Democrats question NWS about staffing shortages caused by DOGE firings 

A group of Democratic lawmakers sharply questioned National Weather Service leadership Wednesday over the fallout from mass firings in early 2025, warning that the loss of hundreds of forecasters may have jeopardized public safety amid extreme weather in recent months.

NWS official Taylor Jordan testified before the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, where several lawmakers, including Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), and Madeleine Dean (D-PA), pushed Jordan on possible staffing shortages caused by the Department of Government Efficiency at the beginning of last year. 

Roughly 600 employees were pushed out during the layoffs, many through early retirement and probationary firings tied to the DOGE efforts — a move that lawmakers said left critical gaps in staffing at local forecast offices.

Meng pointed to the scale of the cuts and questioned whether they were a mistake, noting that “roughly 600 employees of the National Weather Service were lost” in the purge