ICYMI: Congressman Sorensen Helps Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Fully Staff National Weather Service Offices Across the Country
The “Weather Workforce Improvement Act” Ensures the National Weather Service is Fully Staffed Going into This Year’s Hurricane and Severe Weather Season
Last week, Congressmen Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Mike Flood (NE-1), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Frank Lucas (OK-3), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) introduced their bipartisan Weather Workforce Improvement Act to help the National Weather Service (NWS) fully staff critical positions at their offices as the country prepares for severe weather and hurricanes this summer.
Read more about the bipartisan legislation:
Congressman Sorensen: “We need to make sure that we are understanding that the National Weather Service meteorologists are there to care for our communities, but they are essential. They are as essential to our safety as TSA and air traffic controllers. I’m so thankful – as being the only meteorologist in Congress – that we’re able to work across the aisle. Congressman Flood from Nebraska and myself realized that ‘hey, we’re in severe weather season – we're going to be ramping up into hurricane season.’ We need to make sure that we have the staffing levels that are needed. We have too many people that have been let go. This administration needs to hire them back.”
New York Times: Law would make most National Weather Service workers hard to fire
A bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Friday would make it harder to fire most employees of the National Weather Service and give the agency’s director the authority to hire new staff directly, months after it lost nearly 600 employees to layoffs and retirements as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to the federal work force.
The bill’s other sponsors include Representative Frank Lucas, Republican of Oklahoma, as well as Democratic Representatives Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Jimmy Panetta of California, and Eric Sorensen of Illinois. All represent states that have been hit by severe weather this year.
“Severe weather affects both blue states and red states, and ensuring Americans have access to reliable and accurate weather forecasting is something everyone should support regardless of their political affiliation,” said Mr. Sorensen, who is the only meteorologist in Congress. “I’m grateful for Congressman Flood’s partnership on bipartisan legislation that will help fully staff National Weather Service offices across the country during severe weather and hurricane season.”
NBC News: Tired in tornado alley
NBC News joined a congressional tour — at the invitation of Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., Congress’ only meteorologist and a critic of the administration — to see the effects of the Trump administration’s cuts at the Quad Cities forecasting office for Iowa and Illinois.
Sorensen, who worked for 22 years as a TV meteorologist, has signed on to co-sponsor Flood’s bill, along with Reps. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif. Sorensen said he’s concerned a mistake by a worn-down meteorologist will lead to unnecessary deaths. He compared the situation to a used car — once trusty and now headed for a lapse.
“It’s not running the way that it was supposed to,” Sorensen said of the service. “Meteorologists, we’re human, you know. We will make mistakes, and I don’t want to ever see us in a situation where funding or a lack of funding has now caused there to be a loss of life.”
NBC News: Rep. Sorensen highlights importance of the National Weather Service in his congressional district
Reporter: [...] Congressman Eric Sorensen visited his local weather office to listen to and encourage the forecasters stretched thin. So thin, that sometimes they can’t do basic things, like launch a weather balloon.
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Reporter: Now, (Rep.) Flood is partnering with Sorensen on a bipartisan bill to further protect weather service forecasters by reclassifying them as public safety, alongside FBI agents and air traffic controllers.
Congressman Sorensen: “We have to make sure that we’re protecting [National Weather Service meteorologists] because they don’t just serve my constituents here. They serve constituents of every Member of Congress.”