Warren presses Commerce officials to justify removal of census political-interference ban

Senator Elizabeth Warren, top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, wrote to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other senior officials requesting a detailed explanation for the August 19 revision to the Census Bureau’s scientific integrity policy that removed the clause safeguarding the agency from political interference. Warren referenced reporting that the change followed the release of a controversial document prepared by a group tied to the America First Policy Institute, whose claims about non-citizen voting have been criticized by data experts.

She warned that eroding the “protection from inappropriate influence” hallmark could damage the reliability of vital demographic and economic statistics used for redistricting, Federal Reserve policy, and civil-rights enforcement. The senator also asked whether the Office of Management and Budget was involved in the decision and how the Federal Reserve is ensuring the accuracy of census-derived data. The Commerce Department and OMB have not yet responded, while the Federal Reserve said it will reply by Oct. 7. This inquiry comes amid other Trump administration moves, such as banning a long-used privacy technique and proposing to omit certain non-citizens from the constitutional population count.