Twenty-five House Democrats implored the Trump administration Thursday to reconsider staff cuts and office closures at the National Weather Service, citing impacts to “critical forecasting that supports emergency response efforts, saves lives, and mitigates damage during severe weather events.”
In a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought and General Services Administration acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian, lawmakers said they “are deeply troubled” about what could be hundreds of additional layoffs at NWS and the closure of dozens of weather forecast offices and other facilities.
The letter, led by Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida and Eric Sorensen of Illinois, references the rising frequency and intensity of extreme weather events as evidence that a further culling of NWS undermines the delivery of life-saving weather information.
“Cutting these services as extreme weather intensifies is a costly mistake. We urge you to reverse course before these reductions further weaken disaster preparedness, put more lives at risk, and increase the financial burden on recovering communities,” the letter states.
