Neguse, Bennet Joint Statement on NOAA Budget Cuts 

Washington, DC — Following the release of the White House’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, Congressman Joe Neguse and Senator Michael Bennet issued the following joint statement condemning the proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its Cooperative Institutes (CIs).

 

“Our Cooperative Institutes here in Colorado are vital to not only our state, but our country. These institutes — the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) —employ hundreds of people in Colorado and protect millions across the nation through research on weather, drought, and fire events. These senseless proposed funding cuts would have devastating impacts felt nationwide and undermine the science our research communities rely on for generations to come.”

 

“The critical work that researchers are doing everyday at NOAA and its Cooperative Institutes cannot be overstated. Their work is imperative to the personal safety and daily lives of all Americans. To eliminate funding for NOAA and its CI’s would be reckless and short-sighted. We urge the Department of Commerce to reverse any plans to eliminate funding for these critical institutions that diminish the strength of our national labs, and we will strongly oppose these dangerous proposals in the House and Senate.”