Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren asked the Department of Commerce, Office of Management and Budget and Federal Reserve to explain Commerce’s decision to remove language barring political interference from its scientific integrity policy. Warren warned that the revision could undermine the reliability of Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis data used for economic analysis, congressional redistricting and monetary policy. The revised policy ended commitments protecting data from suppression, delay or alteration. Warren requested details on Commerce’s rationale, OMB’s role and the implications for other federal statistical agencies. She also asked the Fed to explain how it verifies the integrity of data used in interest rate decisions, including information from the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis. Written responses are due by Oct. 7, 2026.
2026-09-24U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs ranking member seeks answers on removal of safeguards against political interference in federal statistics
Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren requested explanations from Commerce, OMB and the Federal Reserve about Commerce’s removal of safeguards against political interference in scientific work. She warned that the change could weaken Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis data used for economic policy, redistricting and interest rate decisions. Responses are due by Oct. 7, 2026.