ASA Connect

Dear ASA Members,

I write to let you know that ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein posted to LinkedIn today regarding access to sensitive information by the new administration as it pertains to federal statistical agencies: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ron-wasserstein_with-the-reports-of-new-administration-officials-activity-7294771508810272769-snvh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop. The text of the post is below. I believe the message speaks for itself but I'm happy to answer any questions you may have: spierson@amstat.org.

ASA leadership and staff continue to monitor various developments. Please continue to contact us, including through this anonymous JotForm survey.

Thank you, 

Steve

With the reports of new Administration officials accessing sensitive data systems, I call upon policymakers in Congress and the White House to take all necessary actions to forbid any access to the data collected by the federal statistical agencies by individuals outside of those agencies.

Statistical agencies collect data under strict statutory protections, violations of which are felonies punishable by steep fines and prison terms that were established in the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002, and reaffirmed in the Evidence Act that President Trump signed into law in January 2019. The purpose of such protections is, as stated by the Evidence Act, to fulfill the requirement that statistical agencies "protect the trust of information providers by ensuring the confidentiality and exclusive statistical use of their responses." The law also requires the head of the host agency for the statistical agency (e.g., the Department of Labor for the Bureau of Labor Statistics) to "enable, support, and facilitate statistical agencies or units in carrying out" the confidentiality and other responsibilities of the statistical agencies.

Because the data collected by statistical agencies include sensitive personal and business information, the agencies have strict protocols and sophisticated protections that have proven, time-tested effectiveness to prevent any breaches of sensitive information.
 
Access to these data by individuals outside of the federal statistical agency violates federal law. More importantly, the American people's trust in statistical agencies would be compromised by outside access to these data and even the ability to access these data and the perception thereof. Without this trust that has been earned and nurtured over decades, statistical agencies will not be able to collect the data needed to produce trusted, quality statistics. Because of survey-response, sample-size, and other challenges for almost all statistical agencies, many statistical products would be put at risk by outside access to statistical-agency data, including BLS's monthly employment releases.
 
The White House should publicly reaffirm that confidential statistical information at federal statistical agencies will not be shared outside the agency to reassure the American people that they can trust these agencies with their information.

Dear Members,

I write to let you know that Ron Wasserstein posted to LinkedIn today regarding the cancellation of nearly all of the contracts that the National Center for Education Statistics relies on for its data collection: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ron-wasserstein_mondays-termination-of-scores-of-department-activity-7295173902492733441-EKFW?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop. It's also pasted below. I believe this post speaks for itself but I'm happy address any questions you may have: spierson@amstat.org.

Here are a few news reports as well as a statement from the American Educational Research Association and COPAFS:

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/10/trump-presidency-news/#secondary-nav  (scroll down to 7:26 pm post by Laura Meckler)
• https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/trump-admin-suddenly-cancels-dozens-of-education-department-contracts/2025/02
• https://www.npr.org/2025/02/10/nx-s1-5292444/trump-musk-education-department-schools-students-research-cuts
• AERA/COPAFS statement: https://www.aera.net/Newsroom/AERA-and-COPAFS-Statement-on-the-New-Administrations-Sudden-Termination-of-National-Center-for-Education-Statistics-Contracts

et me remind you that ASA leadership and staff continue to monitor various developments. Please continue to contact us, including through this anonymous JotForm survey.

Thank you, 

Steve

Monday's termination of scores of Department of Education contracts includes virtually all contracts that the National Center for Education Statistics relies on for its data collection and numerous products, according to various news outlets.
 
Without NCES products, families, communities, and decisionmakers throughout the country will be left in the dark on many aspects of our education system. NCES's reports on the status of student learning on state-by-state and international basis are widely used by parents, administrators, and policymakers to make decisions on school programs based on what's working and isn't working. Students and parents use NCES resources to monitor school safety and help locate public and private schools and colleges that meet their needs. Policymakers in the private and public sector use NCES products to develop programs, allocate resources, and track the latest trends in education. States, localities, and institutions around the United States use the data to compare themselves with others on tuition, salaries, staffing, expenditures, student achievement, graduation rates, and many other measures. Businesses use NCES data to inform their recruitment and siting for new facilities. Federal, state, and local governments as well as businesses and corporations used the data to determine the supply of labor with specific skills and training. Researchers use data to study progressions from early childhood through postsecondary education and into early careers to help answer questions such as whether students' high school academic achievement is related to college enrollment and completion.
 
I call on the administration and Congress to immediately rectify the situation so that NCES can continue being an invaluable resource to families, communities, and policymakers who need objective and timely information to inform their decisions in the best interests of America's students and the country's future.

Dear ASA Members,

I write to let you know that ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein posted to LinkedIn today regarding access to sensitive information by the new administration as it pertains to federal statistical agencies: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ron-wasserstein_with-the-reports-of-new-administration-officials-activity-7294771508810272769-snvh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop. The text of the post is below. I believe the message speaks for itself but I'm happy to answer any questions you may have: spierson@amstat.org.

ASA leadership and staff continue to monitor various developments. Please continue to contact us, including through this anonymous JotForm survey.

Thank you, 

Steve

With the reports of new Administration officials accessing sensitive data systems, I call upon policymakers in Congress and the White House to take all necessary actions to forbid any access to the data collected by the federal statistical agencies by individuals outside of those agencies.

Statistical agencies collect data under strict statutory protections, violations of which are felonies punishable by steep fines and prison terms that were established in the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002, and reaffirmed in the Evidence Act that President Trump signed into law in January 2019. The purpose of such protections is, as stated by the Evidence Act, to fulfill the requirement that statistical agencies "protect the trust of information providers by ensuring the confidentiality and exclusive statistical use of their responses." The law also requires the head of the host agency for the statistical agency (e.g., the Department of Labor for the Bureau of Labor Statistics) to "enable, support, and facilitate statistical agencies or units in carrying out" the confidentiality and other responsibilities of the statistical agencies.

Because the data collected by statistical agencies include sensitive personal and business information, the agencies have strict protocols and sophisticated protections that have proven, time-tested effectiveness to prevent any breaches of sensitive information.
 
Access to these data by individuals outside of the federal statistical agency violates federal law. More importantly, the American people's trust in statistical agencies would be compromised by outside access to these data and even the ability to access these data and the perception thereof. Without this trust that has been earned and nurtured over decades, statistical agencies will not be able to collect the data needed to produce trusted, quality statistics. Because of survey-response, sample-size, and other challenges for almost all statistical agencies, many statistical products would be put at risk by outside access to statistical-agency data, including BLS's monthly employment releases.
 
The White House should publicly reaffirm that confidential statistical information at federal statistical agencies will not be shared outside the agency to reassure the American people that they can trust these agencies with their information.

Dear ASA Members,

I write to let you know that ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein posted to LinkedIn today regarding access to sensitive information by the new administration as it pertains to federal statistical agencies: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ron-wasserstein_with-the-reports-of-new-administration-officials-activity-7294771508810272769-snvh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop. The text of the post is below. I believe the message speaks for itself but I'm happy to answer any questions you may have: spierson@amstat.org.

ASA leadership and staff continue to monitor various developments. Please continue to contact us, including through this anonymous JotForm survey.

Thank you, 

Steve

With the reports of new Administration officials accessing sensitive data systems, I call upon policymakers in Congress and the White House to take all necessary actions to forbid any access to the data collected by the federal statistical agencies by individuals outside of those agencies.

Statistical agencies collect data under strict statutory protections, violations of which are felonies punishable by steep fines and prison terms that were established in the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002, and reaffirmed in the Evidence Act that President Trump signed into law in January 2019. The purpose of such protections is, as stated by the Evidence Act, to fulfill the requirement that statistical agencies "protect the trust of information providers by ensuring the confidentiality and exclusive statistical use of their responses." The law also requires the head of the host agency for the statistical agency (e.g., the Department of Labor for the Bureau of Labor Statistics) to "enable, support, and facilitate statistical agencies or units in carrying out" the confidentiality and other responsibilities of the statistical agencies.

Because the data collected by statistical agencies include sensitive personal and business information, the agencies have strict protocols and sophisticated protections that have proven, time-tested effectiveness to prevent any breaches of sensitive information.
 
Access to these data by individuals outside of the federal statistical agency violates federal law. More importantly, the American people's trust in statistical agencies would be compromised by outside access to these data and even the ability to access these data and the perception thereof. Without this trust that has been earned and nurtured over decades, statistical agencies will not be able to collect the data needed to produce trusted, quality statistics. Because of survey-response, sample-size, and other challenges for almost all statistical agencies, many statistical products would be put at risk by outside access to statistical-agency data, including BLS's monthly employment releases.
 
The White House should publicly reaffirm that confidential statistical information at federal statistical agencies will not be shared outside the agency to reassure the American people that they can trust these agencies with their information.

Dear ASA Members,

I write to let you know that ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein posted to LinkedIn today regarding access to sensitive information by the new administration as it pertains to federal statistical agencies: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ron-wasserstein_with-the-reports-of-new-administration-officials-activity-7294771508810272769-snvh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop. The text of the post is below. I believe the message speaks for itself but I'm happy to answer any questions you may have: spierson@amstat.org.

ASA leadership and staff continue to monitor various developments. Please continue to contact us, including through this anonymous JotForm survey.

Thank you, 

Steve

With the reports of new Administration officials accessing sensitive data systems, I call upon policymakers in Congress and the White House to take all necessary actions to forbid any access to the data collected by the federal statistical agencies by individuals outside of those agencies.

Statistical agencies collect data under strict statutory protections, violations of which are felonies punishable by steep fines and prison terms that were established in the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002, and reaffirmed in the Evidence Act that President Trump signed into law in January 2019. The purpose of such protections is, as stated by the Evidence Act, to fulfill the requirement that statistical agencies "protect the trust of information providers by ensuring the confidentiality and exclusive statistical use of their responses." The law also requires the head of the host agency for the statistical agency (e.g., the Department of Labor for the Bureau of Labor Statistics) to "enable, support, and facilitate statistical agencies or units in carrying out" the confidentiality and other responsibilities of the statistical agencies.

Because the data collected by statistical agencies include sensitive personal and business information, the agencies have strict protocols and sophisticated protections that have proven, time-tested effectiveness to prevent any breaches of sensitive information.
 
Access to these data by individuals outside of the federal statistical agency violates federal law. More importantly, the American people's trust in statistical agencies would be compromised by outside access to these data and even the ability to access these data and the perception thereof. Without this trust that has been earned and nurtured over decades, statistical agencies will not be able to collect the data needed to produce trusted, quality statistics. Because of survey-response, sample-size, and other challenges for almost all statistical agencies, many statistical products would be put at risk by outside access to statistical-agency data, including BLS's monthly employment releases.
 
The White House should publicly reaffirm that confidential statistical information at federal statistical agencies will not be shared outside the agency to reassure the American people that they can trust these agencies with their information.