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As thousands of staffing cuts have hit various federal agencies, some lawmakers are demanding answers.
Several senators, led by Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, have called on the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to learn more about how cuts to the agency would impact the Great Lakes.
In a March 10 letter sent to acting administrator Vice Admiral Nancy Hann, Klobuchar asked how many employees had been fired during her tenure, how many were fired at each NOAA program associated with the Great Lakes, what services will be ended due to these cuts, and if she has any plans to preserve said services.
“National and regional NOAA programs help protect these lakes and support our constituents who call the Great Lakes home.” the letter said, which went on to detail several of these programs, such as the National Weather Service (NWS), which is responsible for weather data and warnings, and the Marine Debris Program, which combats litter in the Great Lakes.
The letter, which was signed by a handful of other Democratic senators, including Minnesota’s Tina Smith, and Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin, set a March 28 deadline for Vice Admiral Hann to respond.