ferent occasions but which has not significantly changed, or wheth- 

 er it is coastal or fisheries management. 



Each and every one of these areas is underfunded and strug- 

 gling, and it is not something that you are unaware of. The re- 

 straints are placed on you departmentally, and it is a tough battle, 

 as we all know. 



But it somehow strikes me as being more difficult this year be- 

 cause of the investment package issue with the defeat of the Presi- 

 dent's economic stimulus plan. We have a significant number of 

 items that were taken out of the budget under the cap and pro- 

 posed for funding as investments. Now the appropriations alloca- 

 tion is not adequate to those programs, and we are looking for 

 about $243 million, which is going to have to be found elsewhere 

 in the budget. That has worsened an already bad budget situation. 

 Mr. Chairman, your comments, please. 



OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR HOLLINGS 



Mr. Chairman. Today the committee will look at the budget and 

 policy decisions facing the new management team at the National 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In addition, the hearing 

 will focus on a specific issue of growing national interest, marine 

 biotechnology. 



NOAA was established in 1970 at the recommendation of the 

 Stratton Commission on Marine Science, Engineering and Re- 

 sources. The agency was created in response to, in the words of the 

 Stratton Commission, a growing "conviction that the time had ar- 

 rived for this country to give serious and systematic attention to 

 our marine environment and to the potential resources of the 

 oceans." Over the years, NOAA has become the Nation's primary 

 civilian agency to collect information about our oceans and atmos- 

 phere. Recent events, like the grounding of the Queen Elizabeth II, 

 the discovery of ozone depletion in the Arctic, and March's "storm 

 of the century" demonstrate the importance of such information. 

 Through its observation and assessment programs, NOAA has 

 monitored the Earth's environmental pulse, and over the years the 

 agency has done its job well. 



Today, NOAA is at a critical turning point. For the past 12 years, 

 the agency struggled for survival within an administration that 

 was often indifferent to NOAA's marine and coastal management 

 responsibilities. Each year, key programs were proposed for reduc- 

 tions or terminations, and it was up to Congress to restore funding. 

 Now, Secretary of Commerce Brown has voiced new interest in and 

 support for NOAA's programs and missions. The real challenge will 

 be to move the agency's agenda forward in the face of overwhelm- 

 ing deficit realities. TTius, I reaffirm my interest in the identifica- 

 tion by the new NOAA leadership of two or three priorities on 

 which we can proceed expeditiously. 



One of those priorities could well be marine biotechnology. This 

 field is one that unlocks the secrets of the cell, enabling us to use 

 marine resources in developing new products and processes. Ma- 

 rine biotechnology also could give us tools to manage marine re- 

 sources more wisely and effectively. 



Despite proven application in diverse areas such as manufactur- 

 ing, aquaculture, pharmaceuticals, seafood safety, fisheries man- 



