Tell Congress: Fully Fund Key Climate Programs đź’°
Protect critical work at NCAR in the upcoming spending bill
Congress is staring down their next deadline to fund the government for 2026. We need the upcoming spending bill to continue funding the climate-critical National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which is funded by the National Science Foundation.
We’re urging robust funding for NCAR to support:
- wildfire behavior analysis.
- flood forecasting.
- aviation safety.
- emergency preparedness.
- and more.
In December, the Trump Administration announced its intention to “break up” NCAR. But ultimately, funding for NCAR isnʼt up to the executive branch. Itʼs up to Congress.
In early January, CCLers sent over 7,000 messages to Congress urging robust funding for NCAR.
On Jan. 15, the Senate passed a bill fully funding the National Science Foundation’s research programs, which fund NCAR each year. This result from Congress is important for climate research and other vital scientific efforts.
If the Trump Administration makes efforts to close or change NCAR, Citizens’ Climate Lobby will stay engaged with Congress to advocate for NCAR’s ongoing function. And as additional opportunities arise throughout the appropriations process, we will continue to push for sustained funding for climate research and programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is NCAR?
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is funded under the National Science Foundation whose funding is in the jurisdiction of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate.
NCAR is important for weather and earth-science research. This research supports a wide variety of real-world applications in agricultural planning, flood forecasting, emergency preparedness, and more. According to a social media post from CCL Advisory Board member Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, “Dismantling NCAR is like taking a sledgehammer to the keystone holding up our scientific understanding of the planet.”
Remember, during the finalization of the October 2025 spending bill, we asked Congress to continue funding key climate programs from NOAA, NASA and the Department of Energy. Now, NCAR is at risk of the same cuts. We need Congress to exercise their authority to continue funding NCAR at robust levels.
What are appropriations?
Appropriations are legal authorizations by a government to spend money. In the U.S., for example, appropriations are laws passed by Congress that allow federal agencies and programs to spend money from the U.S. Treasury. Appropriations are determined through an annual process where Congress has ultimate say over what to fund and at what level.
When will the budget be finalized?
The deadline to fund the government is at the end of January so that is the expected deadline for the appropriations process to conclude. If Congress fails to pass a spending bill before this deadline, the U.S. faces another government shutdown.
Will Congress listen to me?
Yes! The idea that elected representatives don’t listen to their constituents is not true. In reality, congressional staffers take every call and voicemail and read every email their office receives and pass these onto their member of Congress in regular briefings. Congress works for you, and they want to know what their constituents care about. You may receive a generic email in response, but your message was still received loud and clear.
How else can I help?
You only need to email your representative and senators one time each using our tool. Then, share this page with any friends, family and coworkers who want to help keep America’s climate and clean energy programs in place!
Who is Citizens’ Climate Lobby?
Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan grassroots advocacy climate change organization that exists to create the political will for climate change solutions by enabling individual breakthroughs in the exercise of personal and political power.
Our consistently respectful, nonpartisan approach to climate education is designed to create a broad, sustainable foundation for climate action across all geographic regions and political inclinations.
CCL empowers everyday people to work with their community and their members of Congress. Our supporters cover the political spectrum and work in more than 450 local chapters. Together, we’re building support for a national bipartisan solution to climate change.
