Cole pushes back on possible DOGE cuts to Oklahoma NOAA facility
Cole in February. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole warned Tuesday that possible DOGE cuts to a key National Weather Service facility in his district could leave the government unable to adequately forecast hurricanes and tornadoes.
Why it matters: It's some of the strongest public pushback to DOGE yet from a senior GOP lawmaker.
Driving the news: "I promise you, I know the federal facilities in my district better than anybody connected with DOGE or OPM or anyplace else because I go to them all," Cole told reporters.
- "If you're making [final] decisions without involving local representatives, you're making a mistake."
- Cole still believes DOGE's attempts to trim government are a step in the right direction. "But we have to make a decision with nuance and context," he said.
The intrigue: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Radar Operations Center is located in Cole's district in south-central Oklahoma.
- A list sent to NOAA containing leases intended for cancellation or modification included that facility, where scientists work on research and repairs for Doppler radars. The list had a September end date on the facility lease.
- These radars are used to detect tornadoes, forecast flooding rains and track landfalling hurricanes.
- A senior White House official reiterated that the administration is only "reevaluating" the lease terms and had not decided to close the building for good.
Cole's message on any possible move to get rid of the facility was, "Good luck."
- "You really want people in Florida not to know when a hurricane is coming and when its likely fall is and what its likely radius is?" he said.
The big picture: Cole said the administration won't always have the time or personnel to make an informed initial decision on cuts.
- "That's why you ought to be working with the local person that probably knows the history of it," he said.
- The White House official said that they have a "direct line of communication" with all congressional offices and that individual agencies have open communication with the Hill as well.
Yes, but: With the spending deadline looming next week, Cole and other Republicans still want a clean stopgap until the end of the fiscal year that rejects Democrats' proposals to restrict the Trump administration.
- At the same time, Cole acknowledged that codifying DOGE cuts is "not going to be easy" in fiscal 2026, much less in what time is left in the current fiscal year.
