Lawmakers haggle over funding for Agriculture computer program
Common Computing Environment is intended to track natural disasters, outbreaks of animal and plant diseases, and acts of bioterrorism.
Two House Democrats on Tuesday called on Congress to fully fund the Common Computing Environment (CCE), a program intended, among other things, to track natural disasters, outbreaks of animal and plant diseases, and acts of bioterrorism.
Rep. Charles Stenholm of Texas demanded on the House floor that the Department of Agriculture fully implement a 1994 law that requires the secretary to use computer systems to enhance productivity and promote computer information sharing.
Stenholm's comments came during debate on an amendment to the Agriculture appropriations bill offered by Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-Texas, which would zero out the department CCE account and redistribute the funds to specific USDA agencies, said Taryn Fritz Walpole, Bonilla's communications director.
Stenholm said he would oppose all amendments "until someone can show me that taking money from computers is a better investment."
Rep. David Wu of Oregon "reluctantly" agreed and also opposed the amendment, citing the possible deterioration of a common computing program that monitors the health of forests and farms via satellite imagery.