Jared Bernstein

A pleasure to be with you.

Well, it would be possible to do if you took over agencies that would resist you very, very strongly. Some of the most our agencies, our statistical agencies are staffed by people with tremendous integrity who would fight as hard as they could. But we've seen some of the tactics that this administration uses against such folks. So, of course, it's worrisome.

And the consequences, well, you partially outlined them earlier yourself, Rachel, and you were spot on.

If you're an investor, a global investor trying to figure out where our economy is going, if you're a student thinking about an occupation where you might be needed in the future, if you're a local town trying to think about your infrastructure, think about all the trade data we've been talking about over the past few days with that

other problem that's going on over there with this budding trade war. All of that information is essential to not just, you know, number crunching nerds like myself, but to the well-being of markets, the country and the people in it. So these folks are, you know, really playing with fire when they suggest manipulating the numbers like that.

Really important question, because I think once you start thinking about that, you can get worried pretty quickly. First of all, let's be very clear that these committees are typically staffed by volunteers. They cost virtually nothing to run. And for two decades, they've been advising our statistical agencies on making their good work even better, improving transparency.

And all I can think about is that. An old adage that says if you want to control the numbers or the information flow, first get rid of the experts. I have a hard time figuring out why you would chop away at an institution like that that, again, is virtually costless and provides essential information to keep improving an already really excellent statistical system.

So I don't like what I'm seeing here one bit.

Thank you.