Senate confirms scientist with ties to Sharpegate as top official at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Neil Jacobs as the new head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The confirmation puts a professional atmospheric scientist with a deep understanding of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the helm of the agency responsible for weather forecasting and climate record-keeping, a point of contention during the Trump administration.
However, critics have highlighted Jacobs’ role in the so-called Sharpegate controversy of 2019 as an example of him bowing to perceived political pressure.
Sharpgate points to the time Trump incorrectly said Hurricane Dorian could hit Alabama. The National Weather Service’s office in Birmingham denied the state was at risk, but Trump doubled down and later showed reporters a map of the hurricane’s likely path that had been altered with a black Sharpie.
Senior NOAA officials later rebuked local forecasters amid perceived political pressure. Jacobs was the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Assistant Secretary for Environmental Monitoring at the time.
The National Academy of Public Administration reviewed the incidents and found that Jacobs had violated the ethics policies of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
At his confirmation hearing in July, Jacobs said he would not handle the situation the same way if it happened now.
Jacobs He received bipartisan support In a committee vote last month, with five Democrats joining their Republican colleagues to advance his nomination.
He was confirmed Tuesday as part of Trump’s package of nominees, including more than a dozen ambassadors.
NOAA has already undergone an incredible amount of change during Trump’s second term. It cut several hundred employees and later announced it would rehire hundreds of jobs.
The Trump administration has also proposed significant cuts to the agency’s budget. Climate change reports that were an important part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) portfolio have been closed.
During his confirmation hearing, Jacobs said hiring should be a priority. He acknowledged that humans play a role in climate change, in addition to natural fluctuations.
The hearing was held right after the Texas flood disaster, so Jacobs said he would prioritize making sure people get proper warnings during such weather disasters.
“Modernizing the way these watches and warnings are distributed is something that will be my top priority,” he said.
Jacobs also supported the creation of a Natural Disaster Review Board, similar to the National Transportation Safety Board.
“We also need more data and post-storm assessments,” he said. “We need data to understand what went right, what went wrong, and whether people got the warnings.”