Why We’re Launching a New Federal Data Forum

"Public data are under attack. For 95 years, PRB [Population Reference Bureau] has relied heavily on federal data for our work, and we’re deeply concerned about recent threats to public data availability, timeliness, and quality. Many datasets have been altered, including data from the National Survey of Children’s Health and the Bureau of Prisons, and other data collections have been scaled back or suspended. For example, staffing cuts decimated the National Center for Education Statistics, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress—referred to as “The Nation’s Report Card”—will be scaled back substantially in coming years. Critical data collections like the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System—a key resource for helping to protect infants and pregnant people—have been suspended for months, and many other datasets are at risk. PRB is a nonpartisan organization, but we advocate strongly for the democratization of data and recently brainstormed ideas about how to engage with other like-minded groups and individuals to protect the federal data infrastructure. We think that our new Federal Data Forum—an online community for public data stakeholders—is the right place to start."