U.S. Representative Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat from Florida, is urging President Donald Trump’s administration to reconsider recent staff cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) out of myriad concerns, including the safety of Americans and the financial cost, like insurance premiums.

Newsweek reached out to Moskowitz’s press office by email for comment.

Why It Matters

Since Trump took office in January, numerous federal agencies, including the NOAA, have announced thousands of job cuts. In mid-March, the NOAA announced another 1,000 jobs as part of an effort by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce federal spending.

The cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service (NWS) have sparked concerns that storms could become more deadly without the proper staff to issue forecasts and warnings.

What to Know

On Thursday morning, Moskowitz and 24 other Congress Democrats sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and General Services Administration Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian asking them to reconsider staff cuts that have slashed NOAA and National Weather Service (NWS) personnel by more than 1,000 people.

Moskowitz is a former statewide emergency management director for Florida. U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen also signed the letter. Sorensen, also a Democrat, is a former meteorologist from Illinois.

The letter cites the recent severe storms that tore through the U.S. South in March, killing at least 42 people. It claims that the death toll and the damage to infrastructure would have been worse without NWS forecasts.

“That is why we are deeply troubled by the administration’s ongoing plans to lay off thousands of agency staff and shutter dozens of NOAA and NWS offices,” the letter said. “These agencies provide critical forecasting that supports emergency response efforts, saves lives, and mitigates damage during severe weather events. Cutting these services as extreme weather intensifies is a costly mistake.”

In addition to life-threatening impacts, Moskowitz outlines that cutting NOAA and NWS staff and services will carry a financial burden as well, such as causing higher disaster recovery costs.

As climate disasters have increased in recent years, home insurance companies have had to raise premiums. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that average premiums increased by 33 percent between 2020 and 2023, and they are only going to continue rising, ramping up costs for homeowners.

In some cases, insurance carriers have stopped offering services in high-risk areas such as Florida, which contributes to the rising costs.

Moskowitz argued in his letter that slashing NWS and NOAA services and staff could further contribute to this issue.

What People Are Saying

Moskowitz and other Democrats wrote in the letter: “In addition to endangering lives, weakening NOAA and NWS will not save money. It will result in higher disaster recovery costs, increased insurance premiums, and preventable economic losses. Insurance companies depend on NOAA’s data to assess climate risks and set coverage rates. Without reliable forecasting, insurers may withdraw from high-risk areas or dramatically raise premiums, leaving many without affordable coverage. While we understand the need to address the national deficit, cutting these agencies will only cost the government, and our constituents, more money.”

A National Weather Service spokesperson previously declined to comment on “internal personnel and management matters” but told Newsweek that NOAA “remains dedicated to its mission of providing timely information, research, and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation’s environmental and economic resilience.”

What Happens Next

It is uncertain if the Trump administration will take the letter seriously. The letter requests that the decision to reduce NOAA and NWS staff be reconsidered “immediately.”