U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered her opening statement at the committee's July 30, 2025, markup session in Washington, D.C.
Cantwell began by acknowledging recent tsunami warnings following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Russia. She credited NOAA employees and emergency responders for ensuring that coastal communities such as those in Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, California, and Oregon received timely alerts. “Those warnings were made possible because of the incredible work of NOAA employees, emergency responders to make sure that our coastal communities, like the state of Washington, Hawaii and Alaska and California and Oregon and other impacted areas were given warning safely in advance,” Cantwell said.
She noted that these capabilities are due to investments in infrastructure like the DART program and NOAA buoys used for real-time tsunami monitoring. Cantwell also highlighted the work done by the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research in Seattle to improve forecasting models.
The committee met to consider seven nominations for federal positions as well as promotions for 20 Coast Guard officers. Three pieces of legislation were also on the agenda: one focused on shark interactions with fisheries; another aligning strategic planning timelines for U.S. advanced manufacturing; and a third providing NASA with increased flexibility regarding property leasing for research purposes.
Cantwell explained: “Today’s bills include… shark interactions with fisheries, aligning strategic planning timelines for US advanced manufacturing and providing increased flexibility to NASA’s leasing authority to allow on site research by outside entities.”
She described each bill under consideration:
- The SHARKED Act of 2025 would create a task force aimed at reducing shark interactions with fisheries.
- The Streamlining American Manufacturing Act would synchronize update cycles for key national manufacturing strategies from three years to four years.
- The Space Exploration Research Act would permit NASA to lease property to non-federal entities such as states or educational organizations to expand research facilities using non-federal funds.
Cantwell stated support for Dr. Jacobs as NOAA Administrator: “In the face of a rapidly changing climate, increasingly extreme storms and wildfires, the NOAA position could never be more important... I believe that he is in agreement on what NOAA’s priorities should be like the Organic Act... including the proposals I put forth on a Five Point Plan.”
She also voiced support for Paul Roberti as Administrator of Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety but expressed concern about declining pipeline enforcement cases during the Trump Administration: “I am concerned about the steep decline in pipeline enforcement cases thus far in the Trump Administration... I believe Mr. Roberti is qualified... specifically this issue of how foreign actors attack our pipeline system.”
However, Cantwell said she would not support several other nominees due to concerns over their views or records related to climate policy or safety enforcement within their respective agencies.
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