[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 36 (Wednesday, March 19, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2570-S2571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED

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                 DECENNIAL CENSUS CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

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                        ABRAHAM AMENDMENT NO. 24

  (Ordered referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.)
  Mr. ABRAHAM submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him

[[Page S2571]]

to the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 12) expressing the sense of 
the Congress with respect to the collection on data on ancestry in the 
decennial census; as follows:

       In the preamble, in the fifth clause, insert ``, but is not 
     intended to be used for racial preference programs'' before 
     the colon.

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to offer my support as a co-
sponsor to S. Con. Res 12. This resolution expresses the sense of the 
Congress that the decennial census should collect data on the ancestral 
backgrounds of all Americans. Ours is a nation of immigrants, of people 
with many different ethnic origins and backgrounds. People came here 
from around the world to become a part of a nation of opportunity and 
freedom. They did not come here to forget who they are and where they 
came from.
  The Census Bureau has collected information on ancestry and ethnic 
composition in the past two decennial censuses. Thus, it collects the 
only complete information on the ethnic makeup of the United States and 
provides very useful data pertaining to numbers, household income, and 
educational status of Americans from numerous backgrounds. This data, 
in turn, is used by a wide variety of people and organizations in both 
the public and the private sector--including researchers, businesses, 
community organizations, ethnic institutions, and policymakers.
  It is important to note that the ancestry data does not relate in any 
way to questions of race as defined by civil rights statutes, and 
therefore is not utilized for preference programs. To make this point 
crystal clear, I have offered an amendment to S. Con. Res. 12 stating 
that this data is not intended to be used for racial preference 
programs.
  When the Census Bureau approaches Congress for approval of its 
recommendations for the 2000 Census, I and my colleagues who co-
sponsored this resolution hope that the ancestry question will be 
included in the recommendations and contained on the long form the 
Census Bureau asks Americans to fill out.

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