Rep. Greene Claims Shutdown Ends ‘Taxpayer-Funded Weather Modification’

UPDATE: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has made headlines with her assertion that the ongoing government shutdown has effectively halted what she calls “taxpayer-funded weather modification experiments.” This claim, made on X this past Friday, is met with swift denials from U.S. government agencies that assert they are not involved in such activities.

Greene tweeted, “One good thing to come from this government shutdown… CLEAR SKIES! No taxpayer-funded weather modification experiments Americans never asked for.” She emphasized her support for the Clear Skies Act, which aims to ban geoengineering practices she describes as dangerous and unregulated.

The urgency of Greene’s statement resonates amid widespread concerns regarding government transparency and environmental impacts. However, officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have confirmed, “The U.S. government is not engaged in any form of outdoor testing or large-scale deployment of technologies to modify the amount of solar radiation hitting the Earth.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reiterated this stance, stating clearly that it does not fund or participate in cloud seeding or weather modification projects, despite ongoing conspiracy theories linking such activities to various environmental disasters.

Despite Greene’s claims, operational commercial flights are continuing during the government shutdown, casting further doubt on her assertions about government involvement in weather manipulation. The Government Accountability Office reported that cloud seeding, which has been practiced in the U.S. since the mid-1900s, is primarily funded at the state level, with active programs in at least nine Western states focusing on increasing snowpack and mitigating drought.

Greene’s controversial positions have drawn attention before, including her promotion of conspiracy theories suggesting that a space laser caused wildfires in California. Earlier this year, she introduced legislation aimed at banning weather modification practices altogether.

Amid these developments, reports indicate that the Trump administration is considering a task force under the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate climate and weather control, based on a memo obtained by KFF Health News. Experts, such as climate scientist Daniel Swain from the University of California, have criticized the memo as “shocking,” highlighting the disconnect between scientific consensus and conspiracy-driven narratives.

As the government shutdown continues, the implications of Greene’s statements ripple through public discourse, raising questions about climate policy and the role of government in environmental stewardship. The debate over weather modification remains contentious, with Greene’s rhetoric galvanizing both supporters and critics.

Next steps: Watch for potential legislative moves surrounding Greene’s Clear Skies Act and ongoing responses from environmental agencies. As the situation evolves, public interest in the intersection of government policy and environmental science continues to grow.