Van Hollen Statement on Layoffs At NOAA

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, the leading Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) – which has funding jurisdiction over the Department of Commerce, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – released the following statement regarding hundreds of layoffs announced today at NOAA:
“The Trump Administration’s illegal actions to slash NOAA’s workforce – indiscriminately and without cause – will only hurt vital services that Americans depend on. As I made clear to Commerce Secretary Lutnick yesterday: this action is flatly illegal. Americans rely on NOAA to provide both day-to-day and emergency weather forecasting, and NOAA also supports our communities by conducting vital research into environmental threats, managing our nation’s fisheries, and more. I can guarantee we will be fighting this action in Congress and in the Courts.”