A U.S. Senate committee will vote on June 24 on whether to advance the nomination of Brett Matsumoto, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Matsumoto stated his faith in the agency's career staff and data integrity during his confirmation hearing.
The confirmation of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner is crucial for the integrity and public trust in key economic data that influences market and policy decisions.
A U.S. Senate committee has scheduled a vote for June 24 on the nomination of Brett Matsumoto to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). President Donald Trump's pick for the agency, which compiles key economic data, appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee last week.
During his confirmation hearing, Matsumoto stated that he does not believe BLS data has been fabricated or rigged, countering accusations made by Trump against the previous commissioner. Matsumoto, an economist who has worked at the BLS since 2015 and is currently on leave to serve at the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, expressed confidence in the career staff responsible for collecting and processing the agency's output. He also committed to addressing technical issues that have affected BLS data quality in recent years, without echoing Trump's claims of political manipulation.
Trump had previously fired the agency's former commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, following significant revisions to job creation figures in a monthly employment report. The president had initially nominated conservative economist E.J. Antoni to head the BLS, but later withdrew that nomination. If Matsumoto's nomination is approved by the Republican-majority committee, it will then proceed to a vote before the full Senate.