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Members of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee and the 2030
Census Advisory Committee received notices Tuesday saying
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had determined the committees'
purposes “have been fulfilled,” according to emails shared with
the Associated Press.
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed
Officials Educational Fund said in a news release that the
National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other
Populations also had been terminated.
Members of the advisory committees worked for free except for
travel expenses and lodging for meetings.
The Commerce Department oversees the Census Bureau and is led by
Lutnick, an appointee of President Donald Trump. An email
seeking comment was sent Tuesday to the Commerce Department.
Members of the 2030 census advisory committee were appointed
less than a year ago. Its chair, Arturo Vargas, said in an
interview that he was “dumbfounded” by the decision to eliminate
the committees.
“I think it’s a significant setback for the Census Bureau,”
Vargas said. “When the bureau gets advice from external
stakeholders, it’s able to correct course and perhaps even
consider the unintended consequences of some of its plans when
it receives important feedback from the community.”
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