Importance Score: 75 / 100 🔴
Proposed Budget Cuts Target NOAA’s Research Division
The Trump administration is advocating for significant reductions to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) budget, potentially eliminating its core scientific research division. Internal documents reveal that the Office of Management and Budget has proposed the abolishment of NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research office, a leading global center for Earth sciences exploration. These budget cuts, significantly impacting climate change research and weather forecasting capabilities, are raising alarms among scientists and policymakers.
Potential Dismantling of Key Research Programs
A proposed budget of just over $170 million, a steep decline from approximately $485 million in 2024, would severely impair crucial scientific functions. This reduction would cripple diverse programs, including early warning systems for natural disasters, science education initiatives for K-12 students, and Arctic studies. The Arctic region is experiencing temperature increases nearly four times faster than the global average over the past four decades. According to the proposal, this funding level effectively “eliminates O.A.R. as a line office.”
Certain programs, such as those focused on tornado warnings and ocean acidification research, would be preserved. However, these would be transferred to the National Weather Service and National Ocean Service offices, respectively.
Broader Impact on NOAA and Commerce Department
The 2026 budget outline suggests “significant reductions to education, grants, research, and climate-related programs within NOAA,” pending Congressional approval. This proposal follows previous actions to dismantle agencies and remove climate change references from federal websites.
The Commerce Department’s overall budget would decrease by over $2.5 billion from 2025 levels, reaching nearly $7.7 billion. The revised budget prioritizes activities aligned with the administration’s agenda, such as enforcing trade regulations and gathering scientific observations, including ocean and weather data for forecasting purposes.
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Representative Zoe Lofgren, a senior Democrat on the House Science Committee, criticized the proposal, stating, “This Administration’s hostility toward research and rejection of climate science will have the consequence of weakening the weather forecasting capabilities that this plan claims to preserve.”
NOAA, which constitutes over half of the Commerce Department budget, is slated to receive just over $4.4 billion, a $1.6 billion decrease from 2025.
Rick Spinrad, former NOAA administrator under President Biden, expressed his concern, stating, “It’s not surprising, but it’s very disturbing.”
Specific Program Reductions
National Marine Fisheries Service Targeted
The budget for the National Marine Fisheries Service faces a one-third reduction. Moreover, the proposal suggests separating the service from NOAA and relocating it to the Interior Department’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Grants supporting species recovery and habitat preservation would be discontinued.
National Ocean Service Faces Deep Cuts
Funding for the National Ocean Service, a NOAA branch, would be halved. Programs like the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, which studies corals, pollution, and the effects of climate change and sea-level rise on coastal communities, would lose funding.
National Centers for Environmental Information and Satellite Programs Affected
The National Centers for Environmental Information, responsible for archiving climate data, would experience a 25% reduction in funding.
NOAA’s satellite and space programs would also undergo significant changes.
The Office of Space Commerce would be significantly reduced, and the Space Weather Prediction Center would be moved to the Department of Homeland Security. Funding would also be eliminated for the Traffic Coordination System for Space, a program intended to assume satellite traffic monitoring from the Department of Defense, with the proposal suggesting private sector alternatives.
The satellite program providing crucial data for weather forecasting and modeling would also be scaled back, and the longstanding partnership with NASA for satellite acquisition would be terminated.
Congressional Scrutiny and Project 2025
Dr. Spinrad expressed skepticism about the budget’s passage through Congress, stating, “I don’t think it will withstand congressional scrutiny.”
According to budget documents, the proposal is part of an effort to balance the federal budget and “eliminat[e] the federal government’s support of woke ideology.”
Project 2025, a policy document aiming to reshape the federal government under a Trump administration, advocates for breaking up NOAA and downsizing its research division.
Ms. Lofgren questioned the administration’s motives, asking, “It begs the question, is the Trump Administration intentionally breaking our weather forecasting capabilities as an excuse to carry out the dangerous Project 2025 proposal to privatize the Weather Service?”
Concerns over Scientific Setback
Project 2025, published by the conservative Heritage Foundation, labeled NOAA Research as “the source of much of NOAA’s climate alarmism” and recommended disbanding “the preponderance of its climate-change research.”
Craig McLean, former NOAA chief scientist, warned that the proposed budget “would take the U.S. back to the 1950s in technical and scientific skill.”
NOAA has until April 15 to appeal the proposal and until April 24 to submit plans for suggested overhauls, even before Congressional review.
Recent events at the Department of Commerce, including the re-firing of probationary employees after a court reversal, along with a potential 20% workforce reduction, further contribute to the agency’s uncertain future.