Ranking Members Amo, Lofgren Statement Decry Trump Firing NOAA Employees
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment, and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, released the following statements as employee firings began at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“Every day, NOAA employees forecast the weather, track severe storms, and issue critical guidance that keeps Americans safe,” said Congressman Gabe Amo, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment. “By firing essential staff who work tirelessly on behalf of the American people, President Trump and Elon Musk are playing politics with our national security and public safety. Leaving NOAA understaffed will inevitably lead to additional chaos and confusion — I call on them to rehire these public servants immediately before preventable tragedy strikes.”
“This will cost American lives,” said Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren. “Protect lives and property; that is NOAA’s mission. Firing the employees that allow the agency to carry out that mission will bring about dire consequences. People will die and face great hardship thanks to the recklessness of Co-Presidents Trump and Musk. Americans depend on the information provided to them by NOAA. What happens when the dedicated federal employees who provide that information are gone? What happens if hurricane forecasters are understaffed? We called on Secretary Lutnick to put a stop to this madness minutes after he was confirmed. He failed his employees by bending a knee to chaos agents. NOAA leadership will have to answer for every single unnecessary mishap and tragedy that could have possibly been avoided by a better equipped workforce. These firings must be reversed.”
BACKGROUND
On February 11, 2025, Subcommittee on Environment Ranking Member Amo joined Ranking Members Zoe Lofgren of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and Emilia Sykes of the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight in sending a letter to NOAA demanding answers on the safety and status of sensitive data possessed by the agency.
In Congress, Ranking Member Amo has been a strong supporter of NOAA. On May 6, 2024, Ranking Member Amo attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the future home of the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic on Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island that will serve as. On June 4, 2024, he highlighted Rhode Island’s leadership in creating jobs and growing the Blue Economy at a NOAA budget hearing with then-Director Dr. Rick Spinrad.
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