According to the Insights Association, a proposed 2030 Census rule would be the federal government effectively telling U.S. businesses that they will just need to throw “darts at a dartboard … That’s your new decision-making process because they’re removing the core statistical underpinning of data-driven insights.”
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton on the Federal News Network featured a discussion of proposed changes to the census with the Insights Association’s Howard Fienberg on November 10, 2026.
Asked about IA’s biggest concerns with the Trump Administration’s proposed changes to the 2030 Census, Fienberg drilled down on the proposed elimination of the race and ethnicity questions: “… the Insights Association weighed in with Secretary Lutnick before the rule was properly public, based on … what had been leaked, because race and ethnicity data from the decennial headcount informs pretty much every piece of statistically reliable and representative research that’s done anywhere in the United States. So, representing the market research industry, you’re talking about potentially kicking a leg out from the stool on our basic ability to do research anywhere in the country, at least to be able to make it statistically valid. …that feeds into not just, obviously, the research that we do, but it feeds into every other piece of research. So, even the American Community Survey [ACS], which used to be the census long form… is entirely based upon the decennial headcount to put together its statistical sample. …the annual population estimates and every other federal survey that is run by the government is in the same boat and then everything else that feeds off of those. Almost every piece of economic data that the U.S. government produces is reliant …on decennial headcount data. Every …data-informed decision that is made by almost every U.S. company, state and local governments, all of this comes back to …decennial data.”
Asked why the Administration proposed to do this, and if they think it can just come from other sources, Fienberg replied: “I’m sure they would tell you, well, it’s collected on the ACS, but … the ACS is only as accurate as it is because it is drawing from the base of the decennial headcount to be able to put together a sample… we’ve dealt directly with members of Congress saying, we don’t even need a census because you can just go and get all the information you need from Facebook… Or that they’ll just go, well, the post office knows everything about everybody. And you can see some of the mindset in this rule that, well the IRS knows everything about anybody. But the reality is that we are a different nation than most. The average country in the world has not just a database on everybody, but they can do a census entirely from their own administrative records.” The U.S., however, “is not designed and never has been a country” where the government “knows everything about everyone… We’re not built that way and I don’t know how we could be.”
Fienberg concluded by warning that: “The trickle-down impact is going to be extremely severe, as we tried to explain to Secretary Lutnick… it would be the equivalent of turning to businesses and saying, all right, [just throw] darts at a dartboard. That’s your new decision-making process because they’re removing the core statistical underpinning of data-driven insights. That decision-making is going to be much more unmoored from the objective statistical reality because no one’s going to put a whole lot of faith in those numbers if the process that produced them is not one that anybody can rely on or see into.”
About the Author
Based in Washington, DC, Howard is the Insights Association's lobbyist for the marketing research and data analytics industry, focusing primarily on consumer privacy and data security, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), tort reform, and the funding and integrity of the decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS).
Howard has more than two decades of public policy experience. Before the Insights Association, he worked in Congress as senior legislative staffer for then-Representatives Christopher Cox (CA-48) and Cliff Stearns (FL-06). He also served more than four years with a science policy think tank, working to improve the understanding of scientific and social research and methodology among journalists and policymakers.
Howard is also co-director of The Census Project, a 900+ member coalition in support of a fair and accurate Census and ACS.
He has also served previously on the Board of Directors for the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics and and the Association of Government Relations Professionals.
Howard has an MA International Relations from the University of Essex in England and a BA Honors Political Studies from Trent University in Canada, and has obtained the Certified Association Executive (CAE), Professional Lobbying Certificate (PLC) and the Public Policy Certificate (PPC).
When not running advocacy for the Insights Association, Howard enjoys hockey, NFL football, sci-fi and horror movies, playing with his dog, and spending time with family and friends.