02.03.17

Scott, Committee Democrats Seek Commitment from President Trump to Support the Bureau of Labor Statistics Data

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), and every Democrat on the Committee on the Education and the Workforce, sent a letter to President Trump to inquire whether he and his Administration will continue the longstanding and bipartisan tradition of standing behind the Bureau of Labor Statistics’(BLS) monthly employment situation report.

This morning the BLS announced that the economy added 227,000 jobs in the month of January, continuing the record streak started under President Obama. The Committee also seeks a commitment from President Trump and the Administration not to undermine or interfere with BLS’s independent mission to “collect, analyze, and disseminate economic information to support public and private decision-making.”

“We believe our inquiry is warranted because of the apparent skepticism and distrust of the nation’s unemployment rate expressed by you and your White House staff,” the Members wrote. “In the first few days of your presidency, the White House press secretary reportedly refused to cite the official unemployment rate when directly asked to do so by a reporter. This comes after a presidential campaign where you falsely characterized the unemployment rate as ‘one of the biggest hoaxes in American modern politics.’ Last February, you also incorrectly claimed the unemployment rate is ‘probably 28, 29, as high as 35. In fact, I even heard recently 42%.’ This was just a few days after BLS reported the unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.”

The members implore President Trump and his staff to consider when the “BLS’s independent analysis of the nation’s labor market is mocked, politicized, and baselessly attacked, it not only delegitimizes the BLS’s critically important work. It also erodes the public’s trust.”

The full text of the letter can be found below:

Dear Mr. President:

For over 100 years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has initiated “monthly studies on employment and payroll.”  Its present iteration – popularly known as the monthly employment situation report – provides non-partisan data on the United States labor market and the nation’s unemployment rate. We write to inquire about whether your Administration will continue the longstanding and bipartisan tradition of standing behind the BLS’s monthly employment situation report. We also seek a commitment that you and your Administration will not undermine or interfere with BLS’s independent mission to “collect, analyze, and disseminate economic information to support public and private decision-making.” 

We believe our inquiry is warranted because of the apparent skepticism and distrust of the nation’s unemployment rate expressed by you and your White House staff.  In the first few days of your presidency, the White House press secretary reportedly refused to cite the official unemployment rate when directly asked to do so by a reporter.  This comes after a presidential campaign where you falsely characterized the unemployment rate as “one of the biggest hoaxes in American modern politics.”  Last February, you also incorrectly claimed the unemployment rate is “probably 28, 29, as high as 35. In fact, I even heard recently 42%.”   This was just a few days after BLS reported the unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.

While the BLS’s monthly employment situation report is not a panacea, it provides critical, non-partisan employment data that has been utilized for decades by presidents of both political parties, businesses of all sizes, Members of Congress, economists, and, most importantly, the American people. For them, the BLS monthly employment situation report has been a barometer of the country’s economic well-being – and we believe Americans are correct to interpret it that way.

Moreover, BLS publishes five additional measures of unemployment and underemployment each month, which include those working part time but wanting to work full time, and those who are too discouraged to look for work because they believe there are no jobs available for them and the job search effort would be futile. These measures, when viewed in conjunction with the unemployment rate, provide the public and policy makers a more fulsome depiction of the extent of unemployment.

So when the BLS’s independent analysis of the nation’s labor market is mocked, politicized, and baselessly attacked, it not only delegitimizes the BLS’s critically important work. It also erodes the public’s trust. We respectfully recommend that you and your staff keep this in mind in the days ahead.

In the event that you and your Administration endorse alternative metrics to gauge the nation’s unemployment rate, we trust you will communicate that decision to us and the American people forthwith, as well as your rationale for doing so. 

As Members of the House Education and Workforce Committee, which has legislative and oversight jurisdiction over the BLS, we appreciate your attention to the issues we raised. We look forward to working with you to build on the significant job gains and economic progress that were achieved during the Obama presidency. We also stand ready to work with you to restore balance to the economy so that hardworking Americans can get ahead and provide a better future for their families.

Sincerely,

 

Bobby Scott (VA-03)
Susan A. Davis (CA-53)
Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03)
Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Gregorio Sablan (MP-At Large)
Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24)
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Mark Takano (CA-41)
Alma S. Adams (NC-12)
Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11)
Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE- At Large)
Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)
Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

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