On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation that I introduced; the National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act and the NOAA Chief Scientist Act. They both unanimously passed the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee – where I serve as Ranking Member of the Research and Technology Subcommittee – earlier this year.

The National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act would modernize the National Weather Service’s (NWS) outdated communications network – NWS Chat – which disseminates critical, time-sensitive information to broadcasters, emergency managers, and the general public during severe weather events. As part of its Integrated Dissemination Program update, NWS has identified several systematic upgrades critical to its emergency communications operation, including the need to replace NWS Chat.

The NOAA Chief Scientist Act would establish new minimum qualification requirements and outline new responsibilities for the position of Chief Scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Earlier this week, I had an excellent discussion with the Iowa Farm Bureau. The topics of our meetings included rising input costs, the Farm Bill, and free and fair cattle markets for 4th District cattle farmers.

Last night, I had a great time playing in the 2022 Congressional Baseball Game. This game is a bipartisan tradition in our nation’s capital that benefits several charities.

Make sure to exercise extra caution if you use money-transferring apps such as PayPal or Venmo. Scammers are targeting these sites more often since they do not have strong fraud protection measures compared to other payment options.