Ranking Member Scott Calls for Urgent Oversight of Funding Cuts and Dwindling Staff at Federal Statistical Agencies

Ranking Member Scott Calls for Urgent Oversight of Funding Cuts and Dwindling Staff at Federal Statistical Agencies

WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) sent a letter to Chairman Tim Walberg requesting an immediate hearing to examine the impact of the Trump Administration's attacks on federal statistical agencies within the Committee's jurisdiction, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS), the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS or the Bureau).

"These agencies serve as vital lifelines for policymakers, businesses, and the public-producing nonpartisan, reliable statistics describing the realities confronting our constituents every day. Given the underfunding and understaffing at these agencies recently highlighted in an alarming report from the American Statistical Association, Committee Members should have the opportunity to explore the hard choices these agencies have had to face as they absorb these cuts and do more with less," wrote Ranking Member Scott.

According to the American Statistical Association (ASA), tight budgets at the BLS, the nation's principal source of information on the conditions of workers and the labor force, have stymied its attempts to modernize the Bureau's data products and services, contributing to record-low response rates. Additionally, the Bureau has seen a more than 20 percent decline in staffing since Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) and reduced its production of valuable data products.

Similarly, staffing at the ERS, which is tasked with conducting economic research to better understand the challenges faced across the country regarding agriculture and food security, has declined by roughly one-third since FY24. In addition to cutting vital funds to the ERS, the Trump Administration has halted production of Household Food Security Reports, which provide information on the prevalence and severity of food insecurity among U.S. households at a time when Republicans' Big, Ugly Law has kicked 1.4 million people off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Department of Education's NCES provides reliable, objective data on the condition of education in the United States. However, according to ASA, the Trump Administration's attacks on NCES have left the agency with only twelve staff members and the termination or pause of numerous studies and projects, including research on school crime and safety, teachers and principals, homeschooling and virtual education, and adults' skills and competencies.

"Research estimates suggest that preserving trust in the integrity and quality of official statistics generates billions of dollars in economic benefits by providing clarity to policymakers, businesses, and the public, who rely on these vital agencies to understand the world around us. I ask that you schedule a hearing in September so that Committee Members have the opportunity to hear about the erosion of our nation's federal statistical infrastructure and better understand the downstream effects of poorer data quality and less frequent product releases," Ranking Member Scott concluded.

To read the full letter, click here.

Press Contact

Democratic Press Office, 202-226-0853