Joyce Meyer, President Trump’s nominee for Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, told the Senate Commerce Committee on Sept. 17 that she would prioritize the accuracy, integrity and timeliness of federal economic statistics if confirmed, while senators pressed for details about preparations for the 2030 census and the limits of presidential authority over census operations.

Meyer said she would rely on her experience as a long‑time Capitol Hill staffer and on career experts at the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the Census Bureau to ensure data remain rigorous and free from political influence. “If confirmed, I will rely on my decades of service as an end user of this data,” Meyer said, adding that she wanted to focus on three goals: integrity and accuracy of data, using technology to improve speed of data and analysis, and achieving efficiency across federal statistical programs.

Senator Gary Peters raised concerns about staffing and preparedness for a 2026 census test at six sites meant to inform the 2030 count. Peters said the Census Bureau had “not yet even begun hiring” in ways that, in his view, fell behind past practice and that the bureau had declined to provide him updates. Meyer said she was not yet in the post and therefore could not speak to operational specifics, but she committed that if confirmed she would work with Congress and the committee to prioritize staffing and resources for the test and to review lessons from previous censuses.

Peters also asked Meyer whether the president can order a new census now that excludes noncitizens; Meyer declined to give a legal determination and said that, if confirmed, she would “comply with the law” and work with the committee on statutory requirements. Senators noted that any change to the decennial census process would require legislative action and statutory amendment to the Census Act.

Separately, Senator Dan Sullivan asked Meyer about revisions to employment statistics reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, noting that a revision between April 2024 and March 2025 reduced estimated jobs by almost one million — “the largest downward revision in almost a quarter century.” Meyer said BLS is within the Department of Labor and that she did not have visibility into BLS revisions, but she emphasized the importance of transparency around revisions and said the BEA and Census should prioritize accuracy and clear communication.

Meyer acknowledged the constitutional and statutory roles of the Census Bureau and the BEA in producing population and economic statistics that affect federal funding formulas and representation. She pledged to work with senators on preparation for 2030 and to maintain the agencies’ analytic independence if confirmed. The committee concluded the nomination hearing without a confirmation vote; senators requested follow‑up and set deadlines for written questions and nominee responses.

Ending — Senators requested written materials and set deadlines for follow‑up; operational timelines for the 2026 census test and any statutory changes to census law were not resolved in the hearing.