Trump's NOAA pick vows strong weather forecasting amid criticism
Source: Axios
Updated 11 hours ago
President Trump's pick to head NOAA — which includes the National Weather Service — will tell Congress on Wednesday that he wants to make the U.S. a weather forecasting leader.
Why it matters: Neil Jacobs' nomination hearing arrives as Democratic critics question whether NWS staffing reductions hampered performance in the deadly Texas flooding — and whether proposed budget cuts will hinder the very forecasting improvements he's vowing.
Driving the news: "If confirmed, one of my top priorities is to return the United States to the world's leader in global weather forecast modeling capability," he plans to tell the Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee tomorrow, per prepared testimony obtained by Axios.
"As a matter of public safety, national security, and national pride, we will restore American technological superiority for this vital service for the country and our military serving around the world," it states. This requires new tech, "novel" approaches, and partnering with industry, it states.
The big picture: NWS issued multiple flood warnings and watches well ahead of the storm. But it faces questions about other aspects of the tragedy.
Read more: https://www.axios.com/2025/07/08/trump-noaa-nws-neil-jacob-confirmation-hearing
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