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. No
individual is eligible to be a voting member of the [panel]
Board if the individual is (A) the director of a sea grant
college or sea grant institute; (B) an applicant for, or
beneficiary (as determined by the Secretary) of, any grant or
contract under section 205; or (C) a full-time officer of
employee of the United States.
(2) The term of office of a voting member of the [panel]
Board shall be 3 years for a member appointed before the date
of enactment of the National Sea Grant College Program Act
Amendments of 2002, and 4 years for a member appointed or
reappointed after the date of enactment of the National Sea
Grant College Program Act Amendments of 2002. The Director may
extend the term of office of a voting member of the [panel]
Board appointed before the date of enactment of the National
Sea Grant College Program Act Amendments of 2002 by up to 1
year. At least once each year, the Secretary shall publish a
notice in the Federal Register soliciting nominations for
membership on the [panel] Board.
(3) Any individual appointed to a partial or full term may be
reappointed for one addition full term. [A voting member may
serve after the date of the expiration of the term of office
for which appointed until his or her successor has taken
office.] The Director may extend the term of office of a voting
member of the Board once by up to 1 year.
(4) The [panel] Board shall select one voting member to serve
as the Chairman and another voting member to serve as the Vice
Chairman. The Vice Chairman shall act as Chairman in the
absence or incapacity of the Chairman.
(5) Voting members of the [panel] Board shall--
(A) receive compensation at a rate established by the
Secretary, not to exceed the maximum daily rate payable
under section 5376 of title 5, United States Code, when
actually engaged in the performance of duties for such
[panel] Board; and
(B) be reimbursed for actual and reasonable expenses
incurred in the performance of such duties.
(6) The [panel] Board shall meet on a biannual basis and, at
any other time, at the call of the Chairman or upon the request
of a majority of the voting members or of the Director.
(7) The [panel] Board may exercise such powers as are
reasonably necessary in order to carry out its duties under
subsection (b).
* * * * * * *
SEC. 212. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
[(a) Authorization.--
[(1) In general.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this title--
[(A) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
[(B) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
[(C) $77,500,000 for fiscal year 2005;
[(D) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
[(E) $82,500,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
[(F) $85,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.
[(2) Priority activities.--In addition to the amounts
authorized under paragraph (1), there are authorized to
be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2003 through
2008--
[(A) $5,000,000 for competitive grants for
university research on the biology and control
of zebra mussels and other important aquatic
nonnative species;
[(B) $5,000,000 for competitive grants for
university research on oyster diseases, oyster
restoration, and oyster-related human health
risks;
[(C) $5,000,000 for competitive grants for
university research on the biology, prevention,
and forecasting of harmful algal blooms,
including Pfiesteria piscicida; and
[(D) $3,000,000 for competitive grants for
fishery extension activities conducted by sea
grant colleges or sea grant institutes to
enhance, and not supplant, existing core
program funding.]
(a) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to the Secretary to carry out this title--
(1) $66,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
(2) $72,800,000 for fiscal year 2010;
(3) $79,600,000 for fiscal year 2011;
(4) $86,400,000 for fiscal year 2012;
(5) $93,200,000 for fiscal year 2013; and
(6) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.
* * * * * * *
[(c) Distribution of Funds.--In any fiscal year in which the
appropriations made under subsection (a)(1) exceed the amounts
appropriated for fiscal year 2003 for the purposes described in
such subsection, the Secretary shall distribute any excess
amounts (except amounts used for the administration of the sea
grant program) to any combination of the following:
[(1) sea grant programs, according to their rating
under section 204(d)(3)(A);
[(2) national strategic investments authorized under
section 204(b)(4);
[(3) a college, university, institution, association,
or alliance for activities that are necessary for it to
be designated as a sea grant college or sea grant
institute; and
[(4) a sea grant college or sea grant institute
designated after the date of enactment of the National
Sea Grant College Program Act Amendments of 2002 but
not yet evaluated under section 204(d)(3)(A).]
[(d)] (c) Availability of Sums.--Sums appropriated pursuant
to this section shall remain available until expended.
[(e)] (d) Reversion of Unobligated Amounts.--The amount of
any grant, or portion of a grant, made to a person under any
section of this Act that is not obligated by that person during
the first fiscal year for which it was authorized to be
obligated or during the next fiscal year thereafter shall
revert to the Secretary. The Secretary shall add that reverted
amount to the funds available for grants under the section for
which the reverted amount was originally made available.
----------
SECTION 307 OF THE ACT OF MARCH 9, 1992
(Public Law 102-251)
AN ACT to provide for the designation of the Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary.
[NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM
[Sec. 307. (a) Definitions.--Section 203(6) of the National
Sea Grant College Program Act (33 U.S.C. 1122(6)) is amended--
[(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph
(E);
[(2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as
subparagraph (G); and
[(3) by inserting immediately after subparagraph (E)
the following new subparagraph:
[``(F) the areas referred to as eastern special areas
in Article 3(1) of the Agreement between the United
States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics on the Maritime Boundary, signed June 1,
1990; in particular, those areas east of the maritime
boundary, as defined in that Agreement, that lie within
200 nautical miles of the baselines from which the
breadth of the territorial sea of Russia is measured
but beyond 200 nautical miles of the baselines from
which the breadth of the territorial sea of the United
States is measured; and''.
[(b) International Program.--Section 3(a)(6) of the Sea Grant
Program Improvement Act of 1976 (33 U.S.C. 1124a(a)(6)) is
amended by inserting ``and special areas'' immediately after
``exclusive economic zone''.]
XX. Committee Recommendations
On June 25, 2008, the Committee on Science and Technology
favorably reported H.R. 5618, as amended, by a voice vote and
recommended its passage by the House of Representatives.
XXI. ADDITIONAL VIEWS
I applaud Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall as well
as Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Lampson and
Ranking Member Inglis for bringing forward H.R. 5618 in a
bipartisan manner. H.R. 5618 is important legislation that
improves and expands upon the scope of the National Sea Grant
College Program in a number of key ways to improve marine
resource conservation, management, and utilization.
While I supported favorably reporting this bill to the
House, I wholeheartedly believe that the Committee missed a
golden opportunity to improve this bill and address the single
biggest concern that Americans face on a daily basis: the cost
of energy. When it was established in 1966, one of the original
goals of the National Sea Grant College Program was to better
understand and utilize our oceanic resources as an important
energy supply; yet I do not feel that H.R. 5618 fully addresses
this issue.
Therefore, I offered an amendment that would have brought
together some of the nation's top academic institutions through
the National Sea Grant College Program to find ways to expand
the focus of the energy component of the program in order to
better utilize our offshore resources for energy production in
an environmentally sensitive manner. At a time when families
are paying well over $4.00 for a gallon of regular gas, it is
long overdue that we utilize every federal component possible
to put in place the processes to explore American offshore
energy resources.
Unfortunately, my amendment failed on a near party-line
vote. I am disappointed that some Members of the Committee
chose to put partisan politics above the need to find common-
sense solutions to our nation's energy crisis. Ultimately, it
is my hope that we will be able to utilize all available
domestic sources of energy by including offshore research and
exploration within the National Sea Grant College Program.
Phil Gingrey.
XXII. PROCEEDINGS OF THE MARKUP BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND
ENVIRONMENT ON H.R. 5618, THE NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM
AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007
----------
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2008
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Energy and Environment,
Committee on Science,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:05 a.m., in
Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Nick
Lampson [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
Chairman Lampson. Good morning. This Subcommittee on Energy
and Environment will come to order. Pursuant to notice, the
Subcommittee on Energy and Environment meets to consider the
following measures: H.R. 4174, Federal Ocean Acidification
Research and Monitoring Act of 2007, H.R. 5618, National Sea
Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008, and a bill to
establish a research, development, demonstration and commercial
application program to promote research of appropriate
technologies for heavy-duty plug-in hybrid vehicles and for
other purposes.
We will now proceed with the markup. Beginning with the
opening statements, I will begin.
Today the Subcommittee will consider three good bills.
The first is H.R. 4174, the Federal Ocean Acidification
Research and Monitoring Act. This bill establishes an
interagency ocean acidification research and monitoring
program. H.R. 4174 was introduced by our colleague from Maine,
Congressman Tom Allen, and is sponsored by a Member of this
Subcommittee, Mr. Baird.
On June 5th we heard from a panel of experts on ocean and
atmospheric sciences testify in strong support of this
legislation. The bill authorizes the formation of an
interagency research and monitoring program to better
understand ocean acidification and its potential impacts on
marine organisms and marine ecosystems.
The second bill we will is consider is H.R. 5618, the
National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act. H.R. 5618
was introduced by Congresswoman Bordallo, Chair of the
Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Fisheries,
Wildlife, and Oceans. This bill reauthorizes and amends the
National Sea Grant College Program Act to implement changes in
the program recommended by the National Academies of Science.
The National Sea Grant College Program was last
reauthorized in 2002. It is a partnership between states and
the Federal Government to promote understanding, conservation,
and management of our ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes
resources. Sea Grants research, education, and extension
programs have been very effective in training future scientists
and resource managers, generating information to support sound
resource management, and delivering applied research results to
the people who rely on our coastal areas and Great Lakes for
their livelihoods.
Finally, the Subcommittee will consider draft legislation
authored by Mr. Sensenbrenner, Ranking Member of the
Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee, to enhance the
Department of Energy's research program in heavy-duty hybrid
trucks.
Mr. Sensenbrenner does not sit on this subcommittee, and
thus will not be joining us today. I understand that the
manager's amendment has only one small technical change that
needs to be made prior to introduction. This bill addresses a
narrow segment of the automobile market with a tremendous
potential impact. We heard in a Subcommittee hearing last week
from witnesses who described the substantial oil savings and
emissions reductions to be had in medium-to-heavy hybrid
trucks, as well as the benefit to the whole domestic automotive
sector from the invaluable lessons learned in designing and
manufacturing these systems.
I believe this is a very important piece of legislation in
the large and complex puzzle that is our transportation sector,
and I look forward to moving this bill through Committee and on
to the Floor for consideration by the House.
I urge the support of all Members of the Subcommittee for
the three bills we will consider today. I look forward to
working with all of you to further improve these important
bills as we move to their consideration by the Full Committee.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Lampson follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chairman Nick Lampson
Good morning. Today the Subcommittee will consider three bills. The
first is H.R. 4174, the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and
Monitoring Act.
This bill establishes an interagency ocean acidification research
and monitoring program. H.R. 4174 was introduced by our colleague from
Maine, Congressman Tom Allen, and is sponsored by a Member of this
subcommittee, Mr. Baird.
On June 5th we heard from a panel of experts on ocean and
atmospheric sciences testify in strong support of this legislation. The
bill authorizes the formation of an interagency research and monitoring
program to better understand ocean acidification and its potential
impacts on marine organisms and marine ecosystems.
The second bill we will is consider is H.R. 5618, the National Sea
Grant College Program Amendments Act.
H.R. 5618 was introduced by Congresswoman Bordallo, Chair of the
Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and
Oceans.
This bill reauthorizes and amends the National Sea Grant College
Program Act to implement changes in the program recommended by the
National Academy of Sciences.
The National Sea Grant College Program was last reauthorized in
2002. It is a partnership between states and the Federal Government to
promote the understanding, conservation, and management of our ocean,
coastal, and Great Lakes resources. Sea Grants research, education, and
extension programs have been very effective in training future
scientists and resource managers, generating information to support
sound resource management, and delivering applied research results to
the people who rely on our coastal areas and Great Lakes for their
livelihoods.
Finally, the Subcommittee will consider draft legislation authored
by Mr. Sensenbrenner, Ranking Member of the Investigations and
Oversight Subcommittee, to enhance the Department of Energy's research
program in heavy-duty hybrid trucks.
Mr. Sensenbrenner does not sit on this subcommittee, and thus will
not be joining us today. I understand that the manager's amendment has
only one small technical change that needs to be made prior to
introduction, and that we will take up any additional amendments in a
Full Committee markup.
This bill addresses a narrow segment of the automobile market with
a tremendous potential impact. We heard in a Subcommittee hearing last
week from witnesses who described the substantial oil savings and
emissions reductions to be had in medium-to-heavy hybrid trucks, as
well as the benefit to the whole domestic automotive sector from the
invaluable lessons learned in designing and manufacturing these
systems.
I believe this is a very important piece of legislation in the
large and complex puzzle that is our transportation sector. I look
forward to moving this bill through Committee and on to the Floor for
consideration by the House.
I urge the support of all Members of the Subcommittee for the three
bills we will consider today. I look forward to working with all of you
to further improve these important bills as we move to their
consideration by the Full Committee.
Chairman Lampson. I now recognize Mr. Inglis to present his
opening remarks.
Mr. Inglis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for
holding this markup. Today we will consider three bills before
this Subcommittee. H.R. 4174, the Federal Ocean Acidification
Research and Monitoring Act would organize and coordinate
federal agency efforts to address ocean acidification into a
comprehensive research, monitoring, and assessment program. Two
weeks ago, this subcommittee held a hearing in which we
received several recommended changes from the expert panel of
witnesses. Representative Baird and I will introduce an
amendment that acts upon these recommendations. As we move
forward to Full Committee, I hope that we can further improve
the international components of this bill and encourage our
scientists to work with their colleagues overseas.
Secondly, we will consider H.R. 5618, the National Sea
Grant College Program Amendments Act. Since its inception in
1966, the National Sea Grant Program has been a successful
collaborative effort of the Federal Government, State
governments, and universities. Under the program, these groups
work together to understand, develop, and conserve our coastal
and ocean resources. As we mark up H.R. 5618, our goal should
be a reauthorization that equips the Sea Grant Program to
continue providing sound science and management products that
benefit our coastal regions and conserve our coastal resources.
Finally, we will consider draft legislation introduced by
Mr. Sensenbrenner that would steer federal dollars toward
research, development, and demonstration in the area of
commercial truck hybrid technologies.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to working
with you to advance this legislation.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Inglis follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Bob Inglis
Thank you for holding this markup, Mr. Chairman.
Today we'll consider three bills before this subcommittee. H.R.
4174, the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act,
would organize and coordinate federal agency efforts to address ocean
acidification into a comprehensive research, monitoring and assessment
program. Two weeks ago, this subcommittee held a hearing in which we
received several recommended changes from the expert panel of
witnesses. Rep. Baird and I will introduce an amendment that acts upon
these recommendations. As we move forward to Full Committee, I hope
that we can further improve the international components of this bill
and encourage our scientists to work with their colleagues overseas.
Secondly, we'll consider H.R. 5618, the National Sea Grant College
Program Amendments Act. Since its inception in 1966, the National Sea
Grant Program has been a successful collaborative effort of the Federal
Government, State governments, and universities. Under the program,
these groups work together to understand, develop, and conserve our
coastal and ocean resources. As we markup H.R. 5618, our goal should be
a reauthorization that equips the Sea Grant Program to continue
providing sound science and management products that benefit our
coastal regions and conserve our coastal resources.
Finally, we will consider draft legislation introduced by Mr.
Sensenbrenner that would steer federal dollars toward research,
development, and demonstration in the area of commercial truck hybrid
technologies.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, and I look forward to working with
you to advance this legislation.
Chairman Lampson. Thank you, Mr. Inglis. Without objection,
Members may place additional opening statements in the record
at this point.
We will now consider H.R. 5618, the National Sea Grant
College Program Amendments Act for 2008.
I would again like to express my strong support for both
the Sea Grant Program and Ms. Bordallo's bill, and I now
recognize Mr. Inglis to present any remarks on the bill.
Mr. Inglis. I would simply add, Mr. Chairman, that as I
said in the opening statement, I support the bill and think it
is--I would urge my colleagues to do likewise.
Chairman Lampson. Thank you, Mr. Inglis. Does anyone else
wish to be recognized? I ask unanimous consent that the bill is
considered as read and open to amendment at any point and that
Members proceed with the amendments in order in the order of
the roster. Without objection, it is so ordered. Are there any
amendments? Hearing none, the vote is on the bill, H.R. 5618,
the National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act for 2008.
All those in favor say aye, those opposed say no. In the Chair,
the ayes have it.
I recognize Mr. Baird to offer a motion.
Mr. Baird. Mr. Chair, I move that the Subcommittee
favorably report H.R. 5618 to the Full Committee. Furthermore,
I move that staff be instructed to prepare the Subcommittee
legislative report and make necessary technical and conforming
changes to the bill in accordance with the recommendations of
the Subcommittee.
Chairman Lampson. The question is on the motion to report
the bill favorably. Those in favor of the motion will signify
by saying aye, those opposed no. The ayes have it. The bill is
favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to reconsider
is laid upon the table. Subcommittee Members may submit
additional or Minority views on the measure.
And I want to thank Members for their attendance. This
concludes our Subcommittee markup. We are adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 10:27 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
Appendix:
----------
H.R. 5618, Section-by-Section Analysis
Section-by-Section Analysis of
H.R. 5618, the National Sea Grant College
Program Amendments Act of 2008
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
Section 1 entitles the legislation as the ``National Sea Grant
College Program Amendments Act of 2008.''
SECTION 2. REFERENCES
Section 2 clarifies that all amendment references in the
legislation are made to the National Sea Grant College Program Act (33
U.S.C. 1121 et seq.).
SECTION 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES
Section 3 amplifies the extension aspects of the Sea Grant program
and cites the relevance of the National Ocean Research Priorities Plan
and Implementation Strategy to the Sea Grant Program.
SECTION 4. DEFINITIONS
Section 4 defines key terms included within the text of the
proposed legislation, including `regional research and information
plan' and `National Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation
Strategy' where they appear in the bill.
SECTION 5. NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM, GENERALLY
Section 5 amends the Program Elements to expand Sea Grant programs
to include regional and national projects among Sea Grant institutions
and to add regional strategic investments in projects undertaken
through sea grant projects. Section 5 also augments the functions of
the Director of the National Sea Grant College Program to include
encouraging collaborations among Sea Grant colleges and institutions.
This section also strikes the sea grant program performance ranking
system for allocating additional resources on the basis of performance.
SECTION 6. PROGRAM OR PROJECT GRANTS AND CONTRACTS
Section 6 exempts the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
Program from having to match grant awards in order to achieve parity
between fellows placed in Congressional offices with those fellows
placed in federal agencies.
This section also increases the percentage of funds exempt from the
non-federal match requirement from the current one percent to five
percent.
SECTION 7. EXTENSION SERVICES BY SEA GRANT COLLEGES AND SEA GRANT
INSTITUTES
Section 7 clarifies that one of the requirements for designation
includes an extension program (as opposed to an ``advisory service'').
SECTION 8. TECHNICAL CORRECTION RELATING TO FELLOWSHIPS
Section 8 updates the statutory language requiring a report every
two years on efforts to include minority and economically disadvantaged
students.
SECTION 9. NATIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY BOARD
Section 9 expands the responsibilities of the National Sea Grant
Review Panel, renaming the panel as the ``National Sea Grant Advisory
Board'' to more appropriately and accurately describe its purpose and
function.
SECTION 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
Section 10 increases authorized funding levels from $66 million to
$100 million for the period between Fiscal Year 2009 through Fiscal
Year 2014.
XXIII. PROCEEDINGS OF THE FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP ON H.R. 5618, THE
NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2008
----------
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2008
House of Representatives,
Committee on Science,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 11:02 a.m., in Room
2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Bart Gordon
[Chairman of the Committee] presiding.
Chairman Gordon. This committee will come to order. The
first order of business is to introduce our new Member, Mr.
Carson, to serve on the Committee of Science and Technology. We
currently have two open Subcommittee spots, on Research and
Science Education Subcommittee and Investigations and Oversight
Subcommittee.
I would like to ask unanimous consent that Mr. Carson be
elected to those Subcommittees.
Without objection, so ordered. Congratulations, and welcome
to the Committee, Mr. Carson. I know you will be a great
addition.
We will now proceed with the markup. Today we will be
marking up two important bills. The first bill we will consider
is H.R. 5618, the National Sea Grant College Program Amendments
Act, and H.R. 5618 was introduced by Delegate Bordallo, Chair
of the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans of the
Natural Resources Committee.
Our committee shares jurisdiction over the Sea Grant
College Program with the Resources Committee. Our staff has
been working closely with them.
This bill reauthorizes and amends the National Sea Grant
College Program Act of 2002, to implement changes recommended
by the National Academies of Science.
The bill increase the interaction between the National Sea
Grant Office and the individual programs, improve the
programmatic performance reviews, and strengthens strategic
planning for the program.
This program, created nearly 40 years ago, has matured into
a state-Federal Government partnership to improve the
conservation, management, and utilization of our oceans,
coastal, and Great Lakes resources.
The research, education, and extension programs of Sea
Grants have been very effective in training future scientists
and resource managers, providing education to the general
public, generating information to support sound resource
management, and delivering applied research results to the
people who rely on our coastal areas and the Great Lakes for
their livelihoods.
Next, we will take up H.R. 4174, the Federal Ocean
Acidification Research and Monitoring Act, which was introduced
by our colleague from Maine, Congressman Tom Allen, and co-
sponsored by Dr. Baird and Dr. Ehlers.
This committee has continued to be a leader in the
discussion of climate change and its consequences. Ocean
Acidification is yet another phenomenon caused by the increase
in atmospheric carbon dioxide, and it poses a significant
threat to marine organisms and marine ecosystems.
Earlier this month the Energy and Environmental
Subcommittee heard from a distinguished panel of ocean and
atmospheric scientists who testified in strong support of this
legislation.
These witnesses provided a number of recommendations to
improve the bill. The staff exemplified bipartisan cooperation
by working together to craft an amendment to the bill in the
last week's Subcommittee markup to incorporate the
recommendations of the witnesses.
The bipartisan effort continued and is reflected in a final
agreement that will be offered today.
I strongly support each of these bills and look forward to
working with my colleagues on the Committee to advance this
important legislation.
I now recognize Mr. Hall to present his opening remarks.
Mr. Hall. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased that the
Committee is marking up these bills. Each of them addresses
issues that are certainly of national importance.
Mr. Chairman, the Committee's work on the National Sea
Grant College Program amendments continues a tradition of
ensuring the continuation of programs that produce sound
science. H.R. 5618 reauthorizes a program that brings local,
State, and federal resources together to do research on issues
that are of great importance today. This bill also encourages
regional collaboration on research projects, recognizing that
problems do not stop at the state border.
Additionally, H.R. 4174 organizes the Federal Government's
approach to research and monitoring of ocean acidification.
Oceans are a valuable resource, essential to our collective
well-being. Although the government is conducting some research
and monitoring of ocean acidification, it is still done in a
very ad hoc manner; most of the time as part of another
project. Due to the potential impacts of ocean acidification,
this phenomenon requires a very comprehensive federal plan that
will produce the sound science upon which we can make informed
decisions on how to mitigate and how to adapt to it.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you and your staff for
working with us on these bills today. I yield back the balance
of my time, sir.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hall follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Ralph M. Hall
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased that this committee is
marking up these bills today. Each of them addresses issues that are of
national importance.
Mr. Chairman, the Committee's work on the National Sea Grant
College Program Amendments continues its tradition of ensuring the
continuation of programs that produce sound science. H.R. 5618,
reauthorizes a program that brings local, State and federal resources
together to do research on issues that are important today. This bill
also encourages regional collaboration on research projects,
recognizing that problems do not stop at the state border.
Additionally, H.R. 4174 organizes the Federal Government's approach
to research and monitoring of ocean acidification. Oceans are
invaluable resources, essential to our collective well-being. Although
the government is conducting some research and monitoring of ocean
acidification, it is being done in a very ad hoc manner--most of the
time as part of another project. Due to the potential impacts of ocean
acidification, this phenomenon requires a comprehensive federal plan
that will produce the sound science upon which we can make informed
decisions on how to mitigate and adapt to it.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you and your staff for working
with us on these bills before us today.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Gordon. Without objection Members may place
statements in the record at this point.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Mitchell follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Harry E. Mitchell
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Today we will mark up two important bills, H.R. 4174, the Federal
Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act, and H.R. 5618, the
National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act.
The Sea Grant Colleges sponsor a number of vital marine science
research, education, training, and technical assistance programs to
promote the understanding and utilization of ocean, coastal, and Great
Lakes resources.
Today we will consider amendments to H.R. 5618 that will encourage
the National Sea Grant College Program to explore methods for producing
offshore energy sources such as petroleum, natural gas, geothermal,
wind, and ocean thermal resources.
According to the Department of Interior's Minerals Management
Service, of all of the gas and oil believed to exist in the Outer
Continental Shelf, 82 percent of natural gas and 79 percent of oil is
located in areas that are already open to leasing.
However, despite record-high gas prices, oil and gas companies have
stockpiled over 10,000 permits for domestic drilling.
I encourage the Sea Grant Colleges to examine methods for energy
production in these areas of the Outer Continental Shelf that are
already open to leasing.
I urge my colleagues to support both H.R. 4174 and H.R. 5618.
I yield back.
Chairman Gordon. We will now consider H.R. 5618, the
National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008. I
have already mentioned the purpose of the bill, and I would
just like to state again my support for the Sea Grant Program
and for the good bipartisan bill.
I now recognize Mr. Hall to present any remarks on the
bill.
Mr. Hall. Mr. Chairman, again, I thank you. The National
Sea Grant College Program was established in 1966, and it is a
program modeled after the Land Grant College Program. The
intent of the Sea Grant Program was to focus studies on oceanic
work and reap the benefits that the Land Grant Program got from
teaching generations of Americans about agriculture, economics,
and military tactics.
The Sea Grant network has grown to include more than 30
programs based at top universities in every coastal and Great
Lakes state, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The program focuses its
investments on high-priority research. These pressing issues
include population growth and development of coastal
communities, preparation and response to hurricanes and coastal
storms and fisheries management, to name a few.
Sea Grant is one of the few programs that are able to make
an impact at the local and State levels and still be a national
force for change. H.R. 5618 continues this great tradition of
utilizing our nation's universities to train the next
generation of ocean researchers while at the same time
providing invaluable benefits to coastal communities and other
stakeholders.
I believe the National Sea Grant College Program Amendments
Act of 2008, creates a strong foundation upon which future
challenges can be addressed and overcome.
And I thank you, and I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hall follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Ralph M. Hall
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The National Sea Grant College Program was
established in 1966, a program modeled after the Land Grant College
Program. The intent of the Sea Grant Program was to focus studies on
oceanic work and reap the benefits that the Land Grant Program got from
teaching generations of Americans about agriculture, economics, and
military tactics.
The Sea Grant network has grown to include more than 30 programs
based at top universities in every coastal and Great Lakes state,
Puerto Rico, and Guam. The program focuses its investments on high-
priority research. These pressing issues include: population growth and
development of coastal communities; preparation and response to
hurricanes and coastal storms; and fisheries management, to name a few.
Sea Grant is one of the few programs that are able to make an impact at
the local and State levels, and still be a national force for change.
H.R. 5618 continues this great tradition of utilizing our nation's
universities to train the next generation of ocean researchers while at
the same time, providing invaluable benefits to coastal communities and
other stakeholders. I believe the National Sea Grant College Program
Amendments Act of 2008 creates a strong foundation upon which future
challenges can be addressed and overcome.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Gordon. Does anyone else wish to be recognized?
Oh, Ms. Johnson is recognized.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have an
amendment at the desk if you are ready.
Chairman Gordon. We are not quite ready there, but so if no
one else wants to be--address the body of the bill, then I ask
unanimous consent that the resolution is considered as read and
open to amendments at any point and that Members proceed with
amendments in the order of the roster.
Without objection, so ordered.
The first amendment on the roster is amendment offered by
the gentlelady from Texas, Ms. Johnson. Are you ready to
proceed with your amendment?
Ms. Johnson. I am, sir.
Chairman Gordon. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk. Amendment to H.R. 5618 offered by Ms. Eddie
Bernice Johnson of Texas.
Chairman Gordon. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with
the reading.
And without objection, so ordered.
I now recognize the gentlelady for five minutes to explain
her amendment.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member
Hall, for considering my amendment to H.R. 5618.
The amendment would encourage corporation with minority-
serving institutions through research collaboration. It states
that the Director of the National Sea Grant College Program
shall encourage collaborations among Sea Grant colleges and Sea
Grant institutions to address regional and national priorities.
The Director should also encourage cooperation with minority-
serving institutions to enhance collaborative research
opportunities for faculty and students in the area of ocean,
environmental, and atmospheric sciences.
The amendment also indicates that the Director shall
improve opportunities for and retention of students and faculty
from minority-serving institutions in these areas.
And finally, the amendment tasks the Director to increase
the number of students from minority-serving institutions
graduating in NOAA-related areas.
To summarize this amendment aims to increase the
participation of people of color and research related to marine
source conservation, management, and utilization. Support
collaboration with minority-serving institutions is good for
our nation. These institutions produce a high percentage of
African-Americans and Hispanics with advanced degrees, and
minority-serving institutions are powerhouses when it comes to
the pipeline of highly-trained, intelligent individuals who are
prepared for careers in science.
And I am proud to offer this provision that is designed to
increase the diversity of our scientific workforce. I thank
you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to speak on the
amendment, and I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Johnson follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Hall, for considering my
amendment to H.R. 5618.
The amendment would encourage cooperation with minority-serving
institutions through research collaboration.
It states that the Director of the National Sea Grant College
Program shall encourage collaborations among sea grant colleges and sea
grant institutes to address regional and national priorities.
The Director shall also encourage cooperation with minority-serving
institutions to enhance collaborative research opportunities for
faculty and students in the areas of ocean-, environmental-, and
atmospheric sciences.
The amendment also indicates that the Director shall improve
opportunities for, and retention of, students and faculty from
minority-serving institutions in these areas.
Finally, the amendment tasks the Director to increase the number of
students from minority-serving institutions graduating in the NOAA-
related areas.
To summarize, this amendment aims to increase the participation of
people of color in research relating to marine resource conservation
management, and utilization.
Supporting collaboration with the minority-serving institutions is
good for our nation.
These institutions produce a high percentage of African Americans
and Hispanics with advanced degrees.
Minority-serving institutions are powerhouses when it comes to the
pipeline of highly-trained, talented individuals who are prepared for
careers in the sciences.
I am proud to offer this provision that is designed to increase the
diversity of our scientific workforce.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to speak on my
amendment. I yield back.
Chairman Gordon. Thank you, Ms. Johnson, not only for the
amendment but for your continuing championing of this very
important issue. It has been clearly documented in this
committee that we need to encourage minorities and women in
these areas, that it is really the best way to get bumps up in
that kind of talent since they are so unrepresented.
Is there any further discussion on the amendment?
If no, the vote occurs on the amendment. All in favor, say
aye. Those opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is
agreed to.
The second amendment on the roster is the amendment offered
by the gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Akin. Are you ready to
proceed?
Mr. Akin. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an
amendment. It is at the desk. I guess it is amendment two.
Chairman Gordon. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk. Mr. Chairman, I have amendment number 004
offered by Mr. Akin of Missouri.
Chairman Gordon. Let us see, Mr. Akin. Do you think we are
in sync on that one?
Mr. Akin. Excuse me? I was distracted here. Could you
repeat the question?
The Clerk. Amendment 004, amendment to H.R. 5618, offered
by Mr. Akin of Missouri.
Mr. Akin. 004 is the amendment number?
Chairman Gordon. Counsel seems to think that is correct, so
why don't we proceed.
Mr. Akin. Okay. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. This
amendment adds a focus on exploring energy resources and
attempting to minimize conflicts between attempts to utilize
coastal energy resources and the environment to the program
elements of the Sea Grant College Program. And this is
consistent with the findings and purposes of the original Sea
Grant Program.
The findings are actually listed, and this is a quote.
``The vitality of our nation and the quality of life of its
citizens depend increasingly on the understanding, assessment,
development, utilization, and conservation of ocean, coastal,
and Great Lakes resources. These resources supply food, energy,
and the minerals and contribute to human health, the quality of
the environment, national security, and the enhancement of
commerce.''
Now, what I was intending to do with this amendment, Mr.
Chairman, was to build on what had been done in successful
projects, for instance, one that was called the digital ocean.
In this project Sea Grant funded and produced detailed maps of
the Gulf of Mexico that gave oil and gas producers highly-
detailed information on where to lay pipelines and locate
platforms. This information allowed oil and gas production to
take place in a manner that promoted the sustainability of our
marine ecosystem.
It seems to me that whether we like it or not we are a
little bit in a vise here between demand for oil and gas
resources and our desire in this committee to make sure that
those things are developed in a way that do the absolute most
to protect the environment and to be in balance with everything
else that are priorities that this bill lays out.
And so I felt that this would be a good amendment that
would further allow for a very well-controlled and well-
thought-out process in development of energy to make sure that
it is in balance with the environment and all of the other
different competing needs in these areas of water.
So with that, Mr. Chairman, I would move for the adoption
of the amendment.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Akin follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative W. Todd Akin
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This amendment adds a focus on exploring energy resources and
attempting to minimize conflicts between attempts to utilize coastal
energy resources and the environment to the program elements of the Sea
Grant College Program. This is consistent with the findings and
purposes of the original Sea Grant Program, that we seek to amend here
today, which is intended to help train individuals in the best way to
utilize our ocean and coastal resources as well as our Great Lake
resources.
The underlying act declares that it is in the national interest to
formulate a strategy to provide for the understanding and wise use of
these resources and the environment. The findings of the Act further
declare that ``The vitality of our nation and the quality of life of
its citizens depend increasingly on the understanding, assessment,
development, utilization, and conservation of ocean, coastal and Great
lakes resources. These resources supply food, energy, and minerals and
contribute to human health, the quality of the environment, national
security, and the enhancement of commerce.''
This commitment is exemplified by projects such as the Digital
Ocean. In this project, Sea Grant funded and produced detailed maps for
the Gulf of Mexico that gave oil and gas producers highly detailed
information on where to lay pipelines and locate platforms. This
information allowed oil and gas production to take place in a manner
that promoted the sustainability of our marine ecosystem.
The amendment I offer here seeks to build on these ideas by trying
to get these varying groups to work together to address the crisis of
our time, which is a shortage of viable energy resources that are
necessary to our economic independence and national security.
The amendment will ensure that the partners to the Sea Grant
College Program will look at ways to minimize conflicts between the
environmental community and the development of energy resources. It
will require the program to provide support to research and training
within education programs to ensure that the various needs of the
country are balanced. As we seek to site windmills or utilize natural
gas or geothermal resources in the ocean's floors, my amendment will
require an approach to this program that will balance these competing
interests.
I urge my colleagues to support it and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Chairman Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Akin. I will recognize
myself for just a moment.
I think we all share your interest and objective here. I
have a concern that the Sea Grant Program has no budget for
this and that it could constrain other programs, and right now
there are already six federal agencies involving in citing of
energy facilities in coastal areas; the Minerals Management
Service, the Federal Energy Regulation Commission, the Coast
Guard, the Department of Transportation, and Environmental
Protection Agency, as well as NOAA.
So, again, I appreciate and understand your interest here,
and I am not going to object to your amendment. I just hope
that it is, we need to keep it in context with this relatively
small budget of this agency.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Gordon. Well, yes. Mr. Rohrabacher is recognized.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Yes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I
agree with the statement you just made, but I think we also
have to put in perspective the importance of America's offshore
resources. For 30 years we have not been permitted, this
country has been denied the right to develop its offshore
resources by basically cowering in front of groups of people
who are shouting at us when we should have had the courage to
stand up and say, I am sorry. We need the oil, or there are
going to be serious repercussions.
And right now our people are living with those serious
repercussions from a lack of courage on the part of the U.S.
Congress to tell these folks who were screaming at us, no. We
will need the energy, and it will have a dramatic impact on our
life if we do nothing. And we can't just rely on solar energy,
which is years away.
And thus, yes, you are right. There are other priorities
within this program. We also have to put it in perspective, not
only of those other programs, but of the suffering that is
going on among the people of the United States.
And I say suffering, I don't use that word lightly. All of
the discretionary income of average citizens is being sucked
out of their pockets. They are not being able to live a decent
life and pay for their expenses. Their car needs to have tires.
They can't put new tires on their car because all of that
income is being taken away from them at the gas pump. And what
is happening at the gas pump was totally predictable by not
prioritizing the development of our offshore resources, as well
as other types of areas where we could have. For example, it is
nuclear energy where we didn't have one nuclear plant built
within the last 30 years, we haven't had any new oil refineries
in the last 30 years. So we need to keep that in context as
well when we are thinking about good amendments like Mr. Akin
has suggested to us today.
So thank you very much. I would strongly support this
amendment.
Chairman Gordon. And I would hope that you would explain to
Governor Schwarzenegger, who--some may be cowering before him--
--
Mr. Rohrabacher. If you would allow me to answer the
question, I am one of only two surfers in Congress. I have
scuba dived off of the offshore oil----
Chairman Gordon. I am just kidding with you.
Mr. Rohrabacher.--and Arnold knows that very well. I was
Arnold's first supporter in California just for the record.
Chairman Gordon. Ms. Woolsey is recognized.
Ms. Woolsey. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, as a Member who has a Sea Grant institution
in her district, the University of California-Davis, Bodega Bay
Marine Laboratories, I strenuously object to the Akin
amendment. In fact, yes, I am screaming because the Sea Grant
Program is about empowering institutions to study and protect
our oceans. It is not about pandering to the oil and gas
industry, and that, I believe, is what this amendment would do.
The Akin amendment directs the Sea Grant colleges to work
to expedite energy production, placing this above all other
uses. This would completely redirect the Sea Grant Program to
an activity incompatible with its mission, with its resources,
and actually with its expertise.
Public support for the Sea Grant Program has always been
strong because its educational mission and its support of
resource management approaches balance other competing needs.
That support will be eroded if Sea Grant is perceives as biased
towards the single goal of drilling or exploration in the
coastal zone.
Beyond that I would challenge anyone who thinks that
drilling for oil on our coast is a good idea to come and see
the beautiful coastline in my district. My district is across
the Golden Gate Bridge, north of San Francisco, 40 miles or 40
miles north of San Francisco, and it is full of natural
treasure. It is home of whales, seals, sea lions, fish, and
birds, and then after you have visited it, tell me you think it
would look good covered in oil. I can tell you it would not.
You know, you don't tear down a cathedral to make firewood,
and you must not destroy a natural wonder to drill for oil.
Mr. Chairman, I oppose the Akin amendment, and I urge all
of my colleagues to do the same. Thank you, and I yield back.
Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Gordon. Mr. Bartlett is recognized.
Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Chairman, I am personally kind of pleased
that we haven't yet drilled in these offshore regions because
had we drilled there we would have, and I am using the words of
Hyman Rickover of a speech given 51 years ago. We would have
used what he referred to as riotous living, denying it to our
children and our grandchildren.
I think we now are at the place where we really need to
look at all of our energy resources. I will be opposed to
drilling in ANWAR, offshore on our public lands, unless the
revenues that we get from that are totally invested in
renewables.
Mr. Chairman, we have squandered 28 years when we knew to
an absolute certainty that we were going to be here today with
oil at prices like this and with the demand exceeding the
supply. So I think that it is entirely appropriate that we look
to environmentally responsible exploitation of these relatively
small reserves of oil.
If we have 10 billion barrels of oil in ANWAR, that will
last the world and there is no alternative to share your oil
with the world, because if we don't use the Saudi oil, someone
else will use it. That will last the world 120 days. Big deal.
So I am very supportive of this amendment, and we really
need to use all of the energy and all of the revenues that we
get from this little bit of undiscovered oil to invest it in
alternatives. We now have wasted 28 years where we should have
been doing this, and so now we are paying $4 a gallon for oil
at the pump. We didn't need to be here, Mr. Chairman. This is a
good amendment, and we need to pass it.
Chairman Gordon. Mr. Akin, I will, unless, does anyone, Dr.
Baird.
Mr. Baird. My question here is Mr. Akin has described a
prior Sea Grant activity that apparently mapped the ocean
floor, which seems to me consistent with the purpose of the Sea
Grant and the research mission as I understand it, which is the
focus of Sea Grant. But this amendment seems to rather
dramatically change one of the missions of Sea Grant schools,
and it seems that what they are now, we are asking them to do
is engage in almost lobbying.
I mean, I will read from the amendment. ``To minimize the
conflicts and delays in the expedited production.'' There is an
assumption here that expedited production is a desired outcome
and that it is, therefore, part of the Sea Grant mission to
deal with expedited production of oil and gas.
That is a dramatically different mission than I envision
and understand Sea Grant to be. I don't think if you look at
the legislation that the intent of establishing the Sea Grant
Program was to expedite oil and gas production. I just find
that rather contradictory, and hence, I don't see that this is
really consistent with the mission of the legislation, the
underlying bill, and I don't think it is consistent with
preservation of the oceans. And, therefore, I think it would be
advisable for us to defeat this amendment in order to preserve
the integrity of the underlying mission.
I do believe there is urgent challenges to meet our energy
needs. I believe that have we had a responsible energy policy
at the beginning of this Administration, I believe that had the
President of the United States responded to the events of
September 11 by suggesting the American people begin to
conserve energy, develop alternative energies, we would be in a
much different situation than we are, and I think he failed in
that leadership opportunity.
So I believe we need to produce more energy domestically. I
profoundly believe it, but I think this is not the vehicle or
the appropriate way to do that, and I would urge defeat of this
amendment.
Mr. Inglis. Would the gentleman yield?
Mr. Baird. Certainly.
Mr. Inglis. I think that the gentleman makes a good point
about the language here, and I wonder if Mr. Akin might
entertain a friendly amendment to change the language. It is a
good point that you are putting in legislation something that
is quite directive in an unspecific kind of way.
So if Mr. Akin might consider changing some of those words.
Otherwise I would have to agree with the gentleman from
Washington.
Mr. Akin. Would the gentleman yield?
Mr. Inglis. Yes. Surely.
Mr. Akin. Let me just, I happen to have----
Chairman Gordon. Just for protocol I guess it is, really it
is the gentleman----
Mr. Baird. Yeah. I am happy to yield to Mr. Akin.
Mr. Akin. That is who I was asking. I have the National Sea
Grant College Program Act here in front of me, and it is the
section four, and it says part-way into that paragraph, ``These
resources supply food, energy, and minerals and contribute to
human health and quality of the environment, national security,
and the enhancement of commerce.'' So that is part of the
National Sea Grant currently, what it does, and then you go
over to basically about three pages into it, ``the term,
resource, means living resources including natural and culture,
plant life, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, wildlife,'' and B,
it says, ``non-living resources including energy sources,
minerals, and chemical substances.''
So this is all part of what is going on, and I guess what I
am trying to do is not change the focus. It seems to me the
focus is that we take a holistic approach to solving our
problems, and the whole point of this act is to bring all of
these interests together and to come up with a balance. It
seems to me that if we don't do the balance proactively now,
the problem is going to be that there will be enough demand
eventually that regardless of how we vote or what we think, we
are going to have something shoved down our throat that does
not do a good job balancing it.
Mr. Baird. I appreciate the perspective, and I am aware of
the language the gentleman refers to. My concern, however, is
the language is talking about broadly the resources available
in the seas. The language of the gentleman's amendment is
specifically directing towards expedited production of the
resources, not the research in, of what is there or how it is
impacted and how it changes, but expediting production of one
certain, one of those resources, and potentially, and here is
my other concern, potentially at the expense of those other
resources. And I think this is of substance. Potentially
expediting the production of oil and gas can be at the expense
of the other resources. We will shortly be marking up a bill
about the study of ocean acidification. We have looked at, in
this committee, extensively at global warming. One of my
concerns is you are sort of mandating one side of this
equation, which may well be in contrast, not only to the
underlying intent of the bill, but the broader findings that I
think are emerging from some of the research at Sea Grant. So--
--
Mr. Akin. If the gentleman would yield----
Mr. Baird. I don't know if have any time left to yield, but
I will ask the Chair for his indulgence.
Chairman Gordon. With unanimous consent we will allow Mr.
Baird to have an additional five minutes, which he then will
yield a portion of that to Mr. Akin.
Mr. Akin. I would be open-minded to an amendment to the
amendment if you wanted to say, because my objective is to
balance the environmental piece with the other and to pull that
together. And it seemed like this is a good way to do that,
because we are not, in environmental I am using it in the
broadest sense of the word, because we are talking about wind,
we are talking about geothermal, all of these different types.
The question is how do we balance all of these different
needs, and it seemed like this was the best program or best
forum to do that. I think the whole point of doing this is to
prevent this sort of political reaction, we will drill
anywhere, kind of thing. It seemed like this gets out in front
a little bit on it, but I am quite open-minded to amendment to
say that this has got to be done in balance and harmony with
everything else.
And so that, if you want to say in an environmentally-
friendly way or in balance, I am open-minded to that.
Mr. Baird. I would certainly be willing to work with----
Chairman Gordon. If the gentleman would, let me tell you,
if I could----
Mr. Akin. Please.
Chairman Gordon.--where I think we are at least
procedurally. I think we are a group in harmony in terms of
trying to do the right thing here. This is a bill that we have
really a small part, this is really, came out of the Natural
Resources, and there is going to have to be an agreement with
Natural Resources before this can get to the Floor.
Now, I wish that we were at Subcommittee level so that we
could then say, we will work on this going to out Full
Committee, but we are not. We are at the Full Committee.
Now, I would suggest that we work in good faith to try to
get that amendment to Mr. Inglis and Mr. Baird and everybody
can be right. But let me, I want to be clear that we are not
working with just this family, and basically we have worked out
everything this year, you know, pretty much, and so we are
going to have an outside force. And so I cannot, you know, with
this good conscience, you know, tell you that this can
absolutely be worked out, because we got a whole other
committee to have to deal with.
But if you would like to take that approach, you know, we
can move forward or you can, you know, I will let you, Mr.
Akin, I will let you decide how you would like to----
Mr. Akin. Well, Mr. Chairman, let me just ask something. My
understanding was that this amendment, that we would have
complete jurisdiction in this area as heard from the
Parliamentarian. Is that information correct or not correct?
Chairman Gordon. But they can stop the--yes. But the
Resource Committee can stop the bill from going to the Floor.
Mr. Akin. So they have got veto powers is what you are
saying.
Chairman Gordon. In essence, yes.
Mr. Akin. Well, Mr. Chairman, what I would--let me just ask
procedurally if we could do this, I would prefer if I could
offer the amendment and then if they want to veto it based on
that, then I would be happy to work with them and let them
modify it to where they are comfortable with it. Procedurally
can we do that?
Chairman Gordon. I think, yes. I mean, we can certainly
move forward. I mean, that is one more way to go about it. As I
say----
Mr. Akin. One thing we could do, Mr. Chairman----
Chairman Gordon.--I can't make any guarantees to you
because it is----
Mr. Akin. I know there are no guarantees. I am not asking
for guarantees. One thing we could do is there is a word here
as we look at it, it says, expedited. If that would make people
a little more comfortable, I am open-minded to take the word,
expedited, out if that softens the language somewhat, if people
want to look at that.
Otherwise, I would just as soon go ahead and offer this
amendment, we will vote on it, and just see how it goes.
Chairman Gordon. Mr. Bilbray, did you have----
Mr. Bilbray. Yes, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, again, this
committee has been very bipartisan in our approach, but I think
that the amendment's intention is to be proactive at something
that we all know is coming down the pipeline. I would rather us
have a proactive position that this needs, you know, the
environmental impacts of energy development being renewable,
whatever we do, needs to be a comprehensive approach,
proactively rather than reacting to proposals or pressures.
So I just think from both sides of the aisle this is
somewhere, if you take, you know, you can soften the words
around, but it is something we should take the leadership on
that science should be leading the way to addressing the issues
of offshore energy capabilities, be whatever the source, and
this is the vehicle you want to use. You want to use the Sea
Grant, not have to tag something on an Interior bill or an
Energy bill off the side as having the environmental approach
being an add-on rather than the leading factor in the
consideration.
So I would just ask both sides of the aisle to at least try
to accommodate this, because I think that is what we are here
for is to lead through science. And this is an issue we are not
going to get away from, not going to avoid, so we might as well
move forward with it together.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Would the gentleman yield?
Chairman Gordon. I think Mr. Baird's time is over with, so
let us get back to regular order. Who would seek to--okay. Mr.
Rohrabacher.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Well, let me just note that, again, I am a
scuba diver, and Brian and I are the only surfers in Congress,
and we are not deadly afraid of offshore oil wells because we
realize the oil disasters we have had in the last 20 years can
almost all be traced back to tankers, and to the degree that we
do not develop our offshore oil resources is the degree to
which we depend more on tankers, which are much more dangerous
to the ocean environment than an offshore oil rig.
Also, they are dangerous to our economy, and they are also
dangerous to our national security because those oil tankers
are transferring oil to us but cash to people overseas who hate
our way of life. What this amendment does and the vehicle that
we are talking about placing this amendment in, this is
precisely where you want to have something dealing with
offshore oil drilling because this is aimed at trying to make
it even safer than it is. If someone is saying, oh, we should
oppose this because offshore oil drilling isn't safe, which I
take exception with, that is no reason for us not to actually
pass this amendment, because this would make it safer. We are
actually asking people and our institutions to get involved
with developing ways of, yes, expediting it, but expediting
these things in a way that can be used, these resources can be
used in an environmentally-safe way.
Mr. Baird. Would the gentleman yield?
Mr. Rohrabacher. Yes. I certainly would.
Mr. Baird. I appreciate the gentleman's last statements. My
problem is I don't see language in the amendment that refers to
anything that he just spoke about. I don't see any language in
the amendment, and I may have missed something.
Mr. Rohrabacher. But that is what this bill is all about.
Mr. Baird. Speaking--no. I understand what the bill is
about.
Mr. Rohrabacher. That is what the Sea Grant Program is all
about.
Mr. Baird. I understand what the Sea Grant Program is
about.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Right.
Mr. Baird. What I don't understand is where in this
amendment we see any language seeking about safety of
extraction or environmental, reducing environmental impacts of
the extraction. I don't see that in this amendment. What I see
instead is the reverse.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Well, reclaiming my time, let me just note
that is the whole purpose of the Sea Grant Program. We are not
giving them money to try to find ways of doing things that make
it more environmentally damaging. You have to assume that when
we are putting it in, when we are trying to move money forward
in this way to meet the challenge of our energy resources, that
we are talking about, yeah, they are going to help us find ways
to do this in an environmentally-safe way. And of course, the
author of the amendment made it very clear that if you want to
add those words to it, he is perfectly willing to add those
words to it right now if you want to add them.
But the fact is by its very nature that is what this
amendment is all about, putting this in this bill, putting this
language in this bill is talking about making offshore oil
drilling safer for the people of this country.
Chairman Gordon. If the gentleman would further yield.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Yes.
Chairman Gordon. I think we need to be clear here that this
amendment is not about having offshore drilling or not. We have
offshore drilling.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Right.
Chairman Gordon. We have millions of acres that are
available for offshore drilling. We are drilling offshore right
now.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Right.
Chairman Gordon. What we are trying to do is put together a
bill on really a different topic, and I am afraid what has
happened here is, and you know, it does happen sometimes, but
we are out of the regular order. You know, if we had an
opportunity to look at this at the Subcommittee level, then we
could have gotten this wording out.
Again, there is no mischief on Mr. Akin's part whatsoever
here, but, again, I want to be sure that is understood. There
is offshore drilling.
Mr. Baird. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming----
Mr. Rohrabacher. I still have the time, and reclaiming my
time for one moment. Let me say, we have, it has been 30 years
of this type of, well, we can't agree, and let us find exact
wording or this or--one reason or another of why we haven't
been developing our energy resources. We haven't had one new
nuclear plant, we haven't had any new offshore oil. Even as the
tankers are breaking up off our coastline and putting oil onto
our beaches, realizing that if we don't do our offshore wells
we are going to have to rely on those tankers, we still haven't
developed our offshore oil.
Mr. Bilbray. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Actually, it is my time, Brian. Yes, but I
would be happy to yield to my friend, my fellow surfer, Brian
Bilbray.
Mr. Bilbray. Mr. Chairman, we are, let us get back to what
we are, this is any type of, we may be talking about geothermal
development, offshore wind.
Mr. Rohrabacher. That is correct.
Mr. Bilbray. We may be talking about all this. My biggest
concern is if we ignore this issue and are not proactive, I
have witnessed what happens. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge was
exempted from environmental regulations because the
obstructionism basically made Congress exempt all environmental
regs for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The obstructionism that
occurred in the California Coastal Commission over the border
fence ended up creating a situation where the border fence was
exempted.
I would rather be proactive, address these environmental
issues, and this is the vehicle to talk about the big pictures,
not just oil. We are talking wind, we are talking geothermal,
we are talking about what are the challenges environmentally
and economically. Where do we go from here? But look at the
picture. Now is the time to do it with science, not wait until
the proposal and the crisis makes us try to find exemptions.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Thank you very much, Mr. Bilbray, and I
would just then note that also there are, there is lots of
science going into energy production, the tides and waves and
the fact is----
Ms. Woolsey. Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Rohrabacher.--this is part of this as well.
Chairman Gordon. The gentleman's time has expired.
Ms. Woolsey. Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Gordon. The gentlelady from California is
recognized.
Ms. Woolsey. I would just like to remind the author of the
legislation that it says oil and gas exploration in the
amendment. It doesn't say wind, doesn't say geothermal.
Mr. Akin. Yes, it does.
Ms. Woolsey. Oh, it does? But it does say oil and gas.
Thank you.
Chairman Gordon. Okay. Dr. Bartlett is recognized.
Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Chairman, would it be in order to ask
unanimous consent for a text change that would remove the
offending language and replace it with language that I think
all of us can agree with?
Chairman Gordon. It is my--Majority Counsel thinks we can.
I will ask Minority Counsel if you have any----
Mr. Akin. Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Gordon. Do you have the language before you?
Mr. Bartlett. Yes, sir, I do.
Chairman Gordon. Well, why don't you present it. With
unanimous consent you can do most anything, so why don't you--
--
Mr. Bartlett. All right. Thank you. If you have the text in
front of you, this is number five in red at the bottom of the
page. I would strike the language, minimize the conflicts and
delays in the expedited, and replace it with the following
words. Explore the environmental and scientific considerations
relative to the----
Chairman Gordon. I think we should now yield to Mr. Akin to
see if he would----
Mr. Akin. I would accept that amendment if everybody will
do that unanimously. That is fine with me. Yeah. I think that
softens the language some. I think it still gets the basic
idea. What I am looking for is a holistic solution. I am not
talking, I am talking about fish, I am talking about fishermen,
I am talking about the whole deal so that you look at the thing
in a package.
Mr. Baird. Mr. Chairman, I would----
Mr. Akin. Surfing, too.
Mr. Baird.--except for the last remark I would commend Mr.
Akin for his flexibility and commend Mr. Bartlett for his
innovation, and it sounds like something I could certainly
personally support. I appreciate the process that led us here,
and I am grateful.
Chairman Gordon. And Mr. Bartlett, if you would submit your
language to the desk, please, so that we could have that.
We are doing Subcommittee work at the Full Committee, and
with everybody's indulgence we are trying to do it in the
proper way, and so if anyone has any objection as we move
forward, please let us know, because are trying--and now I
think--all right.
We need to let the language get to the desk and then my
understanding is, Mr. Wu, you have some language also.
Mr. Wu. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Gordon. Okay. So do you have two copies by any
chance?
Mr. Wu. I can make another one right now.
Chairman Gordon. Well, why don't you--okay. So okay. I
think, has Mr. Bartlett submitted his language? Oh, he is
putting it together. Is it at--oh, okay. Well, why don't we,
while that is going on just to expedite things, Mr. Wu, if you
could start having copies of yours made so we--thank you for
your indulgence.
We could recess for a couple of minutes while this is being
done, but I am afraid it would be adios to a lot of folks, so
we will just, while we are waiting do you want to, Mr.
Bartlett, would you like to talk a little bit about peak oil
while we are----
Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Chairman, I savor every opportunity to
educate the American public, but might I ask if it would be
appropriate----
Chairman Gordon. Is this under the unanimous consent? That
would be too hard.
Mr. Bartlett. Would it be appropriate to ask unanimous
consent that we could move on and dispense with Mr. Gingrey's
next amendment and then come back to the Akin amendment?
Chairman Gordon. No. I think we need to finish this,
because these things may be overlapping, and if you don't mind.
Mr. Bartlett. Okay.
Chairman Gordon. Let us see. So okay. Mr. Wu, why don't in
the interim as we are waiting for these copies to get together,
would you want to go ahead and describe your amendment, please?
Mr. Wu. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The precise language of my amendment, the only copy of
which has now gone up to the desk, the thrust of it is to not
obligate----
Chairman Gordon. Well, you know, Mr. Wu, let us just wait.
I am sorry. I am trying to be courteous to everybody's time,
but we are going to be better off in the long run if we will
just follow regular order here, and we need to do them--okay.
So if the Clerk, do you have the amendment?
The Clerk. I do not, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Gordon. Okay. So we will, let us proceed on Mr.
Bartlett's amendment, and we will close that, and then we will
go to Mr. Wu.
Mr. Akin. Mr. Chairman, if we had unanimous consent, we
could just adopt his amendment.
Chairman Gordon. You know, I think we are going to be
better off if Minority and Majority Counsel agree that we are
at the right place. In the long run we are just going to be
better off. Again, there is no bad faith here, but I would hate
for a comma or a word to be left out and somebody think that
there was mischief.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Mr. Chairman, I would think that Mr.
Bilbray could describe the biggest wave that he ever caught off
Southern California. That would be very entertaining for us
while we waited.
Chairman Gordon. Well, let me just ask counsel. Jim, where
are we now? Do you have, does the desk have all the materials
they need? Also, Mr. Bartlett. Okay. Well, what about Mr.
Bartlett? You have Mr. Wu's amendment, but what about Mr.
Bartlett's amendment? Okay.
Counsel. We have the wording, but we don't have copies of
Mr. Bartlett's.
Chairman Gordon. Okay. The Clerk will report Mr. Bartlett's
second degree amendment. And what we are going to do is read it
rather than waive it so that everybody could have that before
them.
The Clerk. Mr. Bartlett's second degree amendment to Mr.
Akin's amendment to H.R. 5618. Okay. We are going to strike
this. We are striking, minimize the conflicts and delays in the
expedited. Insert, explore the environmental and scientific
considerations related to, relative to.
Chairman Gordon. All right. Mr. Bartlett is recognized to
speak on his amendment.
Mr. Bartlett. I think the amendment is self-explanatory. I
think that Mr. Baird is correct that the, this college should
not be lobbying, and the intent of what Mr. Akin wants to do I
think is perfectly preserved with this word change. And I think
that it removes the confusing language which is offensive to
some.
I don't think anybody can argue that we ought to be looking
at the scientific and environmental implications of potential
wind and drilling and so forth.
Chairman Gordon. If there is no other, no objection or no
other discussion, then all in favor of Mr. Bartlett's amendment
to----
Mr. Wu. Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Gordon. Yes, Mr. Wu.
Mr. Wu. Parliamentary inquiry. If Mr. Bartlett's amendment
passes, would I have an opportunity to offer my proposed
language?
Chairman Gordon. Yes, but it will be to Mr. Akin's
amendment as amended by Mr. Bartlett.
Mr. Wu. As amended by Mr. Bartlett. May I inquire----
Chairman Gordon. Let us just, you know, the, I am getting
some shaking of heads from the Minority Counsel, and let us
work it out now. I don't want to work it out later. Tell me
what the problem is.
Then I guess the answer is, Mr. Wu, it depends on your
amendment, whether we could be blocked or it, depending on the
substance of your amendment.
Mr. Wu. Mr. Chairman, if I may inquire as of Mr. Bartlett,
the author of the secondary amendment, if I may make an inquiry
of Mr. Bartlett at this point in time.
Chairman Gordon. Of course.
Mr. Wu. Mr. Bartlett, there is not that much difference
between the language that you have proposed and that I have
proposed at the desk. I think that the one concept that I think
is important in this amendment process is the term that I have
inserted in there to provide scientifically-sound data.
Would you be amendable to working that scientifically-sound
data concept into your secondary amendment?
Mr. Bartlett. I have no, I think that, almost all
scientists think that their evidence conforms to that
characterization. No. I certainly have no objection to that.
I think it is implied. Why would you want to do science
that is not, yeah, that is really not science unless it is
that, so I certainly have no objection to that.
Mr. Wu. If the gentleman is willing to incorporate the
term, scientifically-sound data, or words to that effect, I
would withdraw any further efforts on my part.
Mr. Bartlett. I have no objection to that.
Chairman Gordon. My suggestion, and I hate to impose on the
Committee, I think what we should do is take a three- or four-
minute recess, have the parties work together. Let us get the
language so that everybody can see this, and do this in a way
that we are all comfortable. I think that would be best, so
with that the Committee is in recess.
[Recess.]
Chairman Gordon. The Committee will return to--the
Committee is returning, and let me remind everybody that we are
here, we have got a vote, so we are going to try to move
forward.
Mr. Bartlett is recognized.
Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to
withdraw my amendment and submit another, a second-degree
amendment, which is an amalgamation of Mr. Wu's amendment and
my amendment, to which I think everybody agrees.
Chairman Gordon. Without objection, the amendment, the
Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk. Mr. Chairman, I have a second-degree amendment
offered by Mr. Bartlett of Maryland of H.R. 5618, offered by
Mr. Akin of Missouri.
Chairman Gordon. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with
the reading.
Without objection, so ordered.
Okay. They have not been, I thought copies were made. Okay.
If the copies were not made then, please read the amendment.
The Clerk. Strike line five, to minimize the conflicts and
delays in the expedited, and insert on line five, explore the
environmental and scientific considerations including providing
scientifically-sound data related to, relative to the. And
strike on page two, line one and two, refineries, and insert,
energy-related facilities.
Chairman Gordon. The gentleman is recognized.
Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Chairman, I think the second-degree
amendment is self-explanatory. Thank you.
Chairman Gordon. If no one else wishes to be recognized,
all in favor of the amendment, say aye. Opposed, nay.
The second-degree amendment passes.
Mr. Akin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have made this into a
little bit of a career thing. If we could move for the adoption
of the amendment as amended.
Chairman Gordon. Without objection, all in favor say aye to
the amendment from Mr. Akin. Opposed, nay. The amendment
passes.
Mr. Gingrey is recognized.
Mr. Gingrey. Mr. Chairman, I have two amendments at the
desk. I intend to drop or withdraw one of those amendments,
amendment number two I will withdraw. I ask unanimous consent
to withdraw, and I have another amendment at the desk,
amendment number one.
Chairman Gordon. Without objection, the Clerk will report
the amendment.
The Clerk. Amendment number is 001, amendment to H.R. 5618,
offered by Mr. Gingrey of Georgia.
Chairman Gordon. The gentleman is recognized.
Mr. Gingrey. Mr. Chairman, thank you.
I first want to commend the Energy and Environmental
Subcommittee for its quick action on H.R. 5618, the National
Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008. This
bipartisan legislation expands the scope and purpose of the
National Sea Grant College Program, and the amendment that I
will be offering this morning will assist the Sea Grant Program
and its expansion through H.R. 5618.
In the declaration of policy in the original Sea Grant
Program, the law originally adopted back in 1966, as Mr. Akin
noted, notes that the vitality of our country is dependent on
the understanding, development, and utilization of ocean and
coastal resources, because these resources supply energy and
contribute to a number of important goals for our country,
including national security and commerce.
Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, the 89th Congress in 1966,
seemed to be light years ahead of the 110th in 2008, because it
was open to the potential of exploring and understanding what
offshore domestic energy resources had to offer. With the
improved technologies available for energy exploration on the
outer Continental Shelf, it is time that this program once
again lives up to its initial promise from over 40 years ago.
And so that is why I am offering this common sense
amendment. This amendment would add an additional duty for the
director of the Sea Grant Program to move the curriculum of the
program towards more energy resource exploration, including
production of energy from petroleum, natural gas, geothermal,
wind, and ocean thermal resources. At a time when families are
paying $4.07 for a gallon of regular gasoline it is certainly
overdue that we put in place the processes to explore American
offshore resources.
So, Mr. Chairman, the American people agree, and a recent
poll, Rasmussen poll showed that 67 percent of Americans
support exploration for oil off of our nation's coast. Yet 85
percent of the lower 48 states out of Continental Shelf, OCS,
energy resources remained under the lock and key of the Federal
Government that is off limits to drilling.
This amendment would bring together some of the Nation's
top academic institutions through the Sea Grant Program to find
ways to better utilize our offshore resources and energy
production in an environmentally-sensitive manner. Their
contribution will ultimately provide relief for working
American families from the rising gas prices that they face
each day by introducing more American supply into the
marketplace.
Mr. Chairman, a real solution is long overdue. Now is the
time that our laws need to reflect real-world challenges, where
we need reasonably-priced fuel to not only maintain our quality
of life, but also preserve American economic growth and
prosperity. And I believe that this amendment helps put us on
that path.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I want to just urge all of my
colleagues to support this common sense amendment, and again,
in essence, it just allows the director of the Sea Grant
Program to include in the curriculum, not put it over and above
any other part of the curriculum, but the----
[The prepared statement of Mr. Gingrey follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Phil Gingrey
Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
Thank you Mr. Chairman. I first want to commend the Energy and
Environment Subcommittee for its quick action on H.R. 5618, the
National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008. This
bipartisan legislation expands the scope and purposes of the National
Sea Grant College Program, and the amendments that I will be offering
this morning will assist the Sea Grant Program in its expansion through
H.R. 5618.
In the Declaration of Policy in the original Sea Grant Program, the
law--originally adopted in 1966--notes that the vitality of our country
is dependent on the understanding, development, and utilization of
ocean and coastal resources because these resources supply energy and
contribute to a number of important goals for our country--including
national security and commerce.
Unfortunately Mr. Chairman, the 89th Congress in 1966 seemed to be
light years ahead of the 110th Congress in 2008, because it was open to
the potential of exploring and understanding what offshore domestic
energy resources had to offer. With the improved technologies available
for energy exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf, it is time that
this program once again lives up to its initial promise from over 40
years ago.
That is why I am offering these common sense amendments. My first
amendment this morning would add an additional duty for the Director of
the Sea Grant Program to move the curriculum of the program towards
more energy resource exploration, including production of energy from
petroleum, natural gas, geothermal, wind and ocean thermal resources.
At a time when families are paying $4.07 for a gallon of regular
gas, it is long overdue that we put in place the processes to explore
American offshore resources. Mr. Chairman, the American people agree. A
recent Rasmussen Poll shows that 67 percent of Americans support
exploration for oil off of our nation's coasts. And yet, 85 percent of
the lower 48 states' Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy resources
remain under the lock and key of the Federal Government--off limits to
drilling.
This amendment would bring together some of the Nation's top
academic institutions through the Sea Grant Program to find ways to
better utilize our offshore resources for energy production in an
environmentally sensitive manner. Their contribution will ultimately
provide relief for working American families from the rising gas prices
they face each day, by introducing more American supply into the
marketplace.
Mr. Chairman, a real solution is long overdue, and now is the time
for our laws to reflect real world challenges, where we need
reasonably-priced fuel to not only maintain our quality of life, but
also preserve American economic growth and prosperity. I believe that
this amendment helps put us on that path.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this common sense amendment,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Gordon. Would the gentleman yield?
Mr. Gingrey. I would be glad to yield to the Chairman.
Chairman Gordon. We need to move, we need to, I think, move
forward if we are going to take care of this.
Mr. Gingrey. And I yield back. Thank you.
Chairman Gordon. Thank you, Dr. Gingrey.
Let me just, I want to try to quickly say when I began
Chairman of the Committee, I sincerely said that I want to be
able to operate in a way that the minority is treated better
than we were treated in minority and to operate in a way that
when inevitably we, you know, Democrats becoming the minority
again, that we would think that is fair.
But that is a two-way street. Now, you know, this amendment
was brought in two or three minutes before this markup started.
We haven't had a chance to look at it. It by and large is about
the same thing that Mr. Akin put forth and was worked out with
Mr. Bartlett. So, I mean, you just can't run a committee this
way, and you know, we want to try to be fair, we have tried to
do this before, but it is just not right bringing in
amendments, you know, again, literally two minutes before this
thing started.
So I am just going to have to, as has been the custom of
this committee for many Chairmen back, when amendments aren't
submitted 24 hours in advance, they are rejected.
Now, I don't think we have done that yet, because we, you
know, again, we want to try to work through things, but this is
just not the way you need to proceed. So I am going to oppose
this amendment.
And is there anyone else that would like to speak?
Mr. Bartlett.
Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Chairman, I am sympathetic with the goals
of the amendment, but I think it suffers from some of the same
problems that the other amendment suffered from, and we have
two choices here. One is to do as you implied, and that is to
have a vote on it, and you will certainly win. The other is
simply to break for the vote and to try to work out language
that will not be offensive to either side and come back after
the vote and consider the amendment.
Chairman Gordon. You know, that is, as usual, Dr. Bartlett,
you are reasonable and fair, but I think this is so, almost
duplicate of the amendment we just went forth, I think that it
is not going to be much that can be added in that regard.
So I think that if no objection, I would like to just call
a vote, and we will try to get back to regular order.
All in favor of Mr. Gingrey's amendment, say aye. Opposed,
nay. The nays seem to have it.
Mr. Gingrey. Mr. Chairman, on that I would like a recorded
vote. Thank you.
Chairman Gordon. The, let me see what our time on the Floor
is.
Okay. The Clerk will promptly call the roll.
The Clerk. Chairman Gordon.
Chairman Gordon. No.
The Clerk. Chairman Gordon votes no. Mr. Costello.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Ms. Johnson.
Ms. Johnson. No.
The Clerk. Ms. Johnson votes no. Ms. Woolsey.
Ms. Woolsey. No.
The Clerk. Ms. Woolsey votes no. Mr. Udall.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Wu.
Mr. Wu. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Wu votes no. Mr. Baird.
Mr. Baird. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Baird votes no. Mr. Miller.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Lipinski.
Mr. Lipinski. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Lipinski votes no. Mr. Lampson.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Ms. Giffords.
Ms. Giffords. Aye.
The Clerk. Ms. Giffords votes aye. Mr. McNerney.
Mr. McNerney. No.
The Clerk. Mr. McNerney votes no. Ms. Richardson.
Ms. Richardson. No.
The Clerk. Ms. Richardson votes no. Mr. Kanjorski.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Rothman.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Matheson.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Ross.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Chandler.
Mr. Chandler. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Chandler votes no. Mr. Carnahan.
Mr. Carnahan. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Carnahan votes no. Mr. Melancon.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Hill.
Mr. Hill. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Hill votes no. Mr. Mitchell.
Mr. Mitchell. Yes.
The Clerk. Mr. Mitchell votes aye. Mr. Wilson.
Mr. Wilson. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Wilson votes no. Mr. Carson.
Mr. Carson. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Carson votes no. Mr. Hall.
Mr. Hall. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Hall votes aye. Mr. Sensenbrenner.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Smith of Texas.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Rohrabacher.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Bartlett.
Mr. Bartlett. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Bartlett votes aye. Mr. Ehlers.
Mr. Ehlers. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Ehlers votes aye. Mr. Lucas.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mrs. Biggert.
Ms. Biggert. Aye.
The Clerk. Mrs. Biggert votes aye. Mr. Akin.
Mr. Akin. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Akin votes aye. Mr. Feeney.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Neugebauer.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Inglis.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Reichert.
Mr. Reichert. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Reichert votes no. Mr. McCaul.
Mr. McCaul. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. McCaul votes aye. Mr. Diaz-Balart.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Gingrey.
Mr. Gingrey. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Gingrey votes aye. Mr. Bilbray.
[No response.]
The Clerk. Mr. Smith of Nebraska.
Mr. Smith of Nebraska. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Smith votes aye.
Chairman Gordon. Is there anyone whose vote wasn't, oh,
excuse me. I am sorry.
The Clerk. Mr. Brown.
[No response.]
Chairman Gordon. Is there anyone whose vote was not
counted.
Mr. Costello.
Mr. Costello. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Costello votes no.
Chairman Gordon. Is there anyone else?
If the Clerk will report.
The Clerk. Mr. Chairman, 15 Members vote aye. No. Ten
Members vote aye, and 15 Members vote no.
Chairman Gordon. The amendment is not passed.
Are there any other amendments?
If no, then the vote is on the bill H.R. 5618 as amended.
All those in favor, say aye. All opposed, no. In the opinion of
the Chair the ayes have it.
And I, you know, we are just going to have to come back. So
I am sorry for the inconvenience, but we will take a recess,
come back after this and finish this, and we have one more bill
in addition to this.
[Recess.]
Chairman Gordon. The Committee will reconvene, and I will
recognize Dr. Gingrey for a motion.
Mr. Gingrey. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee
favorably report H.R. 5618 as amended, the National Sea Grant
College Program Act of 2008, to the House with the
recommendation that the bill do pass.
Furthermore, I move that staff be instructed to prepare the
legislative report and make necessary technical and conforming
changes and that the Chairman take all necessary steps to bring
the bill before the House for consideration.
Chairman Gordon. The question is on the motion to report
the bill favorably. Those in favor of the motion will signify
by saying aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it.
Mr. Akin. Mr. Chairman, should we ask for a recorded vote
on that or----
Chairman Gordon. I don't----
Mr. Akin. Oh, maybe not. Okay.
Chairman Gordon. Yes. The ayes have it, and the bill is
favorably reported.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table. Members will have two subsequent calendar days in
which to submit supplemental, Minority, or additional views on
the measure, ending Monday, May, June 30, excuse me, at 9:00
a.m.
I move pursuant to Clause one of rule 22 of the Rules of
the House of Representatives that the Committee authorizes the
Chairman to offer such motions as may be necessary in the House
to adopt and pass H.R. 5618, the National Sea Grant College
Program Amendments Act of 2008, as amended.
Without objection, so ordered.
I want to thank Members for their attendance, and we will
see you next Wednesday probably.
[Whereupon, at 1:33 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
Appendix:
----------
H.R. 5618, Section-by-Section Analysis, Amendment Roster
Section-by-Section Analysis of
H.R. 5618, the National Sea Grant College
Program Amendments Act of 2008
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
Section 1 entitles the legislation as the ``National Sea Grant
College Program Amendments Act of 2008.''
SECTION 2. REFERENCES
Section 2 clarifies that all amendment references in the
legislation are made to the National Sea Grant College Program Act (33
U.S.C. 1121 et seq.).
SECTION 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES
Section 3 amplifies the extension aspects of the Sea Grant program
and cites the relevance of the National Ocean Research Priorities Plan
and Implementation Strategy to the Sea Grant Program.
SECTION 4. DEFINITIONS
Section 4 defines key terms included within the text of the
proposed legislation, including `regional research and information
plan' and `National Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation
Strategy' where they appear in the bill.
SECTION 5. NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM, GENERALLY
Section 5 amends the Program Elements to expand Sea Grant programs
to include regional and national projects among Sea Grant institutions
and to add regional strategic investments in projects undertaken
through sea grant projects. Section 5 also augments the functions of
the Director of the National Sea Grant College Program to include
encouraging collaborations among Sea Grant colleges and institutions.
This section also strikes the sea grant program performance ranking
system for allocating additional resources on the basis of performance.
SECTION 6. PROGRAM OR PROJECT GRANTS AND CONTRACTS
Section 6 exempts the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
Program from having to match grant awards in order to achieve parity
between fellows placed in Congressional offices with those fellows
placed in federal agencies.
This section also increases the percentage of funds exempt from the
non-federal match requirement from the current one percent to five
percent.
SECTION 7. EXTENSION SERVICES BY SEA GRANT COLLEGES AND SEA GRANT
INSTITUTES
Section 7 clarifies that one of the requirements for designation
includes an extension program (as opposed to an ``advisory service'').
SECTION 8. TECHNICAL CORRECTION RELATING TO FELLOWSHIPS
Section 8 updates the statutory language requiring a report every
two years on efforts to include minority and economically disadvantaged
students.
SECTION 9. NATIONAL SEA GRANT ADVISORY BOARD
Section 9 expands the responsibilities of the National Sea Grant
Review Panel, renaming the panel as the ``National Sea Grant Advisory
Board'' to more appropriately and accurately describe its purpose and
function.
SECTION 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
Section 10 increases authorized funding levels from $66 million to
$100 million for the period between Fiscal Year 2009 through Fiscal
Year 2014.