President Trump's pick to head NOAA — which includes the National Weather Service — will tell Congress on Wednesday that he wants to make the U.S. a weather forecasting leader. Why it matters: Neil Jacobs' nomination hearing arrives as Democratic critics question whether NWS staffing reductions hampered performance in the deadly Texas flooding — and whether proposed budget cuts will hinder the very forecasting improvements he's vowing.

Neil Jacobs, tapped to lead NOAA, called for sharper forecasting tools and clearer public alerts, just days after flooding in Texas left more than 100 dead.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oversees the National Weather Service, which has endured steep 'DOGE' cuts.