To: Members of Congress
I am deeply concerned about the rapid destruction of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
DOGE’s access to sensitive NOAA databases will substantially benefit Musk’s business ventures, such as Space X and Starlink, at the expense of the public good. However, Musk’s access to NOAA data is only part of the problem. Under the Trump administration, the agency is firing employees and slashing budgets to cover only “mission-critical” expenses, terminating valuable public-private partnerships and entire committees, and cancelling building leases.
This power grab threatens the American people. NOAA provides lifesaving information on wildfires, hurricanes, and climate threats, and conducts innovative research to recover and manage our nation’s living marine resources. We cannot allow Musk’s private interests to control critical data that millions of Americans depend on.
I urge you to take immediate action to stop this assault on NOAA. It is critical that NOAA disclose which databases were accessed to be fully transparent about the risks posed by this takeover.
Please act now to protect NOAA and ensure it continues to serve the American people, not private corporations.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is under attack by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Trump appointees are quickly gutting the NOAA workforce while DOGE staff have taken control of NOAA’s data systems.
NOAA is a great American government agency. Its mission is to help our country understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts; to share knowledge and information with others; and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. NOAA has some of the best scientists in the world and a dedicated and professional workforce.
But Trump and Musk don’t see it that way. Musk and key Trump administration allies in the Department of Commerce and NOAA have or have had commercial interests in companies that would benefit from the privatization of NOAA functions. They want to privatize NOAA’s work and control the data that NOAA gathers.
We cannot let this happen.
By signing this letter, you’re standing up for NOAA’s current mission and for the professionals who have dedicated their careers to public service at NOAA. Tell Congress to act now to protect NOAA before it’s too late.
Here is more information on how PEER is fighting to protect NOAA:
- Letter to Acting Commerce Secretary Jeremy Pelter regarding Musk’s access to NOAA databases
- Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for all NOAA communications with Trump-insiders and DOGE
