What is the story about?
Several members of Congress stated Tuesday that the Trump administration is enabling the US National Weather Service to reinstate the majority of the hundreds of positions eliminated by Elon Musk's cost-cutting Department
of Government Efficiency.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the NWS's parent agency, intends to employ 450 weather service meteorologists, hydrologists, and radar technicians, according to a joint statement issued on Thursday by US Representatives Mike Flood (R-NE) and Eric Sorensen (D-IL).
The two lawmakers have introduced legislation that would exclude weather service personnel from DOGE-imposed layoffs and early retirement by reclassifying their professions as essential to public safety. President
Donald Trump originally appointed Musk to lead the DOGE program, but the billionaire entrepreneur withdrew from the administration months later.
Flood and Sorensen said they welcomed the hiring turnaround but would continue to push for passage of their measure to ensure that newly recruited employees remain permanent, safeguarding them from future layoffs.
"Hundreds of unfilled positions have caused NWS offices across the country to cancel weather balloon launches, forego overnight staffing and force remaining
meteorologists to overwork themselves," Sorensen said.
A third lawmaker, Republican Mark Alford of Missouri, also hailed the administration's "move to hire 450 front-line mission critical staff" at the NWS.
CNN, which broke the news before statements emerged from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, reported that the new hiring figure included 126 positions previously approved by NOAA, a US Commerce Department agency.
Representatives of the NWS and NOAA could not immediately be reached for comment.
Layoffs
and early retirement "buyouts" had reduced the NWS workforce by more than 550 positions from levels before Trump's second term, leaving fewer than 4,000 employees remaining, according to CNN.
Thursday's announcement of a reversal comes during a summer of weather extremes, including flash floods, opens new tab that ravaged Texas Hill Country last month, claiming at least 137 lives. The devastation raised questions about whether job vacancies at local NWS offices were a factor in the scale of the disaster.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer urged the Commerce Department's acting inspector general last month to investigate whether staffing vacancies at the NWS's San Antonio office contributed to "delays, gaps, or diminished accuracy" in forecasts of the flooding.
In May, the National Weather Service chief Ken Graham said large staffing and budget cuts at NOAA, including his agency, would not hinder the government's ability to forecast devastating storms and warn the public.
At the same
time, NWS forecasters were predicting an above-normal 2025 hurricane season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the NWS's parent agency, intends to employ 450 weather service meteorologists, hydrologists, and radar technicians, according to a joint statement issued on Thursday by US Representatives Mike Flood (R-NE) and Eric Sorensen (D-IL).
The two lawmakers have introduced legislation that would exclude weather service personnel from DOGE-imposed layoffs and early retirement by reclassifying their professions as essential to public safety. President
Flood and Sorensen said they welcomed the hiring turnaround but would continue to push for passage of their measure to ensure that newly recruited employees remain permanent, safeguarding them from future layoffs.
"Hundreds of unfilled positions have caused NWS offices across the country to cancel weather balloon launches, forego overnight staffing and force remaining
A third lawmaker, Republican Mark Alford of Missouri, also hailed the administration's "move to hire 450 front-line mission critical staff" at the NWS.
CNN, which broke the news before statements emerged from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, reported that the new hiring figure included 126 positions previously approved by NOAA, a US Commerce Department agency.
Representatives of the NWS and NOAA could not immediately be reached for comment.
Layoffs
Thursday's announcement of a reversal comes during a summer of weather extremes, including flash floods, opens new tab that ravaged Texas Hill Country last month, claiming at least 137 lives. The devastation raised questions about whether job vacancies at local NWS offices were a factor in the scale of the disaster.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer urged the Commerce Department's acting inspector general last month to investigate whether staffing vacancies at the NWS's San Antonio office contributed to "delays, gaps, or diminished accuracy" in forecasts of the flooding.
In May, the National Weather Service chief Ken Graham said large staffing and budget cuts at NOAA, including his agency, would not hinder the government's ability to forecast devastating storms and warn the public.
At the same
Do you find this article useful?
