The group run by Elon Musk and his aides to cut federal spending in the second Trump administration is targeting some surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau it claims are "wasteful," worrying users of federal data already concerned about the health of the nation's statistical infrastructure.
The Department of Government Efficiency said on social media this week that five surveys costing 16.5 million that are conducted by the statistical agency for other federal agencies have been "terminated" but didn't specify which ones. Some of the questions on the eliminated surveys asked about alcohol consumption and the frequency that respondents used the internet in their home, according to the post.
Other surveys are being reviewed "one-by-one," said Tuesday's post on DOGE's X account. The Census Bureau didn't respond this week to an inquiry seeking comment.
Based on the post, it's highly possible that the eliminated surveys included the Survey of Inmates in Local Jails, which gathered information on inmates for the Department of Justice, and the Ask U.S. Panel, an internet survey conducted with the Department of Defense, said Beth Jarosz, a senior program director at the Population Reference Bureau, a nonpartisan research organization.
There is a public process for changing government surveys that involves giving notice and seeking public comment, and anything that is canceled without going through that process may be violating the law, Jarosz said.