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Lawmakers press NOAA over staffing losses, rehiring and contracting bottlenecks at the Weather Service
Summary
Members accused prior workforce reductions of hollowing out local forecast offices and sought details on rehiring, vacancy lists and contracting delays; the NOAA witness described an active hiring campaign and pledged follow-up on office‑level staffing and contracts.
Ranking Member Ming told the subcommittee that the National Weather Service experienced substantial workforce reductions last year, saying "roughly 600 employees of the National Weather Service were lost to the probationary firings and early retirements," including meteorologists and frontline staff that help launch weather balloons and coordinate warnings. She and other members blamed strict contracting approval processes and a separate restructuring for creating operational bottlenecks and morale problems.
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