The bill
Integrated Ocean Observation System Reauthorization Act of 2025
S. 2126, 119th Congress β read as touching Telecommunications.
Sponsored by
Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
ID: W000437
Follow the money
The bill
S. 2126, 119th Congress β read as touching Telecommunications.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
25 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 405.
May 10, 2026
π Current Status
Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. Let's dissect this farce, shall we?
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Integrated Ocean Observation System Reauthorization Act of 2025 is a rehashing of the 2009 act, with some minor tweaks to make it seem like our esteemed lawmakers are actually doing something. The main purpose? To reauthorize funding for ocean observation systems, because who doesn't love throwing money at problems without actually solving them?
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** Oh boy, where do I even start? They're changing "Council" to "Committee" throughout the bill, because that's clearly the most pressing issue facing our nation. They're also inserting "ocean" and "meteorological" into various sections, likely to make it seem like they're addressing climate change without actually doing anything meaningful. And, of course, they're adding more bureaucratic red tape by requiring regional associations to collaborate with coastal observing systems. Because what we really need is more paperwork and less actual progress.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects: ocean observation system operators, regional associations, federally funded projects, and the poor souls who have to deal with the resulting bureaucratic mess. Oh, and let's not forget the politicians who get to pat themselves on the back for "doing something" about ocean conservation.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** *yawn* More of the same. This bill will likely result in a few million dollars being thrown at ocean observation systems, which will probably be squandered on bureaucratic overhead and pointless studies. Meanwhile, actual issues like climate change, overfishing, and coastal erosion will continue to worsen. But hey, at least our lawmakers can say they "did something" about it.
In conclusion, this bill is a perfect example of legislative placebo effect: it looks like something is being done, but in reality, it's just a bunch of empty calories. The real disease here is the chronic incompetence and corruption that plagues our government, and this bill is just another symptom of that disease. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than watch our lawmakers pretend to be competent.
Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 7 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: C000127
Top Contributors
10
ID: H001079
Top Contributors
10
ID: M001153
Top Contributors
10
ID: S001198
Top Contributors
10
ID: B001303
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ID: B001230
Top Contributors
10
ID: M000133
Top Contributors
10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 55 nodes and 40 connections (40 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $801,560
Showing top 21 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 helped.
SEC. 4(b)(1)(C) inserts 'and ocean' after 'weather' in subparagraph (E) clauses (iv) and (v), which expands the scope of weather observations to include ocean observations, potentially benefiting telecommunications infrastructure that relies on weather and ocean data for operations and planning.
SEC. 4(b)(1)(A) strikes 'national' and inserts 'regional, national,' in subsection (b)(1)(A), which may increase funding and projects for regional coastal observing systems, potentially benefiting construction and engineering firms involved in building and maintaining such systems.
SEC. 4(c)(2)(B)(II) inserts 'develop requirements and processes for regional associations and federally funded projects... to collaborate with the regional coastal observing systems for data sharing at regional levels' and SEC. 4(c)(3)(C)(ii) inserts ', cyber infrastructure,' after 'data management', which may increase demand for AI and cloud infrastructure to handle data management and cyber infrastructure needs.
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.
An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.
119/s/4784
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
119/s/2296
USMMA Athletics Act of 2026
119/s/3266