[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 123 (Wednesday, August 24, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 24, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
SUPPORT OF THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS DECISION REGARDING THE 1990 CENSUS

 Mr. DeCONCINI. Mr. President, on August 8, 1994, the U.S. 
Court of Appeals reversed a Federal district court decision and 
affirmed that millions of people were uncounted during the 1990 census. 
The ramifications of this decision are enormous.
  Despite knowing that the 1990 census was off by 5 million, then-
Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher chose to use the inaccurate 1990 
population figure as the official Federal census population. He chose 
to use the 19990 figure regardless of the fact that millions of U.S. 
citizens, many of whom are African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native 
Americans, were not counted in the official population of the United 
States. It would be naive to believe that the decision of the Secretary 
of Commerce was not motivated by political considerations.
  The primary issue at hand, however, is not one of partisan politics, 
but rather it is of fairness--fairness to the millions of people 
disenfranchised by their lack of representation in the official 
population count. Millions of Americans are being denied the full 
extent and benefits of representation. In Arizona alone, over 125,000 
U.S. citizens have been denied the true representation to which they 
are entitled.
  In truth, the basic formulas utilized for calculating valuable 
Federal aid and congressional representation are based on inaccurate 
data. Valuable Federal programs, from social services to infrastructure 
development have been inaccurately distributed across the United States 
because of this decision. This must be rectified.
  We must take the appropriate steps to ensure that these U.S. citizens 
are given the representation that they are entitled under our Nation's 
Constitution. It is incumbent on the President of the United States to 
use the most accurate census numbers available.
  Therefore, I strongly urge President Clinton to not appeal the U.S. 
Court of Appeals decision and thereby give the millions of citizens 
omitted from the 1990 census figures the voice they deserve.

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