Congressmen Eric Sorensen and Jared Moskowitz are spearheading efforts with nearly 24 House colleagues to halt staff cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service (NWS). They are pressing U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director, Russell Vought, to reverse decisions perceived as dangerous within Project 2025, which aims to dismantle and privatize these essential agencies. Sorensen, the only meteorologist in Congress, stresses that high-quality weather reports are vital for public safety. He has previously introduced legislation to modernize NWS communications, ensuring reliability in life-threatening weather situations. Concerns grow as ongoing budget slashes threaten these indispensable services.
“Indiscriminately firing NOAA and NWS employees, while simultaneously slashing their budgets, will make it more challenging for Americans to access accurate and affordable weather reports – be it from their local news or the app on their phone,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen. “The lifesaving weather reports these agencies create are a public service I relied on for more than two decades to give my neighbors warnings about extreme thunderstorms, tornadoes, and blizzards. Since coming to Congress, I have been fighting to protect the amazing work NOAA and the NWS does to keep us safe, which is why I am once again demanding an end to these reckless cuts.”
Before last year’s election, he was warning Americans about the impact of Project 2025’s plans to dismantle NOAA and the NWS. Since then, he has been calling out the cuts, firings, and layoffs, and demanding that the Administration stop making dangerous cuts to these critical agencies.
As the only meteorologist in Congress, Congressman Sorensen has leveraged his unique perspective and experience to lead efforts in protecting NOAA and the NWS. He recently helped introduce the bipartisan National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act to help modernize the NWS’ communications network, which disseminates time-sensitive information to broadcasters, emergency managers, and the general public during severe weather events.
