[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 137 (Tuesday, October 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H9877-H9878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCING A BIPARTISAN RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN 
CONGRESS AND THE CENSUS BUREAU TO ACHIEVE AN ACCURATE COUNT IN THE 2000 
                                 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 really rise to thank the 
gentleman from Florida (Chairman Miller) from the Subcommittee on the 
Census for working in a bipartisan manner on a resolution that we have 
put forward, and on tomorrow's briefing which we have invited every 
Member of the House to attend, a briefing by Director Prewitt on ways 
to involve Members in getting an accurate count for the Census.
  I know that in the past we have had our differences over the best way 
to conduct the Census, but I think we both now agree that now is the 
time to put those differences behind us and to go forward with the 
business of conducting the massive operation of the 2000 census.

[[Page H9878]]

  Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to join the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Miller) on House Resolution 193, a resolution which reaffirms the 
spirit of cooperation between the Census Bureau and Congress, and 
establishes a public partnership between us.
  This partnership is vital because, though the Bureau is doing a very 
fine job in preparing for the 2000 Census, it truly is a huge 
undertaking which deserves the support it can receive from any sector.
  Just to give an idea of the scale of the 2000 Census, it will be the 
largest peacetime mobilization ever conducted by our country. It will 
count approximately 275 million people and 120 million housing units 
across this Nation. In order to carry out this massive operation, the 
Census Bureau will have to process 1.5 billion pieces of paper, and it 
will have to do this in a very short time period. To conduct the 2000 
Census, the Bureau will have to fill more than 860,000 temporary 
positions. They will have to hire more people than are in the Army.
  In a very real sense, the 2000 Census has already begun. The forms 
are being printed and transported across the Nation. The Bureau plans 
to open 520 local Census offices. One hundred thirty of those are 
already open, and the remaining 390 are leased and will be open on a 
flow basis through the beginning of next year.
  Every Member of Congress needs to do all they can to encourage this 
partnership with the 2000 Census from their newsletters, from public 
service announcements, to participating in local forums.
  One new program the Bureau has developed for the Census, which I 
think is particularly effective, is Census in the Schools. More than 50 
percent of all those not counted in 1990 were children. The Census in 
Schools program aims to help children learn what a Census is and why it 
is important to them and their families and their community at large. 
The program also aims to increase participation in Census 2000 by 
engaging not only the children but their parents, so that they will 
fill out the Census forms. It will also help recruit teachers and 
parents to work as Census-takers.
  Mr. Speaker, State, local, and tribal governments, as well as 
businesses and nonprofit organizations, have become partners with the 
Census Bureau in the effort to make the 2000 Census the best ever.
  The constitutionally-mandated Census we take every 10 years is one of 
the most important civic rituals our Nation has. It determines the 
distribution of over $185 billion in Federal aid. It determines the 
distribution of political and economic power in our country for a 
decade. I urge every Member to actively participate in making it a 
success.

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