Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) issued the following statement in response to mass firings across the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS), which appears to have affected more than 800 employees, including some from the Quad Cities’ office.

“The reckless decision to fire NOAA and National Weather Service employees puts American lives at risk. As a meteorologist for more than two decades, I depended on their work to provide accurate, life-saving weather reports for my neighbors,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen. “The greatest validation in my work was when people would tell me they stayed safe because of the information I gave them. Elon Musk doesn’t understand that weather forecasting is a public service that every American deserves, and that gutting these agencies will do irreparable harm. As the only meteorologist in the U.S. Congress, I will fight back against any attempt to undermine the public servants at NOAA and the National Weather Service”

Congressman Sorensen has fought back against efforts to dismantle NOAA and the NWS, recently raising alarms about the impact cuts would have on have on Americans’ ability to access life-saving weather reports.