Larson, Hoyle Call on Department of Labor to Protect Economic Data from Trump Meddling
East Hartford, CT – House Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) and Rep. Val Hoyle (OR-04) led a group of their Democratic colleagues urging the Department of Labor to protect economic data from President Donald Trump’s political meddling.
“Politicizing the role of the BLS is dangerous and risks destabilizing the United States and global economies. Employers, workers, and economists use BLS data to make decisions about hiring, pay, training, and the cost of living,” the lawmakers wrote. “For millions of Americans, BLS data directly determines their Social Security benefits. The Social Security Administration uses the BLS’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) to calculate annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), ensuring benefits keep pace with inflation.”
“Given Mr. Antoni has previously called Social Security a 'Ponzi scheme' and for it to be sunset, his nomination raises serious questions about his ability to effectively and objectively lead the agency responsible for compiling the data supporting the annual COLA increase in Social Security payments to beneficiaries,” they continued. “If Mr. Antoni manipulates CPI data to make inflation look lower than it is or employment to look higher than it is to appease President Trump...Social Security beneficiaries may receive smaller COLAs at a time when they already are struggling with high prices for basic necessities due to his erratic tariff policies.”
On August 1st, President Trump fired Commissioner of Labor Statistics Erika McEntarfer, falsely accusing her of publishing fake numbers after a weak jobs report. He then nominated Project 2025 contributor EJ Antoni to replace Commissioner McEntarfer. Antoni has called Social Security a ‘Ponzi scheme,’ and suggested that it should be ‘shut down.’ The Bureau of Labor Statistics is responsible for the data that determines the annual cost of living adjustment for Social Security benefits.
The full letter to U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer is available HERE and below:
Dear Secretary Chavez-DeRemer:
We are writing to express concern about President Trump’s decision to nominate E.J. Antoni as Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Mr. Antoni’s nomination comes on the heels of President Trump’s politically motivated firing of BLS Commissioner Dr. Erika McEntarfer.
Politicizing the role of the BLS is dangerous and risks destabilizing the United States and global economies. Employers, workers and economists use BLS data to make decisions about hiring, pay, training, and the cost of living based on trends in jobs, wages, prices, and productivity. Americans rely on this information because it reflects real conditions in the economy.
For millions of Americans, BLS data directly determines their Social Security benefits. The Social Security Administration uses the BLS’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) to calculate annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), ensuring benefits keep pace with inflation. Relatedly, lawmakers use these data to craft legislation ensuring the Social Security Trust Fund remains solvent. Given Mr. Antoni has previously called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme” and for it to be sunset, his nomination raises serious questions about his ability to effectively and objectively lead the agency responsible for compiling the data supporting the annual COLA increase in Social Security payments to beneficiaries.
Many unions also use CPI data when negotiating wages and benefits for their members. Accurate data ensures that these negotiations reflect real changes in the cost of living. Distorting this data would threaten fair pay for millions of working Americans.
If Mr. Antoni manipulates CPI data to make inflation look lower than it is or employment to look higher than it is to appease President Trump, his decisions will ripple through the economy. Social Security beneficiaries may receive smaller COLAs at a time when they already are struggling with high prices for basic necessities due to his erratic tariff policies. Moreover, it may make legislating to ensure benefits can continue to be paid in full and on time extremely difficult, if not impossible. It may also make the Congressional Budget Office’s work less reliable. As such, we request answers to the following questions regarding the independence of the BLS by September 2, 2025:
1. What mechanisms are in place to ensure the BLS’ independence from political interference?
2. What protections of these mechanisms are in place?
3. Will you pursue transparency at the BLS by ensuring independent nonpartisan observers can validate your computations?
BLS must remain a reliable, independent, data driven agency. We appreciate your prompt attention to these requests.