Global Economic Times

Trump Administration Proposes Massive NOAA Budget Cuts, Closure of Climate Research Units, Sparking Strong Scientific Concerns: KO YONG-CHUL Reporter / Updated : 2025-04-12 19:05:33

Washington D.C. - The Trump administration is facing significant backlash for proposing sweeping budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the leading U.S. agency for weather, climate, and ocean research, and for plans to effectively dismantle all climate-related programs. According to White House documents obtained by The Washington Post, the budget proposal outlines a 27% reduction in NOAA's overall $6.1 billion budget, with particularly deep cuts targeting research divisions crucial for weather and climate forecasting, improving natural disaster warnings, and enhancing the understanding of natural phenomena.

The document reportedly argues that these programs "are not aligned with the President's agenda and the explicit will of the American people." Democrats and the scientific community are strongly opposing the plan, warning that it would lead to less accurate weather forecasts and leave communities vulnerable to extreme weather events even more at risk.

The budget proposal also includes freezing the budget for the National Weather Service (NWS) while transferring some weather research functions from NOAA to the NWS, increasing the latter's responsibilities. Furthermore, it proposes slashing funding for research into seasonal climate trends, which are essential for predicting disasters such as wildfires, tornadoes, and droughts.

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released a statement criticizing the proposal, saying, "NOAA’s work is essential to our nation’s disaster preparedness, weather forecasting, and management of environmental threats. This move is far from efficient – it will put our communities at risk and make us more vulnerable to devastating and costly natural disasters."

A NOAA spokesperson directed requests for comment to officials at the Department of Commerce, which oversees NOAA, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OMB spokesperson Alexandra McConnelliss said in an email that "final budget decisions have not yet been made."

This budget proposal represents the Trump administration's initial offer in negotiations with Congress over federal spending for the fiscal year that begins in October. Congress has the authority to revise the plan or could opt to fund the government through temporary spending measures, as it has in the past.

The proposed cuts were first reported by CNN.

The budget blueprint details the complete defunding of a wide array of programs, including all NOAA research laboratories related to climate, weather, and oceans – encompassing 16 cooperative research institutes located at universities across the country – regional climate data centers that track past weather conditions, and the Sea Grant program focused on coastal environments and economies.

The proposal also outlines the transfer of numerous NOAA functions to other agencies. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) offices, which focus on protecting endangered species, would be moved to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, while the Space Weather Prediction Center, responsible for forecasting geomagnetic storms that can disrupt GPS and communication systems, would be transferred to the Department of Homeland Security.

Rick Spinrad, who served as NOAA administrator under the Biden administration, expressed concerns that these moves would create new inefficiencies and obstacles for scientists. He criticized the proposal, stating, "It looks like an almost AI-generated budget in terms of just eliminating anything that has to do with climate, even things that have very little to do with climate change."

The budget document also calls for some immediate actions. It directs NOAA to immediately cease all spending on the development program for the next generation of geostationary satellites, which are crucial for continuous observation of U.S. weather from fixed positions over North America. The document emphasizes the need for "proactive measures to address unsustainable cost growth in NOAA’s satellite acquisition programs."

Furthermore, NOAA is required to develop a plan within the next two weeks to transition the responsibility for tracking spacecraft, satellites, and space debris to "non-governmental entities," such as private sector partners or non-profit consortia.

"Project 2025," a policy roadmap for a potential future Trump administration led by the conservative Heritage Foundation, has notably advocated for the privatization of many Weather Service functions. While the administration has not taken such steps to date, many Weather Service offices have faced budget shortfalls due to administration-wide efforts to reduce federal personnel and review agency spending.

"The Weather Service budget has been flat, but that’s not without impact," former Administrator Spinrad noted.

"Project 2025" also labeled NOAA as "one of the leading drivers of the climate alarmism industry" and argued for its dismantling. This budget proposal follows recent cuts by the Trump administration to a NOAA research partnership with Princeton University and a separate office tasked with detailing the impacts of climate change on the nation every four years, citing the need to curb "climate anxiety."

Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) condemned the proposed budget cuts as "shocking and unacceptable" in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "They think they can make climate change go away by banning the words, and now they're going after the scientific capacity to get the information we need."

The climate data collected by NOAA is utilized by a wide range of Americans, from farmers planning their crops to communities preparing for worsening wildfires and more severe storms.

Moreover, NOAA’s data, built on decades of comprehensive records, serves as a foundation for research by climate scientists worldwide, according to Joeri Rogelj, a climate scientist at Imperial College London. Scientists rely on NOAA data as a benchmark for sophisticated models that assess global climate change and project the consequences of future warming.

"The information that NOAA provides is the factual backbone of how we know our climate is changing," Rogelj emphasized.

Understanding NOAA's Role: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a key federal agency responsible for monitoring and predicting oceanic and atmospheric conditions, managing marine resources, protecting coastlines, and conducting climate research, among a wide range of other duties. Accurate weather forecasts and climate predictions are essential for public safety and economic activity, and NOAA's research plays a vital role in improving the accuracy of these predictions. The Importance of Climate Research: Climate change poses significant threats globally, and scientific research to predict future climate shifts and mitigate their impacts is crucial. NOAA’s climate research laboratories have played a vital role in analyzing long-term climate trends, predicting the likelihood of extreme weather events, and assessing the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and society. Potential Impacts of Budget Cuts: The proposed deep cuts to NOAA's budget and the closure of climate research units could have severe consequences, including a decline in the accuracy of U.S. weather forecasts, weakened preparedness for natural disasters, and a reduced capacity to address long-term climate change. Particularly in a context of increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events due to climate change, the downscaling of NOAA's role could pose a direct threat to public safety and property. Scientific Community Concerns: The scientific community has expressed deep concern over the Trump administration's proposal. Climate scientists warn that NOAA's data is a critical foundation for global climate research and that these budget cuts would severely hinder scientific progress. They also point out that the weakening of accurate weather forecasting and climate prediction capabilities could negatively impact various sectors, including agriculture, fisheries, and energy, in addition to public safety. Political Debate: This budget proposal is expected to ignite a fierce debate with Congress. Democratic lawmakers have decried the proposal as an "attack on science" and an "act that jeopardizes public safety," vowing strong opposition. Conversely, the Trump administration argues that the budget cuts are part of an effort to "reduce unnecessary spending and increase government efficiency."