Weather Prediction, Census See Funding Boosts in Bipartisan Bill

The Commerce Department’s weather prediction agencies and Census Bureau would get a funding bump as part of a $78 billion discretionary spending package under bipartisan funding legislation released by the House Appropriations Committee.

The bill released Monday would give Commerce $10.5 billion, according to a summary released by House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.). Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) calculated the total higher, $11.1 billion.

The Trump administration’s budget requestsought to slash the department’s funding by 16.5 % from its $10.2 billion in enacted budget authority last fiscal year.

The proposal directs about $6.1 billion ...