Overview
- President Trump’s nominee for NOAA administrator, Neil Jacobs, faced the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on July 9 to defend his role in the 2019 Sharpiegate forecast controversy.
- He pledged to prioritize scientific leadership at NOAA while expressing support for President Trump’s proposed budget that includes cuts to climate research and agency staffing.
- Democratic senators questioned whether National Weather Service staffing reductions have undermined forecast accuracy, a claim the White House has rejected.
- The hearing took place days after heavy flooding in Texas’s Hill Country killed over 100 people and highlighted the stakes of reliable weather warnings.
- President Trump plans to visit the affected Texas communities on Friday, drawing further attention to NOAA’s resources and preparedness.