The U.S. Senate confirmed a group of President Donald Trump’s nominees Tuesday, including his pick to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Senators voted 51-47 on the confirmation of more than 100 nominations, including Neil Jacobs as the under secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
The Sharpie scandal
Jacobs became widely known for his role in a scandal dubbed “Sharpiegate” under the first Trump administration. That’s when NOAA issued a statement supporting the president’s claim that Hurricane Dorian was set to hit Alabama and rebuking the National Weather Service (NWS) in the process. A 2020 report later found Jacobs had violated the agency’s Scientific Integrity Policy.
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But during his confirmation hearing earlier this year, Jacobs expressed regret for the move. He said he would not approve inaccurate assessments based on political pressure in the future.
A tumultuous time at NOAA and Jacobs’ take on climate change
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NOAA was created in 1970 and combined older agencies to provide daily forecasts while also managing deep-sea exploration, fishery management and monitoring ocean wildlife.
Jacobs takes the helm of an agency currently dealing with staffing and funding cuts, particularly the NWS, and has been criticized by the Trump administration as it aims to streamline the federal government.
The agency conducts analysis on global air and oceans, including research on climate change, which Trump has called a “hoax.”
Jacobs appears to disagree with the president on that matter as he blamed both human activity and “natural signals” for the warming of the planet.
