Congressman Sorensen Applauds Department of Defense for Restoring Critical Satellite Weather Data Sharing with NOAA
The Announcement Comes After Congressman Sorensen Led Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee in Passing Legislation Demanding Transparency from the DOD
Following Congressman Eric Sorensen’s (IL-17) success in passing an amendment to the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to answer for cutting-off satellite weather data to the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), DOD has since reversed its decision.
“Accurate weather forecasting is so important because it doesn’t just determine rainfall amounts or storm surge – it informs evacuations and rescue efforts that save lives,” said Congressman Sorensen. “As the only meteorologist in Congress, I fought as a member of the House Armed Services Committee to ensure NOAA and NWS have all the resources to accurately forecast severe weather. I’m glad the Department of Defense has heeded the warnings of meteorologists, like me, who were concerned their short-sighted decision would degrade forecasts.”
NOAA and the National Weather Service (NWS) now expect to continue having access to DOD satellite weather data that is critical to helping meteorologists accurately forecast hurricanes. The initial short-sighted and abrupt decision to cut-off access to this data threatened to degrade storm forecasting just as the country heads into peak hurricane season.
As the only meteorologist in Congress, Congressman Sorensen has been a fierce advocate for protecting and strengthening NOAA and NWS from cuts. Starting last year, he has been warning about the impact of Project 2025’s plans to dismantle and privatize NOAA and NWS. As the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began making cuts to the agencies, Congressman Sorensen has been speaking out, introducing legislation, and calling on the Administration to bring a stop to the disastrous cuts. He recently introduced the Weather Workforce Improvement Act to help NWS fully staff critical positions at their offices and the Rural Weather Monitoring Systems Act to help strengthen weather forecasting in rural America.