March 14, 2026
Investigate Trump Admin Plans to Privatize Climate Research
Americans rely on independent, publicly funded climate science to help keep our communities safe. The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, produces research that improves weather forecasting, tracks extreme storms, and helps scientists better understand climate risks facing communities across the country.
In December 2025, the Trump administration announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), a leading U.S. climate and weather research institution. The move immediately triggered alarm among scientists, lawmakers, and research organizations, who warned that breaking up the center could disrupt critical research used to forecast extreme weather and understand climate risks.
Scientific groups, including the Union of Concerned Scientists, have since raised concerns about the administration’s plans, warning that the public deserves transparency about how decisions affecting such a major national research center are being made.
Now, troubling new allegations suggest the situation may be even more serious. Reports indicate that officials may have discussed transferring parts of NCAR’s federally funded programs or assets to private entities—raising new questions about potential conflicts of interest in the administration’s push to break up the center.
Representative Joe Neguse has called on the National Science Foundation’s Inspector General to investigate reports that officials within the Office of Management and Budget may have discussed transferring federally funded NCAR programs or assets to a private company. According to Rep. Neguse, these discussions raise serious concerns about possible ethical violations and regulatory improprieties in the administration’s push to dismantle the center.
NCAR’s work is funded by taxpayers and designed to serve the public. The science it produces helps communities prepare for wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events that are becoming more dangerous as the climate changes.
If federal officials attempted to break up a major public research institution while exploring ways to redirect its programs to private industry, the American people deserve answers.
Public science must serve the public interest—not private profit.
That’s why a full, independent investigation is urgently needed. The National Science Foundation’s Inspector General must determine whether any conflicts of interest, ethical violations, or improper attempts to privatize federally funded climate research have occurred.
Thank you for all that you do,
Mitch w/ Tipping Point
Sources:
