Senate appropriators are set to vote on the Commerce Department's proposed fiscal 2013 budget tomorrow with a critical eye on the large chunk going to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Senate Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a markup on the $8 billion proposal -- of which more than 60 percent would go to NOAA.

Many lawmakers have expressed concerns over NOAA's proposed funding priorities. The plan would devote more than $2 billion for satellite programs that collect data for weather forecasts and severe weather warnings, while slashing budgets for everything else, from fisheries research to tsunami buoys and ocean acidification monitoring.

"We're concerned that satellites make up 37 percent of the overall budget," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told Commerce Secretary John Bryson at a hearing last month. "We're concerned that satellite costs are starting to erode other programs" (E&E Daily, March 23).

Murkowski and other coastal state legislators have called for more attention and funding for fisheries, especially stock assessments, which are slated for a $4.3 million boost in fiscal 2013, and new catch share programs.

Relocating NOAA from the Commerce Department to the Interior Department may be part of the discussion as the appropriators look for ways to save money in future years. During his last visit, Bryson told the subcommittee that the move would save taxpayer dollars and improve operational efficiency.

Schedule: The markup is tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. in 192 Dirksen.