U.S. Senator Schumer reacts to latest DOGE cuts to the NOAA that will impact New York State
ALBANY, NY- A second round of DOGE cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday has prompted a response from U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.
He says these latest workforce cuts will impact New York State, specifically the suspension of weather balloon launches in Albany, which the NOAA says are critical for gathering data for forecasting.
“I am all for rooting out fraud, but decimating weather forecasting people rely on every day is not waste, it is lifesaving information,” said Senator Schumer.
Monica Allen, NOAA spokesperson, told the Associated Press that despite these staff reductions, the agency will “continue to provide information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission.”
It’s not just the NOAA enduring these cuts, it is agencies and programs widespread across the board amidst an effort on behalf of Elon Musk to shrink the federal workforce, to which President Trump has referred to as “bloated.”
Meanwhile, Schumer is criticizing Musk and the Trump Administration for these reductions, going on to say they are “indiscriminate” and are “creating chaos and confusion in New York and across the country.”
Schumer is demanding answers about how many NOAA staff were fired in New York – and why, and assurances that the agency would restore and maintain critical services for the entire state.
According to Schumer's office, weather balloons give forecasters a three-dimensional picture of the atmosphere in real time, helping meteorologists provide New York residents fast and accurate predictions of what conditions they can expect when they step outside.
The senator said these new cuts mean that weather balloons will not be going up in Albany as frequently, and meteorologists will have less data to predict how storms are evolving.
Schumer said the hyper local forecasting by the local NWS offices is especially important in instances of extreme weather like these tornados and lake effect snowstorms, it is important for New Yorkers to have fast, reliable, accurate weather forecasts so they can make the best decisions to keep themselves and their families safe.
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer image.
