Colorado Reps. Neguse & Hurd and Senators Bennet & Hickenlooper Mobilize Bipartisan, Bicameral Coalition to Protect NCAR

“Funding for NCAR is essential to maintaining America’s leadership in global weather forecasting and to protecting our economy, our communities, and the everyday livelihoods of families across the nation.”

Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado Representatives Joe Neguse (D-CO) and Jeff Hurd (R-CO) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) led a bipartisan, bicameral coalition in support of sustained funding for the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. In a letter to congressional appropriators, 76 lawmakers from across both chambers requested statutory language be included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill to prevent its dismantling and ensure NCAR can maintain its core capabilities and continue delivering vital Earth system science. 

The Colorado members mobilized in response to a social media “announcement” from White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought stating the administration plans to dismantle the nation’s leading climate research center. 

Neguse, Bennet, Hickenlooper, Hurd, and their colleagues, however, noted that President Trump’s own FY 2026 budget request for the National Science Foundation (NSF), submitted to Congress earlier this year, described NCAR as a “world-class research center” leading advancements in “cutting-edge airborne and ground-based observational facilities[,] community weather and climate models with thousands of users worldwide[,] and petascale high-performance computing.”

As the appropriations process moves to conference in January next year, this letter doubles-down on demands made by Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper last week. 

“The work being done at NCAR is vital to our state, our country, and our planet. The breathtaking advancements these scientists and researchers are making every day play a critical role in alerting communities to extreme weather conditions and the advanced modeling systems they are creating are vital to our national security. Any attempt to dismantle this institution is dangerous, reckless, and would, ultimately, put the United States at a very deep competitive disadvantage,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. “I’m grateful to Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper for taking critical action last week to stand up for NCAR’s continued funding, and I’m proud to work with my Republican colleague from the Western Slope, Jeff Hurd, to carry the baton in the House. As Coloradans, first and foremost, we intend to fight back against attempts to gut this cutting-edge institution”

“NCAR does critical work in Colorado that helps predict severe weather and keeps America competitive in climate science. The research happening there protects communities and supports our national security. Dismantling this institution doesn’t make sense, and I’m glad to work with my colleagues in both chambers to make sure NCAR has the funding it needs to keep operating,” said Congressman Jeff Hurd. “The scientists at NCAR are doing work that matters - work that helps families prepare for storms, helps farmers plan their seasons, and keeps us ahead on the world stage. Supporting NCAR is a smart investment we should continue to make, not walk away from. I’m grateful to my House colleague, Joe Neguse, for his partnership in protecting an institution that matters to Colorado and the country.”

“Last week, I blocked the Senate appropriations process to demand full funding for NCAR in response to President Trump’s threat to dismantle it,” said Senator Bennet. “NCAR’s work is indispensable for communities, decision-makers, and emergency responders. From predicting extreme weather conditions to supporting disaster preparedness to understanding how wildfires spread, the elimination of NCAR would be catastrophic for public safety and national security. I am grateful to Representatives Neguse and Hurd for their partnership on the effort to protect NCAR. We will explore every avenue to ensure we don’t lose this vital institution.”

“Donald Trump's vengeful plan to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research is not only illegal, it’s indefensible. It will have devastating consequences not only for Colorado, but across the country. Colorado won't be intimidated by the bully in the White House. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to fight back,” said Senator Hickenlooper. 

Read the full letter HERE. 

In addition to Representatives Neguse and Hurd and Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, the letter was also signed by: Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO), Jason Crow (D-CO), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Gabe Amo (D-RI), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Donald Beyer (D-VA), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Janelle Bynum (D-OR), Sean Casten (D-IL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), J. Correa (D-CA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Shomari Figures (D-AL), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Bill Foster (D-IL), Laura Friedman (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Laura Gillen (D-NY), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Val Hoyle (D-OR), Jared Huffman (D-CA), William Keating (D-MA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), Mike Levin (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Sarah McBride (D-DE), April McClain Delaney (D-MD), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Dave Min (D-CA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Kelly Morrison (D-MN), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Scott Peters (D-CA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Emily Randall (D-WA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Luz Rivas (D-CA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Robert Scott (D-VA), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Eugene Vindman (D-VA), George Whitesides (D-CA), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Jay Obernolte (R-CA).

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