Protect Americans - Rebuild the Agencies That Protect Us

Restore NOAA and FEMA Before More Lives Are Lost The catastrophic flooding in Texas has laid bare a national crisis: the deliberate dismantling of the very agencies designed to predict, prepare for, and respond to weather disasters. The damage is not just to property—it’s to our public safety infrastructure and to human lives. NOAA and FEMA Have Been Critically Weakened Under Donald Trump, over 1,900 NOAA employees—roughly 15–17% of its workforce—have been laid off or forced into early retirement. Now, his administration is seeking an additional 17% cut in staffing, alongside a proposed budget that would eliminate NOAA’s Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research and defund key labs responsible for weather forecasting and severe storm research. FEMA has also faced devastating losses. Over one-third of its permanent workforce has been removed, and current budget proposals freeze key disaster-preparedness funding and slash grant programs critical to local emergency response. The Human Cost Is Unacceptable These are not abstract numbers. Texas just suffered catastrophic flooding that killed at least 78 people and left communities reeling. Experts have warned that weakened early-warning systems—now short-staffed and underfunded—have undermined the country’s ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to such disasters. These tragedies could become our new normal unless Congress acts. Congress Must Act Immediately I urge you to: • Restore NOAA’s 2026 budget and reinstate its research offices. • Prevent further staff reductions and rebuild NOAA’s forecasting and storm science capacity. • Fully fund FEMA and restore its workforce to ensure readiness for future disasters. This is a test of national leadership. We cannot meet the era of climate-driven disasters with dismantled agencies and empty promises.