Key facts
- Lawmakers are challenging the National Science Foundation's plan to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative.
- The Ocean Observatories Initiative is a $386 million network of ocean sensors.
- Lawmakers accuse the National Science Foundation of acting illegally and without proper consultation.
- A bipartisan group of lawmakers is also challenging the Interior Department and National Park Service.
- Lawmakers state the Interior Department and National Park Service lack authority to build a proposed triumphal arch without congressional approval.
- Federal statutes require legislative authorization for commemorative works on federal land.
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers is raising objections to two distinct federal agency projects. In one case, senators and House committees are calling on the National Science Foundation (NSF) to cease its plans to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). This initiative represents a significant investment, totaling $386 million, in a network of ocean sensors designed to monitor marine environments. The lawmakers contend that the NSF's actions are illegal and have been undertaken without the necessary consultation with Congress.