1. United States
2. Conn.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the recent effort to reclassify specific federal positions, which would erode necessary protections for those serving within the Federal statistical system and transform positions which rely on specific expertise to political ones. It is crucial that Congress voices strong opposition to this reclassification effort as it would call into question the objectivity that both sides of the aisle rely on for our economic indicators, public health assessments, energy utilization and many other statistics. The Federal statistical system plays an essential role in improving the lives of all Americans as well as informing critical policy decisions with evidence that is timely, relevant, and accurate. Federal statistical agencies are particularly vulnerable to Schedule Policy/Career due to the following: Importance of Trust, Impartiality and Objectivity: Statistical agencies, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, and the National Center for Health Statistics, need professional autonomy to provide impartial and objective data. Without civil service protection, staff might face pressure to change methodologies or reveal pre-release information. These possibilities would undermine the perceived or actual independence of these agencies, leading to a loss of public trust in the data they produce. • portance of Norms: Schedule Policy/Career would deprioritize and thus weaken the norms that uphold the ethical and professional standards that are critical to the success of statistical agencies. These norms reflect and go beyond the laws, rules, and policy directives that govern agencies’ operations. Weaker norms threaten trust, efficient operations, and data quality. Technical Expertise: These agencies rely on highly specialized professionals, including statisticians, economists, and data scientists, who possess unique technical expertise. Statistical agencies stand to lose experts who see their career paths as less secure and merit-based than before. Modernization and Data Continuity: Statistical data collection and analysis often involve long-term modernization projects and ensuring data continuity over many years. Schedule Policy/Career could subject agencies to changing presidential priorities and increase senior staff turnover which could disrupt modernization efforts, measurement of trends, and meaningful research. I urge you to oppose this administration’s reclassification efforts, as doing so will help preserve the critical functions and objectivity of our Federal statistical system. Your leadership in protecting the integrity of our nation’s data is greatly appreciated.