Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

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OBSERVING THE EARTH FROM SPACE
data gathered by civil meteorological satellites:
Whereas the Federal Government has the responsibility for providing forecasts and
warnings regarding severe weather in order to protect property and public safety;
Whereas the United States has engaged for over one hundred years in the free international
exchange of meteorological data;
Whereas civil meteorological satellite systems and associated ground system equipment
are essential components in ensuring the national security of the Nation through
their use in conjunction with satellites operated by the Department of Defense;
Whereas transfer to the private sector of ownership or management of any civil meteorological
satellite system and associated ground system equipment would likely create a
Government-subsidized monopoly and jeopardize the cost efficiency and reliability of data
gathered by civil meteorological satellites;
Whereas it is highly unlikely that, under the current plan for transfer of civil meteorological
satellites, any significant new commercial venture involving marketing of weather
data would develop;
Whereas skepticism in the Congress about the transfer of the civil meteorological
satellite system could complicate and delay the pressing decision about the future of the
civil land remote sensing satellite system; and
Whereas no satisfactory explanations or proposals have been advanced for the transfer
of ownership or management of any civil meteorological satellite and associated
ground system equipment to the private sector: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that it is the sense of the
Congress that it is not appropriate at this time to transfer ownership or management of
any civil meteorological satellite system and associated ground system equipment to the
private sector.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, a second is not required on this
motion.
The gentleman from Florida (Mr. FUQUA) will be recognized for 20 minutes and the
gentleman from New York (Mr. CARNEY) will be recognized for 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. FUQUA).
Mr. FUQUA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
(Mr. FUQUA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. FUQUA. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 168 expresses the sense of
the Congress that it is not appropriate at this time to sell this Nation’s civilian weather
satellites to the private sector. The purpose of the concurrent resolution is to halt the
administration’s effort to sell these satellites by sending a clear and unambiguous signal
to the administration and to U.S. industry that the Congress does not consider such a
transfer to be in the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, our committee is of the view, after reviewing both the public testimony
on this issue and the administration’s plans for transfer, that the proposal to transfer
weather satellites is not sound and that considerable time, effort, and resources will be
saved by halting this proposal immediately. Our committee reached this conclusion for
several reasons:
The public service nature of weather services;
The danger of establishing a federally protected monopoly;
National security considerations; and
The need to concentrate the debate on commercializing land remote-sensing satellites.
In sum the committee concurred with the view presented in a November 10, 1983
Joint NASA/Department of Defense study:
There is considerable financial, policy, and program risk to the Government in commercializing