The House lawmakers
criticized a
proposal by Sens.
David Vitter, R-La.,
and Bob Bennett,
R-Utah, as a
political ploy
designed to
discourage
immigrants from
participating in the
high-stakes count,
which begins April
1.
They also echoed
warnings from the
Census Bureau making
a last-minute change
to the census would
add burdensome costs
to print new forms
and prevent the head
count from being
completed on time,
as legally required.
"Every census since
1790 has included
citizens and
noncitizens alike,
and presidential
administrations of
both parties have
repeatedly upheld
counting all persons
residing in the
United States," Rep.
Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y.,
who chairs the
Congressional
Hispanic Caucus,
said at a news
briefing.
She was joined by
House Majority
Leader Steny Hoyer,
D-Md., as well as
leaders of the
Congressional Black
Caucus and
Congressional Asian
Pacific American
Caucus.
"With only 160 days
until the census,
Congress should be
encouraging
constituents to get
counted, not
debating the
contents of the
questionnaire,"
Velazquez said.
The Republican
proposal, which
currently remains in
limbo in the Senate,
would freeze Census
Bureau funds if it
doesn't add the
citizenship question
to the more than 600
million forms. More
than 400 million
have already been
printed.
Vitter has said the
goal of his measure
is to ultimately
block illegal
immigrants from
being included in
the decennial count,
which is used to
apportion House
seats, redraw
congressional
boundaries and
distribute billions
of dollars in
federal aid.
"If the current
census plan goes
ahead, the inclusion
of non-citizens
toward apportionment
will artificially
increase the
population count in
certain states, and
that will likely
result in the loss
of congressional
seats," he said.
In House testimony
this week, Census
Director Robert
Groves said he
opposed the Senate
proposal. He noted
that the exact
wording of the
questionnaire was
made available to
Congress last year
and that there was
no opposition then.
"I can say with
absolute confidence,
that if we add a
question to this
census questionnaire
at this point, we
will not deliver the
reapportionment
counts in 2010 on
time, and we will
not provide the data
for redistricting,"
he said.
The census has long
disproportionately
missed minorities.
In 2000, the bureau
noted for the first
time an overcount of
1.3 million people,
due mostly to
duplicate counts of
whites with multiple
residences. About
4.5 million people
were missed, mostly
blacks and
Hispanics.
California, with its
slowing population
growth, could lose a
House seat if its
high numbers of
Asian and Hispanic
immigrants — both
legal and illegal —
aren't fully
counted.
New York City faces
challenges with a
resident population
that is more than
one-third foreign
born. The state is
projected to lose
either one or two
House seats.
Florida could pick
up one or two seats
depending on a count
of residents, who
have seen high rates
of mortgage
foreclosures.
Arizona, North
Carolina and Texas
also stand to gain
seats.
