'Must be stopped': Dems say over 800 fired from top weather agency amid DOGE audits

"The firings jeopardize our ability to forecast and respond to extreme weather events like hurricanes, wildfires and floods - putting communities in harm's way," Cantwell added.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., in a post on X Thursday, seconded Cantwell's claim, writing, "Today, we learned that Trump and Musk are firing HUNDREDS of vital NOAA employees - another blatantly illegal action that must be stopped."

"Once again, the reckless Trump Administration is inflicting tremendous harm upon the American people. Today, hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including weather forecasters at the National Weather Service (NWS), were given termination notices for no good reason," Meng wrote in a statement.

The reported layoffs come just weeks after Van Hollen said he heard reports that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was "targeting" the weather agency in early February.

"This is not, in short, an acceptable setting in which to 'move fast and break things.'"

A NOAA spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Per long-standing practice, we are not discussing internal personnel and management matters," adding the agency "remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation's environmental and economic resilience."