NOAA Budget Request Looks Positive, Though Numbers Could Shift in Congress

Abstract

The Obama administration's budget request for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2012, which begins on 1 October, would increase the agency's funding level to $5.5 billion, up from $4.75 billion in the FY 2010 budget enacted by Congress. The budget request is $56.8 million less than the administration's FY 2011 request of $5.54 billion. However, as Eos went to press, Congress was considering a new budget continuing resolution (CR) that could fund the federal government through the end of FY 2011 at a significantly lower level than the president requested for the current year. The CR could dramatically affect NOAA's current budget, the upcoming debate over the FY 2012 budget, and high‐priority programs including the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) to improve weather forecasting and climate monitoring.