Congress Urged to Protect Federal Statistics From Trump ‘Purge’

(Bloomberg) -- A federal statistics advocacy group is urging Congress to restore any government data removed by the Trump administration and prevent it from happening again.

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The Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics has drafted a letter to Senate and House leadership upon the shutdown of some parts of government websites, as well as removal of several health datasets in recent days. COPAFS is collecting signatures from individuals and organizations until Friday.

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“We call on Congress to demand the complete restoration of any federal data that have been removed and to work with the Administration to prevent any future purge or removal of data from federal agency websites and portals,” according to the letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Web pages on government agencies’ sites — including the Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services — have been inaccessible, or had certain data removed late last week as staffers hurried to comply with Trump’s executive order to shut down diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. That prompted agencies to start reviewing all the information on their websites.

Statistics are vital to policy- and decision-making at all levels of government and across businesses. Data agencies are already constrained by fewer responses to surveys and tight budgets, which could be compounded by the administration’s efforts to crack down on federal spending.

“Removing or curtailing access to these data, even temporarily, erodes the public trust that federal statistical and scientific agencies have earned,” the letter states. “Their actions have real world consequences, leaving individuals, families, communities, and policymakers alike without access to secure, reliable federal data that they have paid for and expect to use.”

COPAFS represents researchers, educators, civic groups and businesses that rely on the quality and accessibility of statistics collected by the federal government. Member organizations include the American Economic Association, American Statistical Association and the National Association for Business Economics.

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