Magaziner Defends NOAA, Rhode Island Fishermen During House Natural Resources Committee Markup Debate

WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner (RI-02) led in Democrats' defense of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) during the Natural Resources Committee markup of the House Republicans' sweeping reconciliation tax bill, which proposes deep cuts to programs that Rhode Island's fishermen and coastal communities depend on, in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

The proposal includes deep cuts to NOAA, which plays a critical role in protecting national security by supplying data for military decision making, collects information on fish stocks that the livelihoods of Rhode Island fishermen depend on, and provides weather data used by meteorologists, farmers, and countless other Americans.

House Republicans are attempting to pass a package of tax cuts expected to predominantly benefit the wealthy and big corporations, through a process called reconciliation that requires offsetting cuts to federal programs. Democratic members of the Natural Resources Committee submitted amendments to the legislation, with Magaziner proposing amendments to reverse all proposed cuts to NOAA in the bill, and to ensure that all NOAA services and operations that support military readiness are preserved - both of which were blocked by the Republican majority.

"The House Natural Resources Committee should work together on a bipartisan basis to create good-paying clean energy jobs, support Rhode Island's fishermen and growing coastal economy, and invest in national parks - a source of pride for our nation," said Magaziner. "Instead, Republicans in the majority are pushing a partisan bill that guts critical programs like NOAA-not to help working people, but to hand out more tax breaks to billionaires and provide giveaways to Big Oil. The people of Rhode Island deserve better."

Magaziner also spoke out against proposed Republican funding cuts targeting national parks and environmental protection, as well as the proposed return of noncompetitive leasing in federal oil and gas lease sales.

You can view or download Rep. Magaziner's opening remarks from this week's committee markup here.

BACKGROUND

In Rhode Island, NOAA supports a fishing and aquaculture industry that supports thousands of jobs, provides lifesaving weather forecasting, and funds research that strengthens the state's coastal economy and conservation of ocean resources.

Despite its critical mission, NOAA has become a primary target of the Trump administration and Elon Musk's DOGE. Since January, NOAA has faced an unprecedented wave of political interference: censorship of climate research, purging of expert staff, the shutdown of oversight committees, and forced layoffs. Just last week, the Trump Administration sent an agency-wide email announcing that it has eliminated 1,000 NOAA employees with over 27,000 years of collective experience.

Last month, Magaziner led House Natural Resources Committee Democrats in a congressional forumon the devastating impact of cuts to NOAA, highlighting how mass layoffs and facility closures at the agency hurt Rhode Island's coastal economy and national security interests.

The forum brought together voices from the fishing industry, environmental advocacy, and public service at the nation's capital-including Sarah Schumann, a Rhode Island commercial fisher and Director of the Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign-to testify on the impact of Trump Administration cuts to NOAA.

Previously, Magaziner hosted a roundtable in Providence to hear from Rhode Island fishing, aquaculture, environmental, and conservation leaders about their concerns surrounding a weakened NOAA.