Senator Warren Demands Answers on Census Bureau’s Policy Changes
Recent modifications to the Census Bureau’s scientific integrity policy have prompted congressional scrutiny, particularly from Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The changes, which removed language prohibiting political interference, are raising concerns about the reliability of national statistics.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who serves as the leading Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, has reached out to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other officials. Her letters, sent on Wednesday, cite NPR’s reporting on these policy changes, questioning their potential impact on demographic and economic data accuracy.
“Amid the Trump Administration’s broader assault on the integrity of the nation’s statistical system, in which you and the Department have played a key role, you owe the public a clear explanation of why the Department removed this language and how it arrived at this decision,” Warren wrote to Lutnick, who oversees the Census Bureau.
The policy update, dated August 19, omits “protection from inappropriate influence” as a hallmark of scientific integrity. This revision followed the release of a document linked to the America First Policy Institute, a think tank associated with President Trump’s first administration. NPR’s coverage detailed concerns from data and election experts, who questioned the document’s claims on non-citizen voting.
Other controversial decisions by the Trump administration have affected official statistics. In June, the administration discontinued a longstanding data privacy protection, leading to potential delays and reductions in data on rural and small communities.
Furthermore, a proposal was made to exclude certain non-U.S. citizens from the census count that determines congressional representation. This count, as stated in the 14th Amendment, should encompass the “whole number of persons in each state.” The administration also suggested halting the collection of racial and ethnic data during the census.
“That [census proposal] and other proposed changes would have sweeping implications for the quality of our economic data, the redistricting process that determines congressional representation, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions that rely upon key employment statistics and [Bureau of Economic Analysis] inflation data, and our ability to enforce civil rights and other laws,” Warren stated.
In addition to questioning the Commerce Department, Warren is examining whether the Office of Management and Budget was involved in this decision. She also inquires about the Federal Reserve’s measures to ensure data accuracy from the Census Bureau.
Eric Kollig, a Federal Reserve spokesperson, confirmed that the Fed would respond to Warren’s inquiries, with detailed answers expected by October 7. As of now, the Commerce Department and OMB have not provided comments to NPR.
Edited by Benjamin Swasey
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