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), a member of the committee. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Commerce, Justice, & Science Appropriations Bill contains measures from Kilmer that encourage innovation and advancement in ocean acidification research, boost efforts to recover endangered salmon populations in Washington state, and increase trade enforcement.
The appropriations bill and the accompanying report provide funding and direction to federal agencies to move forward on issues cited by committee members. 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.
“This bill makes progress on important priorities for our region,” said Kilmer. “Salmon are a Washington state icon and 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 threat of ocean acidification on our waters.”
“Going forward, I will fight to ensure that this bill backs innovations and programs that bring opportunities to folks in our region and that address challenges we face like ocean acidification and coastal resiliency.”
As part of the bill that moved out of committee Kilmer obtained $65 million for the Pacific Coastal 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 salmon hatcheries: The bill boosts efforts to maintain healthy salmon populations on rivers in the Pacific Northwest and helps ensure hatcheries remain in compliance with the Endangered Species Act. Funding would be included to help the National Marine Fisheries Service, State Agencies and Tribes to complete the backlog of hatchery and genetic management plans needed to avoid hatchery shutdowns. The bill also increases investments in Salmon Management Activities over FY 2016 to better track salmon stocks as they move through the wild.
- Launch innovative research on ocean acidification: The Committee’s Report 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.
- Strengthen trade enforcement: The bill includes $15 million for the Trade Enforcement Trust Fund, authorized within the Trade Facilitation and Enforcement Act. The investment would help ensure that countries that do business with the U.S. are held accountable and live up to all obligations they’ve made, so American products made by American workers are not disadvantaged.
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