Democrats say Musk and Trump ‘must be stopped’ after over 800 fired from weather agency

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recently become the target of layoffs within the federal government, sparking outrage among Democratic lawmakers who are speaking out against the Trump administration. According to Sen. Maria Cantwell, at least 880 workers at NOAA, the country’s national weather service, were let go on Thursday as part of the administration’s efforts to downsize and cut costs.

Cantwell expressed concern about the impact of these layoffs on the agency’s ability to forecast and respond to extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, which could put communities at risk. Sen. Chris Van Hollen also condemned the firings, calling them “blatantly illegal” and urging that they be stopped.

Rep. Grace Meng joined in the criticism, describing the layoffs as “unconscionable” and emphasizing the harm being inflicted on the American people. She highlighted that hundreds of employees at NOAA, including weather forecasters at the National Weather Service, were terminated without justification.

Reports suggest that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may have played a role in targeting NOAA for layoffs. Climate scientist Daniel Swain from UCLA expressed alarm over the cuts, noting that they affected meteorologists, data and computer scientists responsible for weather predictive models, and technicians in charge of maintaining the nation’s weather instrumentation network.

The layoffs at NOAA have raised significant concerns about the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission effectively. The agency, however, remains dedicated to providing timely information, research, and resources to serve the American public and ensure the nation’s environmental and economic resilience.

The reported layoffs at NOAA come in the wake of ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to reduce the size of the federal government. The situation has sparked outrage and calls for action from Democratic lawmakers, who are demanding that the layoffs be halted to prevent further harm to the agency and its ability to carry out its vital functions.