(The Center Square) – Amid staffing shortages and public concern over natural disasters, the National Weather Service is defending its ability to fulfill its core mission—even as it operates under the strain of past budget cuts and ongoing reorganization.
Illinois U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Rockford, a former meteorologist, said he and others are pushing bipartisan legislation to strengthen NWS operations and staffing, warning that shortfalls may be putting lives at risk.
“We have to get President [Donald] Trump to understand that investing in the National Weather Service, making sure we have more accurate weather models, could maybe make these types of disasters a thing of the past,” Sorensen told NBC.
Under Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget plan, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration faces cuts, but NWS funding gets a proposed 6.7% increase.
At a recent Senate confirmation hearing, Neil Jacobs, Trump’s nominee to lead NOAA, defended the cuts.
“I support the president’s budget,” Jacobs told lawmakers, adding that mission-essential functions would continue.
Illinois has two National Weather Service forecast offices, one in Lincoln and another in Romeoville. These are two of about 32 forecast offices nationwide funded through the agency’s $120 million Administrative Management Division budget.
In fiscal year 2023, the entire NWS was funded at $1.4 billion.
“The National Weather Service continues to meet its core missions amid recent reorganization efforts and is taking steps to prioritize critical research and services that keep the American public safe and informed,” NOAA’s National Weather Service spokesman Erica Grow Cei told The Center Square in a statement.
Cei said NOAA leadership is taking steps to address those who took a voluntary early retirement option.
“NWS continues to conduct short-term Temporary Duty assignments (TDYs), and is in the process of conducting a series of Reassignment Opportunity Notices (RONs) to fill roles at NWS field locations with the greatest operational need,” said Cei. “A targeted number of permanent, mission-critical field positions will soon be advertised under an exception to the Department-wide hiring freeze to further stabilize frontline operation.”
Sorensen stressed the need for stronger communication tools, warning systems and a long-term investment in the agency’s capabilities.
“We take it for granted that our phones are going to go off in the middle of the night when a tornado warning or flash flood warning is issued. But when that happens, we need to know there’s going to be a way for us to escape. We have to keep working on social science to make sure the communication of meteorology gets better,” said Sorensen.
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During a recent U.S. Senate hearing, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, wasn’t convinced by Jacobs who claimed the proposed 27% budget cut was simply a shift from research to operations and wouldn’t impact the agency’s essential functions.
“I disagree with you. A 27% cut will have an impact. There’s a definite ripple effect when that kind of funding is slashed,” said Markey. “Weather readiness without funding is a hallucination.”