[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 2, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E303]]



                 PUT THE DECENNIAL CENSUS BACK ON TRACK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PHILIP M. CRANE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 2, 1999

  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today in opposition to 
the plan of the Census Bureau to use sampling techniques in the 
Decennial Census.
  The situation is clear: we must abide by the Constitution as we have 
in every census for over 200 years. As we all know, Article I Section 
II says that ``an actual enumeration'' must be done every 10 years. 
Now, for the first time in our history, this is not good enough. Some 
feel that counting part of the population and guesstimating the rest is 
better than actually counting the population head by head, as the 
Constitution requires.
  The Director of the Census Bureau, Kenneth Prewitt, said last 
Wednesday he would abide by the Supreme Court ruling by using two sets 
of numbers in the Decennial Census. Recognizing part of the Court's 
decision, Prewitt plans to use enumeration for apportionment. However, 
the Census Bureau plans to create a second set of numbers, using 
sampling techniques, for redrawing House districts. Although they were 
not asked to rule on the constitutionality of sampling, four Justices 
said that using sampling for a census is illegal. But, the 
Administration continues to include sampling techniques in the 
Decennial Census, despite the contradictory rulings of several courts.
  Mr. Speaker, this plan will only create more problems. Holding two 
censuses, which is exactly what the Bureau is doing by creating two 
figures, will double costs, lead to an increase in litigation with 
discrepancies over figures, and increase the chance that the census 
will not be done in a timely fashion. For the past six years, the 
Census Bureau was against a two-figure census for the very same 
reasons. This dual-track census is wrong, and they know it.
  We in Congress have the responsibility to stand up for the American 
people. They do not want two versions of how many people live in our 
nation, and have to deal with the resulting confusion for ten years. I 
encourage my colleagues to consider this dual-track census plan as we 
consider releasing funding for the Commerce, State, and Justice 
Departments that is set to expire on June 15. This may be the last 
opportunity to put the Decennial Census back on track.

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