‘Deliberate sabotage’: DOGE purges and allegedly cancels leases of agency responsible for weather prediction
DOGE sparks outrage by firing thousands of crucial National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees and allegedly canceling the leases for the facilities it uses for weather forecasting.
NOAA provides various services for Americans, including monitoring the weather, issuing watches and warnings, and identifying places vulnerable to flooding, tsunamis, and other natural disasters. The agency’s benefits to America and its economy far outweigh its costs, which comprise a tiny fraction of U.S. government spending. After all, weather forecasting impacts practically every aspect of American life, from agriculture to transportation to disaster response, while saving the economy tens of millions in property damage annually. Many of the positions within the NOAA belong to specialized employees with doctorates or masters who spent years in training. The agency was already experiencing talent shortages in some areas before the cuts. There’s simply no way to argue that the NOAA is wasteful or that it’d be more efficient to have even fewer staff performing these specialized, complex jobs that cannot be rushed.
However, right-wing extremists have had their eye on NOAA for quite some time. Project 2025 suggested downsizing or breaking up NOAA over claims it’s part of the “climate change alarm industry” because it researches climate trends and tries to provide the tools and information necessary to respond to climate change. Now, Donald Trump and Elon Musk appear to be fulfilling Project 2025’s plan with their nonsensical attack on NOAA.
DOGE targets NOAA with workforce cuts and lease cancelation
DOGE’s mass firings in the NOAA began last week, with over 880 employees facing indiscriminate terminations. As with other departments, DOGE largely went for the probationary employees because they don’t have the same protections as tenured workers. They’re firing these individuals because they’re the easiest to terminate, not necessarily because their performance is poor. The cuts came just before hurricane and tornado season, which puts extra strain on NOAA employees. While the agency claimed those performing critical functions were spared, many vital employees are among those laid off.
Hurricane hunters, 24/7 tsunami safety watch team members, flood mappers, meteorologists, and model developers are just a few examples of the employees laid off in DOGE’s purge. In addition to the purge, the Trump administration allegedly told NOAA that two of its centers for weather forecasting have had their leases canceled. It has reportedly canceled the lease for the building that houses the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, which provides vital information for the National Weather Service, Air Force, Navy, and FAA. However, it’s unclear if the buildings will be closed, as a White House official told Axios the administration was just “reevaluating the lease terms.”
Whether the leases are terminated or not, the cuts alone are enough to cost lives. They could negatively impact the organization’s ability to predict and respond to extreme weather, which endangers people and property and puts countless industries on the line that depend on weather predictions, such as fisheries and maritime commerce. Also, as mentioned above, if DOGE really were targeting waste, it wouldn’t go near the NOAA, one of the most efficient and beneficial government agencies. Patrick S. Tomlinson wrote, “Shutting it down isn’t about waste or fraud. It’s the deliberate sabotage of our country and economy.”
If DOGE can’t argue fraud or waste with the NOAA, it raises the question of why the agency was targeted. On the one hand, it could just be plain greed. Musk and Trump have demonstrated time and time again that they’re willing to hurt America in their relentless pursuit of savings, which many fear will ultimately go toward tax breaks for billionaires. It could also be that they’re following Project 2025 and the politicization of climate change. Tomlinson’s theory is the most concerning, though, which posits the pair are deliberately trying to cripple America and its economy. There’s no evidence to prove this claim, but the unjustified attack on an agency that benefits the economy and saves countless lives is inexplicable.
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