National Weather Service Applicants Required to Answer Merit Hiring Questions When Applying to Jobs

Job applicants at the National Weather Service (NWS) were asked to describe their support for President Trump’s policies and executive orders through four new "merit hiring" essay questions — part of the Department's implementation of OPM's Merit Hiring Plan under Executive Order 14,170. According to media reporting, while the administration has stated that the questions are not required, the essay questions “are a required field applicants must complete” to proceed. On September 26, 2025, Senator Markey wrote to the Secretary of the Department of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, asking why a meteorologist’s views on the Trump Administration’s policies and executive orders would be relevant to “their ability to conduct reliable forecasting, assist in disaster preparedness and response, and protect public safety.”