[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 98 (Tuesday, July 21, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H5959-H5960]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     URGING THE PRESIDENT TO WORK WITH CONGRESS TO SAVE THE CENSUS

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the 
increasing partisanship of the White House over their embattled Census 
plan. Last week the White House made two comments that demonstrated how 
far they will go to get their way.
  First, they announced their intention to shut down a huge part of 
government over the Census, and later in the week the Vice President 
made some racially divisive and inaccurate comments.
  Let me begin by making the majority position on the Census very 
clear. We want to save the Census from failure. The General Accounting 
Office and the Commerce Department's own Inspector General have warned 
that the Clinton administration is risking a failed Census plan. Their 
plan is too complicated and relies on unrealistic assumptions and 
timelines. We cannot allow the Census to fail. The 2000 Census will 
cost about $4 billion, and we cannot risk that kind of money on a plan 
that probably will not work.
  What Republicans want to do is work with the administration to save 
the Census. We have some very specific problems with the 
administration's plan. Experience has shown that sampling used on a 
large scale just is not accurate enough for a Census.
  In 1990 the Census Bureau tested sampling and compared it to the 
actual enumeration. For cities and towns with populations under 
100,000, the actual enumeration, that is, counting everyone, proved to 
be more accurate and reliable. So we do not believe we should spend $4 
billion on a plan that has failed its only test. That does not seem to 
make much sense.
  Another major problem is the deletion of Americans from the official 
Census count. Again, when they tried this in 1990, 1.46 million 
Americans were removed from the sampled Census. Under the Clinton 
Census plan, it will happen again. It is wrong to use statistics to 
remove individuals from the Census count. Because statistics is an 
imprecise science, real Americans who exist will be removed from the 
count, and cities and towns all across America will lose 
representation.
  If Members are concerned about the undercount, as I am, then they 
have to be equally concerned about a Census that removes real people 
from the official count. They, too, would be undercounted under 
sampling.
  We are concerned that the administration is moving forward without 
the consent of Congress. They simply ignore the fact that the 
Constitution gives Congress the responsibility to direct how the Census 
is conducted. Much of the Census is about trust. The American people 
have to trust the outcome of the Census or else it is worthless.
  If the administration ignores Congress, they will guarantee a failed 
Census. They need to work with us so all Americans have faith that the 
process was inclusive and open.
  That is why I was disappointed to hear last week that President 
Clinton wants to shut down the government over the Census. He wants to 
sign a bill that provides 6 months of funding for the whole Commerce 
Department, the whole State Department, and Justice Department, so he 
can have leverage over the Census.
  Can Members believe the President wants to take cops off the street 
to get his way over the Census? Can Members believe the President wants 
to hold U.S. foreign policy hostage to the Census? Why would he want to 
shut down the Border Patrol over the Census? It is irresponsible, and 
goes against his 1995 statement when he said, ``It is wrong, deeply 
wrong, to shut down the government while we negotiate.'' Work with 
Congress, Mr. Speaker, and we will have a better Census.
  I was, along with many of my colleagues, saddened by comments made by 
Vice President Gore at the annual NAACP convention. He told the 
participants that the Republicans ``don't even want to count you in the 
Census.'' These outrageous comments do nothing to unite America, and do 
nothing to help save the 2000 Census from failure.
  Congressional Republicans are prepared to make an unprecedented 
effort to count all Americans. We have provided more money than the 
President

[[Page H5960]]

requested so we can do a much better job of counting minorities. I hope 
the administration stops trying to divide America over the Census, 
because that will not lead to a more accurate Census, and it certainly 
will not increase trust in the Census.
  Mr. President, work with Congress. I ask the President to stop 
holding the rest of government hostage to getting his way on the 
Census. Stop trying to divide America against one another. Work with 
Congress, and together we can save the 2000 Census.

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