US Senator Charles Schumer is calling for an increase in spending to bolster the nation's weather tracking systems. Schumer's action comes as Congress is proposing a $245 million cut in federal funding for maintenance of satellites used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Data gathered by NOAA's satellites are used in weather forecasting and storm tracking.
Schumer states that the need for updated equipment is exacerbated by the fleet dwindling to a single satellite in 2016 and the frequency of extreme weather events.
