The integrity and accessibility of robust, unbiased federal statistical data are foundational to informed governmental and private sector decision making. Recent actions, including the firing of employees at federal statistical agencies and budget cuts to statistical programs, have created confusion and the possibility for critical gaps in national data infrastructure, jeopardizing our collective ability to understand pressing societal and economic challenges.

SSRS is establishing a consortium of partners to create the Emergency Mobilization for Essential Research and Government-Data Equivalents (EMERGE) Initiative. This program will explore the feasibility of establishing an independent, non-governmental platform to catalogue, collect, analyze, and disseminate vital household-level statistical information in areas critically impacted by these actions.

The EMERGE Initiative seeks to provide reliable, publicly accessible data, serving as a crucial resource for state administrators, researchers, policymakers, journalists, and the American public, thereby upholding the principles of transparency and evidence-based governance. The initial task of the EMERGE Initiative will be to convene a meeting of stakeholders – both producers and users of these data – to conduct a thorough review of the emerging data gaps and recommend steps for remediation.