NOAA has a massive footprint in Washington state, with over 700 people employed at the agency
Washington DC – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on reports that mass layoffs are beginning at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has a major footprint in Washington state, where NOAA employs over 700 people.
“Whether they know it or not, every American in every part of the country relies on NOAA every day—for everything from weather forecasts and storm warnings to the restoration and management of our marine resources and fisheries, which is especially important in Washington state.
“Now Trump and Elon Musk are aiming their wrecking ball at NOAA and mass firing scientists, weather forecasters, and so many others for no reason—laying off dozens of people in Washington state who do mission-critical work that will now have to come to a screeching halt. Reliable forecasting saves lives and property—so much of our economy hinges on accurate weather predictions, whether it’s agriculture or shipping routes. This is dangerous and could be catastrophic for our economy.
“This is a huge setback for Washington state in particular, where NOAA employs over 700 people and is a trusted partner for our agencies, Tribes, and fisheries—all of whom rely on the agency’s work to protect and restore marine resources that are essential to our state’s economy and culture. NOAA scientists are the experts on our oceans, fisheries, and so much else—and without them on the job, we can’t save our salmon or protect our environment here in the Pacific Northwest.
“Two billionaires with zero clue of what NOAA does are putting lives and property at serious risk in their corrupt mission to break government and enrich themselves.”
Senator Murray has been a leading voice raising los alarm about how mass firings at all manner of federal agencies will hurt families, veterans, small businesses, farmers, and so many others in Washington state and across the country. Senator Murray has spoken out en el piso del Senado against this administration’s attacks on federal workers and held múltiple press conferences to call attention to how Trump and Musk’s mass layoffs are hurting federal workers in Washington state and undermining services for everyone. Earlier this month, she released both a national fact sheet y un Washington state fact sheet detailing what we know about the mass layoffs so far. Senator Murray also sent an open letter to federal workers y un newsletter to her constituents in Washington state outlining her concerns with the administration’s so-called “Fork in the Road” offer.
Senator Murray has also sent a flurry of recent oversight letters demanding answers about indiscriminate staffing reductions across federal agencies—including letters to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on mass firings across HHS as well as a letter focused specifically on firings at FDA, Energy Secretary Chris Wright on indiscriminate firings at BPA, HUD Secretary Scott Turner on reports of massive staff cuts at HUD, Interior Secretary Doug Burham on National Parks Service staffing cuts, and then Acting USDA Secretary Gary Washington on the universal hiring pause for USDA firefighters, among others.
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