Woonsocket Radio News Room

Ranking Members Amo, Lofgren Statement Decry Trump Firing NOAA Employees

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment, and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, released the following statements as employee firings began at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

 

“Every day, NOAA employees forecast the weather, track severe storms, and issue critical guidance that keeps Americans safe,” said Congressman Gabe Amo, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment. “By firing essential staff who work tirelessly on behalf of the American people, President Trump and Elon Musk are playing politics with our national security and public safety. Leaving NOAA understaffed will inevitably lead to additional chaos and confusion — I call on them to rehire these public servants immediately before preventable tragedy strikes.”  

 

“This will cost American lives,” said Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren. “Protect lives and property; that is NOAA’s mission. Firing the employees that allow the agency to carry out that mission will bring about dire consequences. People will die and face great hardship thanks to the recklessness of Co-Presidents Trump and Musk. Americans depend on the information provided to them by NOAA. What happens when the dedicated federal employees who provide that information are gone? What happens if hurricane forecasters are understaffed? We called on Secretary Lutnick to put a stop to this madness minutes after he was confirmed. He failed his employees by bending a knee to chaos agents. NOAA leadership will have to answer for every single unnecessary mishap and tragedy that could have possibly been avoided by a better equipped workforce. These firings must be reversed.”

BACKGROUND
On February 11, 2025, Subcommittee on Environment Ranking Member Amo joined Ranking Members Zoe Lofgren of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and Emilia Sykes of the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight in sending a letter to NOAA demanding answers on the safety and status of sensitive data possessed by the agency.

In Congress, Ranking Member Amo has been a strong supporter of NOAA.  On May 6, 2024, Ranking Member Amo attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the future home of the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic on Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island that will serve as. On June 4, 2024, he highlighted Rhode Island’s leadership in creating jobs and growing the Blue Economy at a NOAA budget hearing with then-Director Dr. Rick Spinrad. 

President Trump is calling April 2nd America's "liberation day." Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said that's the day his tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China go into effect. He said Americans will see an economic boom after the tariffs.        Israel says its forces will permanently occupy parts of Gaza unless Hamas releases the remaining hostages. This comes after Israel broke a nearly two-month ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group earlier this week. Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have reportedly killed almost 600 people in Gaza.        The President appears to be open to the U.S. becoming a member of the British Commonwealth. On Truth Social this morning, President Trump shared a link to a report from the "Sun" about King Charles the Third preparing a "secret offer" involving the U.S. becoming an associate member of the international organization. In his post, Trump said, "I love King Charles. Sounds good to me!"        Congressman Gerry [[ Jerry ]] Connolly is calling for an investigation into Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Connolly, a ranking member on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said it was suspicious that Lutnick recently urged Americans to buy Tesla stock. Connolly said it's "the latest example of the Trump Administration using taxpayer resources to enrich the President's inner circle."        Boeing has won a multi-billion dollar contract to build F-47 fighter jets. On Friday, President Trump announced the Next Generation Air Dominance program, also known as the F-47 fighter jet, will replace Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor. Boeing and Lockheed were competing for the contract to build the jets after both companies finalized designs for the aircraft last year.        There's a new idea to help bring down grocery costs. Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar wants the Trump Administration to allow the import of eggs from Mexico. He says, if you go across the border from his South Texas district, it costs about four-bucks for a carton of 30-eggs. If imports are allowed, he says it would solve the domestic supply issue, caused by the bird flu.       

Old News Archives