National Weather Service Employees Organization Endorses Mark Begich for Alaska Senate

WASHINGTON, March 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Weather Service Employees Organization is pleased to announce its endorsement of Mark Begich for Senator of Alaska.

"Senator Begich strongly supports the lifesaving mission of the NWS to protect the people who work and live in Alaska," said NWSEO President Dan Sobien.

Senator Begich, as chairman of the Senate oceans subcommittee overseeing NOAA, pushed the agency to work with the Interagency Working Group for Alaska, a consortium of federal agencies organized by President Obama to work together to streamline permitting for oil and gas development in the Arctic.

NWSEO is the labor organization and professional association that represents 4,000 employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S. Department of
Commerce, including:

• Forecasters, technicians and support personnel of the National Weather Service, the nation's official source for weather forecasts and warnings,
• Attorneys in NOAA's Office of General Counsel,
• Technicians who track and command the nation's weather satellites,
• Civilian crews of the "Hurricane Hunter" aircraft,
• Hurricane researchers and other scientists and support personnel at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Florida.

NWSEO is confident that Mark Begich will continue to effectively secure funding necessary to make Alaska more prepared for all weather events.

SOURCE National Weather Service Employees Organization