Letter to The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General for the United States Government Accountability Office - Amata Highlights Bipartisan Effort to Close Data Collection Gaps

Letter

Dear Comptroller General Dodaro:

Current and complete information is essential to good decision-making and it is important
for Congress to understand the obstacles presented in U.S. Territories by the unavailability of
current population, economic, labor force, or agricultural data.
Enshrined in the Constitution, the Decennial Census is the most important way to
measure the population of all jurisdictions in the United States and has a critical role in
determining allocation of federal program dollars and apportioning of seats in legislatures
throughout the country. In March of 2021, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
reported on significant data collection challenges, lower completion percentages, and other
challenges brought on by natural disasters nationwide. In that report, you found that these
natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic created problems in completion rates and delayed
timeframes for the 2020 Census. In addition, you reported additional findings in February of this
year that highlighted lessons learned from the 2020 Census cycle that will help inform the 2030
Census cycle.

The Census, however, is not the only method of collecting reliable information on the
U.S. Territories. The 13 statistical collection agencies in the U.S. government collect information
on the Territories differently. For example, in 2008, the Department of the Interior's (Interior)
Office of Insular Affairs testified that reliable information on the U.S. Territories does not often
exist, despite being included in the Census Bureau's Decennial Census and five-year Economic
Census, and the Department of Agriculture's Census of Agriculture. More recently, Interior's
Deputy Assistant Secretary Keone Nakoa said that "The lack of parity in data collection continues to be an issue for the U.S. Territories as their governments strive to make the most
informed decisions for their residents."

Improving the government's capacity for collection and analysis of data is critical in
understanding issues related to the U.S. Territories. Natural disasters are even more prevalent in
the U.S. Territories of American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Further, these U.S. Territories already have
varying levels of participation in certain federal programs and are denied adequate representation
in Congress. As the committee of jurisdiction over issues relating to the U.S. Territories, the
Committee on Natural Resources is concerned about the accurate counting and publishing of
other data products for the U.S. Territories.

We are requesting a review of the data collection gaps related to the U.S. Territories.
Specifically, we would like a review of:

1. Existing data collection gaps from federal statistical agencies related to American
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico,
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
2. What is known about the impact of any of those data gaps on the provision of
federal funds to the Territories.
3. Any administrative actions that can be taken to close data collection gaps and the
cost of doing so.
4. Any legislative actions that can be taken to close data collection gaps.