WASHINGTON, D.C. – After the failure on several occasions by the President and administration officials to commit to using accurate information on employment rates, Joint Economic Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) joined Senate Democratic committee leaders today in calling on the Trump administration to stand by the independence and integrity of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The Senators elaborated on concerns raised in a February 2nd letter from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce related to supporting the work of the BLS. Data provided by the BLS is essential to the development of policies that affect American workers, and to the understanding of the economic health and security of the country.

“If we can’t trust the numbers coming out of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we lose the ability to accurately measure and understand the economy,” Senator Heinrich said. “Many Americans are still waiting for the progress of the recovery to reach their wallets. That progress becomes much harder to achieve when we don’t know the true health of the economy. President Trump needs to commit to keeping BLS data objective and free from partisan or political influence so that Americans everywhere experience real economic growth.”

For over a century the BLS has produced neutral and unbiased reports on the United States labor market and unemployment rate. The administration’s failure to provide measurable, objective data substantiating unemployment rates whittles away at the public’s understanding of the nation’s economy. To maintain transparency and public trust, the Trump administration must fully commit to supporting the independence of the BLS.

The letter can be found here.

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 For more information, please contact Latoya Veal at Latoya_Veal@jec.senate.gov or 202-224-0379.