Endorsement Letter to Senate & House Appropriations Committees Regarding FY26 Funding for BLS
November 25, 2025
The Honorable Susan Collins, Chair
Senate Appropriations Committee
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Patty Murray, Vice Chair
Senate Appropriations Committee
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Tom Cole, Chair
House Appropriations Committee
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member
House Appropriations Committee
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairwoman Collins, Chairman Cole, Vice Chair Murray, and Ranking Member DeLauro,
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals affiliated with the Friends of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, write to urge you to provide the Bureau with no less than the amount recommended by the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, $714 million for Fiscal Year 2026. Further, we are writing to express our concern regarding the effect the continuing federal hiring freeze is having on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which we ask the Appropriations Committee to address in the final FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill.
As you are aware, the Bureau provides key economic indicators across a variety of markets in a timely manner. The Bureau’s data releases affect the nation’s economy significantly and it is paramount that they remain accurate, timely, and relevant. Reducing the budget of the Bureau amid ever changing market conditions may prove disastrous to America’s national data needs. For these reasons, we urgently request that the Bureau receive the allocation determined by the House for FY 2026.
In addition, we have deep concern about the current federal hiring freeze and its effect on the Bureau’s capacity to continue to produce data which our economy relies on. The Bureau has lost close to 25% of its staff through early separations since February. Unfortunately, a significant number of these separations involved senior staff with a host of institutional knowledge which is now lost. One third of BLS leadership positions are currently vacant. BLS desperately needs to hire new talent to ensure that data releases remain accurate and timely.
It is critical that BLS has the funding and the staff necessary to maintain their reporting processes and deliver timely data to the American people. The economic landscape can change very quickly. Businesses and policymakers need information on the current economic climate and that requires a current, up-to-date approach to collecting and reporting data.
With your support, BLS can continue to fully support evidence-based policymaking, smart program evaluation, rewarding career choices, and confident business investment. Thank you for your dedicated interest in this critical part of our national data infrastructure and for considering our views as you prepare the final FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill.