Dear John,
Trump’s betrayal of the American people is costing lives.
A government’s most fundamental duty is to protect its people in times of crisis. But instead of rising to that responsibility, Donald Trump has deliberately dismantled the very agencies that warn us of danger, respond to emergencies, and help communities recover. His brutal cuts to FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service represent not just negligence or incompetence, but a heartless betrayal of the American public.
This isn't theoretical. It’s already happening. Over 600 positions have been slashed from the National Weather Service — including the “Warning Coordination Meteorologist” in the Austin/San Antonio region. When flash floods recently tore through Kerr County, Texas, the loss of that role meant slower alerts and less coordination. More than 100 lives were lost, including 37 children.
Nationwide, NWS offices are operating with skeletal crews. Forecasters are pulling exhausting double shifts or being forced to shut down radar coverage for hours or days — just as the most intense storms of the year begin to build. And NOAA, the agency that tracks hurricanes, wildfires, and climate threats, is entering hurricane season with 1,000 fewer scientists than last year. These are the people whose work gives families time to evacuate, prepare, and survive.
Even Trump is realizing how devastating these cuts are. NOAA has received permission to rehire 450 “mission-critical” positions on the frontlines at NWS. We must build on this momentum and work to ensure the agencies are returned to full staffing levels.
Send a direct message to Congress: Stand up to the Trump administration’s catastrophic staffing cuts. Demand that our life-saving disaster agencies — FEMA, NOAA, and the NWS — be fully funded, fully staffed, and fully empowered to protect us.
Meanwhile, FEMA is being gutted. Trump has slashed FEMA’s staff by 20%, while threatening to send even less disaster relief to blue states. Entire communities now face the daunting and shocking prospect of going without help during the next fire, flood, hurricane, or earthquake. Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, has said FEMA “needs to go away” — and she’s now co-chairing a FEMA Review Council to shrink the agency even further.
This is no accident. It’s a deliberate effort to hollow out the heart of our emergency infrastructure in the face of rising, climate-fueled disasters. When people cry out for help, this administration leaves Americans to fend for themselves.
We must take back our life-saving institutions.
Congress must intervene — immediately. We need to restore full staffing, funding, and independence to FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service. These agencies are the first responders of science, the lifelines for families in danger, and the backbone of our public safety. We need more meteorologists, climate scientists, and emergency coordinators — not fewer.
Tell Congress: Stop Trump’s disastrous cuts. Fully fund and empower our disaster response agencies — before more lives are lost.
Thank you for standing up for the early forecasters, first responders, and scientists who make up our life-saving agencies.
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
