Kilmer-Backed Provisions Included in Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Appropriations Committee passed a bill that includes several provisions authored by Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA). The Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Commerce, Justice, & Science Appropriations Bill contains measures from Kilmer that encourage groundbreaking investments in ocean acidification research, push for development of innovative timber products in rural communities, increase trade enforcement, and boost efforts to recover salmon populations in Washington state.
The appropriations bill and the report language accompanying the bill provide funding and direction to federal agencies to move forward on issues cited by committee members. Kilmer, a member of the Appropriations Committee, successfully secured investments in key programs that support salmon in Washington state.
“This bill makes progress on important priorities for our region,” said Kilmer. “Salmon are not just a Washington state icon; they are also a staple of our local economy. We need to make investments now to ensure salmon runs remain robust. It’s also important to support our coastal communities facing the threats of rising sea levels, severe weather, and the impact of ocean acidification on our waters. I’m pleased we were able to make some progress on these priorities in the bill. Going forward, I will fight to ensure that this bill makes smart investments in the kind of innovations and programs that bring opportunities to folks in our region.”
The legislation under consideration funds the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other related agencies.
As part of the bill that moved out of committee Kilmer obtained $65 million for the Pacific Salmon Recovery Fund. The Fund was created to aid the recovery of wild salmon and steelhead populations that are listed as threatened and endangered under the Endangered Species Act while maintaining healthy salmon populations. It implements efforts to protect and restore salmon habitat and track the progress of restoration.
Kilmer successfully secured language on the following provisions in the appropriations bill to:
- Support Tribal relocation efforts: Calls for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support mitigation and relocation initiatives of tribal coastal communities. Tribes across the nation who live on the coast are increasingly threatened by rising sea levels and severe weather storms and are looking at moving to higher ground.
- Strengthen trade enforcement: Calls for the International Trade Administration and the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center to work together on identifying and prioritizing the reduction of trade barriers and trade practices that are harmful to U.S. workers and businesses. It also encourages greater transparency regarding how the administration is holding countries accountable for trade violations.
- Launch innovative research on ocean acidification: Encourages NOAA to coordinate with the Office of Science and Technology Policy to carry out a program to award funds through prize competitions in order to increase our ability to manage, research, and monitor ocean acidification and its impacts. Ocean acidification is a rising threat to coastal communities in Washington state. Earlier this year, Kilmer reintroduced bipartisan legislation to establish these prize competitions on ocean acidification.
- Boost innovative timber products: Encourages the Economic Development Administration to push for the development of regional innovation clusters focused on advanced wood products like Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). The use of CLT products could help reduce future building costs, improve environmental impact, strengthen structures in the face of seismic disturbances, and provide needed opportunities to strengthen our nation’s timber industry.
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