U.S. Federal Data Is Disappearing
21 hours ago
- #Research Challenges
- #Federal Data Cuts
- #Public Health Impact
- Joy Binion, a federal employee, was laid off when the Trump administration eliminated the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), a data collection effort on substance abuse trends.
- The Trump administration has significantly reduced federal data collection, affecting areas like substance use, maternal mortality, and education, leaving researchers without critical information.
- Over 3,000 data sets have been removed from public access, and agencies like the IRS and Department of Education no longer allow researchers to access their data.
- Key data cuts include the termination of household food security reports, removal of gender identity questions from surveys, and suspension of a database tracking law enforcement misconduct.
- Researchers and policymakers face challenges due to data gaps, particularly in public health, where maternal and infant mortality data are now incomplete.
- The administration's data cuts have led to community efforts to preserve information, but these alternatives lack the scope and quality of federal data.
- Staffing reductions at agencies like the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have exacerbated data collection challenges.
- The lack of federal data is impacting global research and could leave the U.S. less prepared for future challenges.