mr. speaker , i thank the gentleman for yielding me the time .  mr. speaker , i want to thank both the chairman and the ranking member for this bill , especially for its iraqi dollars , because this bill analyzes microscopically the kinds of equipment that is needed there now , and then surgically targets those dollars in a vastly efficient manner for our troops .  the bill also deals with healing the wounds of both mind and body of those soldiers who are returning .  the bill also deals with small businesses being able , through the h-2b process , to hire legal workers .  and the bill also deals with enhanced technology for the tsunami situation that we saw so much , months ago .  i want to thank the gentleman from california ( mr. lewis )  for the legislation , and i urge its adoption .  mr. speaker , i would like to address the $ 17 million included in the supplemental that we are considering today , which will support the expansion of the u.s. tsunami warning network .  these funds will help noaa to procure and deploy tsunami detection buoys in a system designed to provide continuous tsunami warning capability for both the pacific and atlantic coasts of the united states .  detection is a critical part of a warning system which i hope will ultimately include a comprehensive approach to educating communities about , and preparing them for , tsunamis .  comprising 70 percent of the earth 's surface area , our oceans support a growing source of protein for many developing countries , promising sources of medicines , and efficient transport of goods between continents and among nations .  they also strongly influence our climate and weather and provide economic and unmeasurable quality of life benefits .  for proof of this , one only needs to know that the u.s. coasts support over 50 percent of the u.s. population and comprise only 17 percent of our land base .  when south asia was struck by tsunami waves on december 26 , the world 's interest in tsunami detection and warning systems was heightened .  the impact of these waves was felt around the world , and the tragedy of its immediate effect on indian ocean coastlines has painfully exposed our lack of ability to provide early warning and coastal community education and support .  many lifelong residents of indian ocean coastal towns fear the sea -- the primary source of their livelihoods for generations .  it is critical that individuals in high-risk areas are educated about and prepared for tsunamis before they strike .  coastal communities need assurance that technology exists and will be applied to increase warnings for such events and to prepare them for evacuation to avoid catastrophic loss of human life .  in contrast , developed nations use increasing technological sophistication to acquire from the sea its bounty -- with little thought for the long-term sustainability of this activity .  in time , without increased understanding of our ocean ecosystems and the impact of our harvest and extraction of its resources , developed nations may also come to fear the sea .  the antidote to the disease of fear is understanding .  new technologies have already led to enormous advances in our understanding of the coastal and marine environment .  however , advanced sensors have been deployed only on relatively small scales , and the systems that are deployed have not been coordinated into an integrated system that will optimize our understanding of the oceans .  since the u.s. hosted the earth observation summit in july 2003 , we have been working with our partner nations to adopt a comprehensive , coordinated and sustained earth observation system to collect and disseminate data , information and models for more effective and responsible use of our resources as well as to inform decision-makers about impending disasters .  most recently , the u.s. commission on ocean policy made an integrated ocean observing system a top recommendation in its report , an ocean blueprint for the 21st century .  our space exploration and our weather programs show that when our scientists and the nation support a program and devote time , money and , most importantly , the human mind into these types of endeavors we are highly successful .  the ocean , however , is often referred to as the last frontier , a place where we continue to find new organisms and species and where we still struggle to understand the profound implications for climate changes and more direct impacts of the oceans on our human habitats .  there is perhaps no more motivating event , no louder a voice for attention and understanding than having the ocean engulf human habitats .  our failure to fully develop and utilize our technology to understand our oceans has many more implications , including the potential for permanent damage to fragile and complex ecosystems that have generously provided us with food , medicines , recreation , and other benefits .  we are now awake to the power of the ocean , and it is my hope that we will use this opportunity to move more quickly toward integrated data collection and dissemination systems , as well as intensive education of coastal communities , to ensure that we and future generations can look to the sea for inspiration , sustenance , and life-giving support .  i strongly support the inclusion of these funds to increase global monitoring capacity and public awareness about tsunamis and other disasters , particularly if they add to capacity of ocean monitoring as part of the global earth observation system of systems ( geoss ) .  