The Big Story 

The Senate has voted to confirm President Trump’s pick to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of a group of nominees confirmed en masse.

© Greg Nash

The Senate voted 51-47 on the entire bloc of 107 nominations, including the confirmation of Neil Jacobs as the under secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

Jacobs may be best known for his role in the “Sharpiegate” scandal under the last Trump administration. At the time, NOAA released a statement backing Trump and bucking the National Weather Service after the president insisted that Hurricane Dorian had been slated to hit Alabama.

His confirmation comes at a time when funding and personnel at NOAA, and particularly the National Weather Service, have come under intense scrutiny as the Trump administration seeks to downsize the government. 

Jacobs told Congress that if confirmed, weather service staffing would be a “top priority.”

Read more at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin  — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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