Just before a record earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to slash $454 million or 14 percent out of the budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Now, if not a tidal wave of protest, supporters of the Republican-driven House budget are being inundated with questions about how NOAA will do its job — which includes tsunami warning and weather forecasting.
The administrator of NOAA, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, goes before the House Natural Resources Committee Thursday and Friday.
On the eve of Lubchenco’s testimony, Ocean Conservancy has released a list of impacts if the House-sponsored budget cuts ever become law:
–Tsunami Early Warning Centers: According to a statement that NOAA gave ThinkProgress.com, the cuts “will cause furloughs at both Tsunami Warning Centers (TWC)” that keep U.S. coastal areas prepared.
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