What A Day What Happens When We Can’t Rely On Federal Data
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Oct 3, 2025 Denice Ross, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists and former U.S. Chief Data Scientist, dives into the threats facing federal data under the current administration. She highlights how important datasets are being manipulated or erased, stressing the risks this creates for public policy. Meanwhile, Matt Berg discusses the impact of the government shutdown on federal employees and how political messaging permeates official channels. Together, they emphasize the critical need for reliable data to inform American society.
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Small Data, Big Consequences
- The North American Bat Monitoring Database shows federal data can protect agriculture by tracking species that provide ecosystem services.
- Losing such niche datasets would harm farmers and public health in ways we rarely notice.
Three Ways Data Is Being Eroded
- Ross identifies three damage pathways: targeted removals, collateral losses of expertise, and suppression of data that reflects poorly on policy.
- Combined, these pathways weaken data quality and our ability to respond to crises.
Real Examples Of Data Removal
- Ross gives examples: OPM dropped workforce race data, gender identity removed from NCVS, and USDA cut the food security supplement.
- These removals coincide with policy changes that make the data especially important now.