Tell Congress: No more dangerous cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration!
Dear MoveOn member,
As we write, catastrophic flash flooding in Texas has claimed more than 120 lives, including 35 children.1 We at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) are grieving with these families. And we don’t yet know what the full scale of the tragedy will be.
The National Weather Service and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provided timely forecasts and warnings for this one-in-one-thousand-year event. But NOAA—the agency responsible for forecasting deadly storms like this—remains severely understaffed following devastating budget cuts by the Trump administration that slashed critical roles and lifesaving forecasting tools. These cuts risk putting more people at risk, especially as climate change is supercharging extreme weather.2 Will you sign the petition to demand Congress halt cuts to NOAA?
And now, President Trump wants to cut NOAA’s budget even more as part of his proposed FY26 budget—to half of what it was just a year ago, and completely eliminate the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,3 which, among other things, developed the weather forecasting tool that accurately predicted 10+ inches of rain in some parts of Texas hours before the rain actually began. These cuts are not just irresponsible—they can be deadly.
As climate change-fueled disasters grow more intense and frequent, we rely on NOAA’s science and forecasting tools to protect our families and communities. But Trump is gutting it, and we need Congress to stand up for us.
The Trump administration’s cuts to NOAA may put more lives at risk—and it will only get worse without action from Congress. Add your name to urge Congress to reject any further attempts to gut critical NOAA funding!
In April, San Antonio’s Warning Coordination Meteorologist took early retirement under DOGE cuts.4 And a key NOAA satellite program that tracks hurricane development is set to shut down at the end of this month, right as we enter peak hurricane season.5 Experts have been sounding the alarm about how these dangerous cuts will negatively impact communities for decades to come.6
People in the United States have invested tax dollars in building up NOAA’s scientific capabilities for generations. NOAA belongs to us, not the Trump administration. And we have to take action NOW to stop any further erosion of this vital climate science agency.
Thanks for all you do.
–The team at the Union of Concerned Scientists
Sources:
1. “Two sisters who died holding each other, a doting grandmother who enjoyed sitting by the river, a camp counselor who mentored young girls: The faces of the Texas flooding tragedy,” CNN, July 10, 2025
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/06/us/victims-texas-flash-flooding-death
2. “Trump’s DOGE Cuts Are a Texas-Sized Disaster,” Texas Observer, July 3, 2025
https://www.texasobserver.org/trump-texas-doge-cuts-disaster-aid/
3. “Dramatic budget cuts at NOAA could put weather forecasts in peril, lives in danger,” USA Today, July 1, 2025
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/24/noaa-budget-cuts-weather-forecasts-dire-impact/84064074007/
4. “Head of local weather warnings takes early retirement as NOAA cuts continue,” KXAN, April 21, 2025
https://www.kxan.com/weather/weather-blog/head-of-local-weather-warnings-takes-early-retirement-as-noaa-cuts-continue/
5. “Sudden loss of key US satellite data could send hurricane forecasting back ‘decades,'” The Guardian, June 28, 2025
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/28/noaa-cuts-hurricane-forecasting-climate
6. “Dramatic budget cuts at NOAA could put weather forecasts in peril, lives in danger,” USA Today, July 1, 2025
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/24/noaa-budget-cuts-weather-forecasts-dire-impact/84064074007/
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