See Bennet, Neguse, Hurd, Hickenlooper, Colleagues Submit Bipartisan Public Comment in Defense of NCAR

Mar 14, 2026| Press Releases

"We oppose the restructuring and weakening of NCAR, which would erode critical research capacity, disrupt long-standing partnerships, and diminish our ability to understand, anticipate, and respond to extreme weather-related risks."

Denver - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined Senator John Hickenlooper and Representatives Joe Neguse and Jeff Hurd to lead 80 of their colleagues in submitting a public comment opposing proposed structural changes to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. The comment was submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of its request for public comment on the Trump Administration's efforts to dismantle the cutting-edge research institution.

The bipartisan coalition of lawmakers underscored concerns about how fragmenting NCAR's capabilities, including divesting its research aircraft or supercomputing center, would affect national weather forecasting capabilities, national security functions, and the long-term return on federal investment.

They wrote to NSF in their capacity as stewards of taxpayer resources, noting that Congress has consistently appropriated funds for NCAR as an integrated national capability serving multiple federal agencies and public partners.

"The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) delivers substantial value to the nation as an integrated hub of Earth system science that protects Americans and supports our economy," wrote the lawmakers.

"NCAR serves as a backbone of the nation's weather and Earth system science enterprise, translating research into practical, operational tools. Since its founding in 1960, NCAR has evolved to deepen our understanding of interconnected Earth systems and integrate previously siloed research areas. It integrates weather observations, advanced modeling, and high-performance computing into a cohesive system that delivers tangible benefits to communities and national security. […] NCAR is also a national leader in seasonal forecasting, supporting preparedness for future weather conditions across the military, private sector, emergency management, and agriculture."

"…We oppose the restructuring and weakening of NCAR, which would erode critical research capacity, disrupt long-standing partnerships, and diminish our ability to understand, anticipate, and respond to extreme weather-related risks," concluded the lawmakers.

Bennet has consistently condemned the White House's plans to dismantle NCAR since reports first surfaced. In January, he spoke on the Senate floor on the need to protect funding for NCAR. Bennet also offered an amendment with Senator John Hickenlooper and Democratic Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) to maintain core NCAR funding. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans blocked the amendment, and the appropriations package passed without NCAR funding included. In December 2025, Bennet joined Senator John Hickenlooper in holding up a Senate Appropriations Package to demand funding for NCAR.

In addition to Bennet, Neguse, Hurd, and Hickenlooper, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IIll.) and Richard Durbin (D-IIll.) as well as U.S. Representatives Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Diana DeGette (D- Colo.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), Danny Davis (D-IIll.), Eric Sorensen (D-IIll.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R- Pa.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), April McClain Delaney (D-Md.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), Robin Kelly (D-IIll.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Nikki Budzinski (D-IIll.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), William Keating (D-Mass.), George Whitesides (D-Calif.), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Donald Beyer (D-Va.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Josh Riley (D-N.Y.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Sean Casten (D-IIll.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Gabe Amo (D- R.I.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.), Luz Rivas (D-Calif.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Bill Foster (D-IIll.), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), and Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) signed this letter.

The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Dear Acting Administrator Stone:

We write in response to the National Science Foundation's Dear Colleague Letter titled "NSF Intent to Restructure Critical Weather Infrastructure." The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) delivers substantial value to the nation as an integrated hub of Earth system science that protects Americans and supports our economy. We have serious concerns about how structural changes to the organization will affect national weather forecasting capabilities, national security functions, and the long-term return on federal investment.

Congress has consistently appropriated funds for NCAR as an integrated national capability serving multiple federal agencies and public partners. As stewards of taxpayer resources, we have a responsibility to ensure that significant structural changes preserve core capabilities, avoid duplication, and protect the value of long-standing federal investments.

NCAR serves as a backbone of the nation's weather and Earth system science enterprise, translating research into practical, operational tools. Since its founding in 1960, NCAR has evolved to deepen our understanding of interconnected Earth systems and integrate previously siloed research areas. It integrates weather observations, advanced modeling, and high-performance computing into a cohesive system that delivers tangible benefits to communities and national security. NCAR-developed models underpin forecasting advancements used by NOAA, the Department of Defense, FAA-supported aviation systems, and private weather companies, reducing duplication and inefficiency across agencies and sectors.

NCAR is also a national leader in seasonal forecasting, supporting preparedness for future weather conditions across the military, private sector, emergency management, and agriculture. Its aircraft icing and turbulence forecasting tools, long distributed by NOAA's Aviation Weather Center, are foundational to aviation safety. NCAR's contributions in this space are widely relied upon and deeply embedded in operational systems.

The NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center is a cornerstone of the nation's ability to integrate, analyze, and model complex Earth system datasets. These computing capabilities are purpose-built for atmospheric and Earth system sciences, which differ substantially from more generic high-performance computing environments. The close integration between computing infrastructure and Earth system research is essential to maintaining operational forecasting capabilities and cost efficiency.

NCAR tools support our national defense by enabling mission-critical, global intelligence on weather conditions, directly supporting sensitive military operations. NCAR scientists are also advancing machine-learning techniques to detect atmospheric toxic releases that could endanger troops. In addition, NCAR's leadership in space weather and Earth-Sun system research is equally vital to defense readiness, supporting the prediction of solar storms that can disrupt satellites essential for GPS, communications, and intelligence systems. These capabilities help safeguard military operations, command-and-control networks, and the critical infrastructure that underpins national security, as well as commerce.

Fragmenting NCAR's capabilities, including divesting its research aircraft or supercomputing center, would increase contracting, coordination, and oversight costs while weakening operational integration that currently reduces duplication across agencies. By maintaining common infrastructure and open modeling frameworks, NCAR minimizes duplication, strengthens partnerships, and maximizes the return on federal research investments across states and sectors.

In sum, we oppose the restructuring and weakening of NCAR, which would erode critical research capacity, disrupt long-standing partnerships, and diminish our ability to understand, anticipate, and respond to extreme weather-related risks.

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