The ASA recently submitted comments on the USDA’s reorganization plan. The comments highlight that this move could disrupt the production of vital agricultural data and compromise the effectiveness of both agencies, ultimately affecting those who use the data, including America’s farmers, ranchers, those living in rural communities, and policymakers.
USDA
FY21 Federal Budget Finalized
![Figure 1 shows the budgets of the seven mid-sized statistical agencies normalized to their FY09 levels, along with the GDP deflator to account for inflation. Budget restructuring for ERS in FY15 and ORES in FY19 are accounted for in the graph to allow for comparison over this time period. One-time moving costs in FY16 for BEA are also omitted. [Key: BEA, Bureau of Economic Analysis; BJS, Bureau of Justice Statistics; BTS, Bureau of Transportation Statistics; ERS, USDA Economic Research Service; NCSES, NSF National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics; ORES, Social Security Administration Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics; SOI, IRS Statistics of Income Division]](https://magazine.amstat.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/FY_Figure1_-150x150.jpg)
The NIH, NSF, and several federal statistical agencies received increases, but many are facing fiscal challenges after years of purchasing power loss.
Statistics and Science Policy
In her September column, Karen Kafadar talks about the ASA’s Science Policy Department and the director of science policy’s extensive efforts to keep statistics in the science limelight.
Obituary: Charles Perry Jr.
Charles R. Perry Jr. died peacefully at home in Fairfax, Virginia, May 8, 2018, at the age of 81.
Why Would USDA Shoot Itself in the Foot?
Katherine Smith Evans wonders why the USDA wouldn’t want to be able to evaluate its own nutrition assistance, trade, rural development, and other critical programs.
Census-FNS-ERS Partnership Delivers Unique Products by Leveraging Data
Two statistical agencies—the US Census Bureau and US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Economic Research Service (ERS)—have formed a strategic partnership with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which administers USDA’s food and nutrition assistance programs.
NASS Commissions Panel to Improve Census Count
Every five years, the U.S. Census of Agriculture enumerates the characteristics of farms and farmers, and planning is underway for the 2017 census. To ensure it does not systematically miss women or new/beginning farmers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service called for an expert panel review and invited public comment. Read on to find out what they learned.
COPAFS Report for June Meeting
The Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics (COPAFS) acts as an advocate for the development and dissemination of high-quality federal statistics. Member organizations include professional associations, businesses, research institutes, and others interested in federal statistics. Through COPAFS, members have an opportunity to review and affect issues such as timeliness, quality, confidentiality, and the relevance of data. COPAFS holds quarterly meetings, the last one taking place on June 3.