[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 23, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H5042-H5043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             ON THE CENSUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today that the 
President nominated Dr. Kenneth Prewitt to be the next director of the 
Bureau of the Census. Dr. Prewitt is the current president of the 
Social Science Research Council. He has been senior vice president of 
the Rockefeller Foundation, the director of the University of Chicago's 
National Opinion Research Corporation, chairman of the Political 
Science Department at the University of Chicago, and vice president of 
the American Academy of Arts and sciences.
  He has also served on the boards of trustees of Washington 
University, Southern Methodist University, the Center for Advanced 
Study and Behavioral Sciences, National Opinion Research Corporation, 
and the German American Academic Council. He has a long and 
distinguished career as an administrator and researcher with 
publications too numerous to mention. He is highly regarded by his 
colleagues for his scholarship and professionalism.
  Mr. Speaker, I was very disappointed that the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on the Census chose to attack Dr. Prewitt just hours after 
he was nominated. The chairman referred to Dr. Prewitt as, and I quote, 
yet another statistical shell. It is just that kind of attack that 
makes it so difficult to recruit highly qualified and talented 
individuals to public service. I hope the chairman will apologize to 
Dr. Prewitt. However, I do not feel that that is likely.
  Last week one of the chairman's staff was reported to have made a 
comment infused with political and racial overtones. This was in an 
article written by David Broder entitled Playing Hard Ball on the 
Census in the Washington Post, and it was referenced earlier in the 
comments of my colleague the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez). 
The staff member said, and I quote: Someone should remind Bill Daley 
that if he counts people the way he wants to, his brother could find 
himself trying to run a majority-minority city.
  Unfortunately, rather than repudiate that statement or even to 
acknowledge that it was a poor choice of words, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Miller) offered a feeble excuse that the quote was taken 
out of context. He is unwilling to apologize for the racial innuendos 
uttered by his staff. I do not think there is much hope that he will 
apologize for an abusive comment about a public servant.
  Instead, the chairman keeps trying to rewrite history. He tries to 
call this the Clinton census plan. The truth of the matter is that the 
plan was created by Dr. Barbara Bryant under President Bush. President 
Bush signed into law legislation passed by Congress calling for the 
National Academy of Sciences to advise the Census on planning the 2000 
census to be less expensive and more accurate than the census of 1990.
  When the planning process initiated by Dr. Bryant and the 
recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences came together, we 
had a plan for a census that would be more accurate and less expensive, 
just as Congress directed. That plan has been endorsed by the American 
Statistical Association, the Council of Professional Associates on 
Federal Statistics, the National Association of Business Economists, 
the Association of University Business and Economic Research, the 
Association of Public Data Users and many, many others.
  Only one organization seems to favor a less accurate and more 
expensive census in 2000, and that is the Republican National 
Committee.
  The sad truth is that the Census Bureau has developed a plan that 
will count everyone who lives in America, including blacks and Latinos 
and the poor and Asians and whites, everyone. But some Members of 
Congress do not want that to happen. Why? Because they believe not 
counting certain minorities and the poor is to their political 
advantage.
  The Census Bureau has developed a plan that will count everyone who 
lives in this country, a plan that is more accurate and less expensive, 
but some Members of this body do not want that to happen. Instead they 
want to spend more money to make sure that the census is less accurate. 
Why? Because they believe that a less accurate census is to their 
political advantage.
  The opponents of a fair and accurate census try to smear the Census 
Bureau, claiming that the 2000 census will be manipulated for political 
purposes.
  If the opponents have their way, the 2000 census will be manipulated 
for political purposes, not by the Census Bureau, but by those who want 
to continue the errors of the past for their own political gain.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that today the President nominated Dr. 
Kenneth Prewitt to be the next Director of the Bureau of the Census. 
Dr. Prewitt is the current President of the Social Science Research 
Council. He has been Senior Vice President of the Rockefeller 
Foundation, the Director of the University of Chicago's National 
Opinion Research Corporation, Chairman of the Political Science 
Department at the University of Chicago, and Vice President of the 
American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has also served on the Boards 
of Trustees of Washington University, Southern Methodist University, 
the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, National 
Opinion Research Corporation, and the German American Academic Council. 
He has a long and distinguished career as an administrator and 
researcher with publications too numerous to mention here. He is highly 
regarded by his colleagues for his scholarship and professionalism.
  Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that the Chairman of the Subcommittee 
on the Census chose to attack Dr. Prewitt just hours after he was 
nominated. The Chairman referred to Dr. Prewitt as ``yet another 
statistical shill.'' It is just that kind of scurrilous attack that 
makes it so difficult to recruit highly qualified and talented 
individuals for public service. I hope the Chairman will apologize to 
Dr. Prewitt. However, I don't think that is likely.
  Last week one of the Chairman's staff was reported to have made a 
comment infused with political and racial overtones. The staff member 
said ``Someone should remind Bill Daley that if he counts people the 
way he wants to, his brother could find himself trying to run a 
majority-minority city.'' Unfortunately, rather than repudiate that 
statement, or even to acknowledge that it was a poor choice of words, 
Mr. Miller offered a feeble excuse that the quote was taken out of 
context. If he is unwilling to apologize for the racial innuendoes 
uttered by his staff, I don't think there is much hope that he will 
apologize for an abusive comment about a public servant.
  Instead, the Chairman keeps trying to rewrite history. He tries to 
call this the Clinton census plan. The truth of the matter is that this 
plan was created by Dr. Barbara Bryant under President Bush. President 
Bush signed into law legislation passed by Congress calling for the 
National Academy of Sciences to advise the census on planning the 2000 
census to be less expensive and more accurate than 1990.
  When the planning process initiated by Dr. Bryant and the 
recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences came together, we 
had a plan for a census that would be more accurate and less 
expensive--just as Congress had directed. That plan has been endorsed 
by the American Statistical Association, The Council of Professional 
Associates on Federal Statistics, the National Association of Business 
Economists, the Association of University Business & Economic Research, 
the Association of Public Data Users, and many others.
  Only one organization seems to favor a less accurate and more 
expensive census in 2000: the Republican National Committee.
  The sad truth is that the Census Bureau has developed a plan that 
will count everyone who lives in America including Blacks and Hispanics 
and the poor and Asians and Whites--everyone. But some members of 
Congress do not want that to happen. Why? Because they believe not 
counting minorities and the poor is to their political advantage.
  The Census Bureau has developed a plan that will count everyone who 
lives in this country--A plan that is more accurate and less expensive. 
But some members of this body do not want that to happen. Instead, they 
want to spend more money to make sure that the census is less accurate. 
Why? Because the believe that a less accurate census is to political 
advantage.
  The opponents of a fair and accurate census try to smear the Census 
Bureau claiming that the 2000 census will be manipulated for political 
purposes. If the opponents have their way, the 2000 census will be 
manipulated for political purposes--not by the Census Bureau, but by 
those who want to continue the errors of the past for their own 
political gain.

[[Page H5043]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  (Mr. BARTLETT addressed the House. His remarks will appear hereafter 
in the Extensions of Remarks.)

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