Washington, D.C.- Today, Representative Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) led a letter with 34 Members of Congress urging Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to reject proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), emphasizing the severe risks to public safety demonstrated by recent deadly storms across America.

"We are writing to express our concern about the Trump Administration's proposed cuts to our national emergency and weather response services following the recent wave of deadly storms across the country. Reducing funding for these critical services would put lives at risk during future disasters. It is essential that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has robust funding to provide timely public alerts and forecasts and effectively respond to severe weather events," Rep. Bell and 34 lawmakers wrote.

"As recent storms have demonstrated, we cannot afford to weaken our weather response capabilities. Storms can strike without warning, and with more severe weather, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, on the horizon, we must ensure that our nation is fully prepared. Weather does not adhere to political ideologies, and our preparedness systems should not either. We urge you to oppose any further cuts to NOAA and emergency weather services, ensuring these agencies can operate without political interference," the lawmakers concluded.

The letter was also signed by Reps. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Gerald Connolly (D-Va.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), Eleanor Norton (D-D.C.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.).

The full text of the letter is available hereand below:

The Honorable Howard Lutnick
Secretary
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20230

Dear Secretary Lutnick:

We are writing to express our concern about the Trump Administration's proposed cuts to our national emergency and weather response services following the recent wave of deadly storms across the country. Reducing funding for these critical services would put lives at risk during future disasters. It is essential that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) receive robust funding to provide timely public alerts and forecasts and effectively respond to severe weather events.

Late last week, and over the weekend, intense storms caused severe flooding, dust storms, wildfires, and tornadoes across states such as Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. Tragically, at least 42 people have been killed, thousands lost their homes, and millions across the country remain under red flag warnings, signaling potentially more severe weather.

The Trump Administration has been clear in its criticism of NOAA, calling it "one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry." As we have seen since the beginning of the Administration, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has recklessly slashed our federal government's workforce and budgets, including at NOAA. Since this Administration began, NOAA lost 1,300 employees due to resignations or layoffs. However, due to a March 20th ruling, the Commerce Department announced the rehiring of several hundred of these employees. Despite this, the Administration has directed NOAA to reduce its staff by an additional thousand employees. If these cuts proceed, nearly 20 percent of NOAA's essential workforce would be cut, severely weakening the National Weather Service's (NWS) ability to deliver lifesaving weather forecasts and alerts nationwide.

As recent storms have demonstrated, we cannot afford to weaken our weather response capabilities. Storms can strike without warning, and with more severe weather, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, on the horizon, we must ensure that our nation is fully prepared.

Weather does not adhere to political ideologies, and our preparedness systems should not either. We urge you to oppose any further cuts to NOAA and emergency weather services, ensuring these agencies can operate without political interference.

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