[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 15, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H1055-H1062]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE 2000 CENSUS
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 6, 1999, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney)
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, census day, April 1, may be 17
days away, but the census has begun. Almost 100 million questionnaires
have been delivered by the postal service this week, and 22 million
more are being delivered by the Census Bureau in rural areas. I
received mine the other day, and I urge all Americans to fill out their
questionnaires and mail them back. It is the civic responsibility of
every American to participate in the census.
The news on preparations for the census is good. Things are going
well. So far, over 2.4 million people have returned their forms to the
Census Bureau, and they have actually processed over 1.5 million forms
already. On Monday alone the census questionnaire assistance phone
handled 636,000 calls, 636,000 calls in 1 day; and they handled
[[Page H1056]]
434,000 yesterday. That is over a million calls in 2 days.
All 520 local census offices are up and open, computers and phones
are operating, and the major data capture centers are tested and are
already working. Though there are localized problems, recruiting is
already ahead of schedule nationwide, at about 80 percent of the total
needed. Given the prosperity of our Nation, it is very impressive, with
this historically low unemployment, that the recruitment is going so
well.
Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of my colleagues here, the number that
Members can give to their constituents who are interested in working
for the Census Bureau is 1-888-325-7733. I urge all of my colleagues to
share this number with any constituent who may want full- or part-time
work helping to obtain an accurate count.
While the most labor-intensive phases of the census are yet to come,
it is important as well to take note of the successful operational
elements of the 2000 census which have already been completed.
The paid advertising campaign is in its most active phase; and I, for
one, feel that the quality of that effort has been tremendously
effective. Other promotional activities include the census road tour
vehicles. There are 12 of them moving through our Nation's cities and
neighborhoods. The master address file of 120 million addresses may be
the most complete ever, due to some improved processes, including the
LUCA, Local Update of Census Addresses, today and new construction
programs.
One of my favorite initiatives, the census in the schools program,
has exceeded its original goals and sent over 1.5 million teaching kits
to schools around the Nation. Particularly noteworthy is a new USA
Today-CNN Gallop poll, one just the other day which came out and said
that 96 percent of the respondents say they will mail back their
questionnaires. I doubt that it will be that high, but it is certainly
an important indicator of the all-important mail response rate and
Americans' willingness to participate in the census. And all of this is
very good news.
As the GAO indicated in a hearing before the Subcommittee on Census
yesterday, in the final analysis it is the American people who will
determine whether we have a successful census or not. It all comes down
to filling out and mailing back the form. A year ago, many prophets of
doom questioned the likely success of the 2000 census. While we are far
from done, I think we can all take pride in the excellent work of the
career professionals at the Census Bureau in successfully meeting the
milestones to date.
As Census Director Ken Prewitt has emphasized, unexpected problems
could develop tomorrow. In any massive operation there will be
problems. But as of today, the census, as a whole, is running well and
it is on track.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to my colleague, the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Sawyer), who is the former chair of the Subcommittee on
Census.
Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the opportunity
to speak today, and I thank her for her leadership in bringing this
issue repeatedly to the floor during the time of her oversight
responsibilities in preparation for this largest peace-time undertaking
of the American government. But most of all, I thank her for the work
that is going to lie ahead in the course of the summer.
The truth of the matter is that the conduct of the census is probably
the closest thing to war in terms of undertaking a huge initiative with
all kinds of planning ahead of time, but with the recognition that what
is being done is being done in real-time. It is enormous. There will be
slippage. It will be imperfect. And we need to understand that the work
that we are doing will proceed and that the goal is indisputable: as
complete and accurate a count as possible.
That really brings us to the $64,000 question. Can we conduct, in
2000, the census using the same design that we did in 1990 or 1980 or
even 1970 and still expect to produce a useful and better outcome? The
answer, quite clearly and quite simply, is no. That is the reason that
census design over the decades, over the centuries, has changed as this
Nation has changed.
The truth is there are no traditional methods in our history of
census taking. There never has been a pure head count of the
population. And reliability, sometimes called into question, is not a
matter of opinion but is a mathematically measurable standard, not a
political judgment.
The first census in 1790 took place on horseback. It took 9\1/2\
months to finish and visit a half million households and another year
to compile the results. As the country grew, the methods changed. In
the 1800s, people essentially would enumerate themselves by filling in
schedules posted in town squares. And the country grew so fast after
the Civil War, about a quarter per decade, 24 percent, that by 1880
census workers could not keep pace with the amount of information
collected. It took 7 years to tabulate the results of that census. And
that is why in the next decade, a young census employee, a graduate
student from Columbia University, Herman Hollerith, developed the punch
card system of tabulating data. It was that system that went on to lead
to his founding of IBM.
The truth is that those kinds of changes have taken place in this
century as well. In the 1920s and 1930s, W. Edwards Demming pioneered
his now world-famous methods of statistical quality control at the
Census Bureau. These same census methods will see wide application this
year, after 7 decades of limited, growing, and now proven application.
The problem is that by 1990, the last census, the alarming drop in
civic engagement that has plagued the electoral process also affected
the census. Instead of the 78 percent return rate that we saw
initially, or the 75 percent that took place in 1980, it fell to 65
percent of households nationwide. But even more tellingly, it fell to
between 30 and 40 percent in the hardest-to-count neighborhoods. Not
only had the holes in the census grown, the holes became larger than
the fabric itself.
Costs skyrocketed in the 1990 census, not as a product of any failure
of execution but a failure of design; and it earned the unenviable
distinction of being the first census that was less accurate than its
predecessor. That is why in the course of this decade so much effort
has been made to combine the direct counting methods of the past with
long proven scientific sampling techniques. Both techniques will be
used in this decade. And it is important for us to understand that the
result of that will be our ability to measure and control the quality
of the count in ways that will help guide and inform policy for the
next decade.
There is a lot that can go wrong in the course of a census. My
colleagues heard the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) talk
about some of the things that are going right. Those are important
measures of success. But the kinds of things that happen in any large
undertaking are going to happen this year. We are going to have some
household somewhere that gets a dozen or a score or maybe 100 forms,
and it is not a sign of a failure of the census. We are going to have
some enumerator who falls asleep on somebody's front porch, and it is
not a sign of a failure in the census.
{time} 1700
We are going to have a whole city block who never got their forms and
had to be remailed. And it is not a sign of failure. It is the kind of
thing that happens in large and complex undertakings. The kind of
things that we need to watch throughout this year are the kind of
things that the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) is looking at
through the oversight process in a responsible way, staying out of the
way of excuses but understanding what is going on, watching the mail
return rates.
Those will be a critical measure of the kinds of adjustments that
need to be made in the course of the conduct of the census. The length
of time consumed in responding to nonresponsive households and to
follow up to make sure that they are counted. The longer the length of
time that that takes, the more the quality of data deteriorates.
Finally, and perhaps the most important, the personnel retention and
turnover rates that are a critical part of this huge human enterprise.
I join my colleague from New York (Mrs. Maloney) in thanking the
career professionals at the Census Bureau and Ken Pruitt and his
leadership team for the work that they have done. I wish
[[Page H1057]]
them the very best in the conduct of this enormously important national
undertaking, and I thank all in this Congress who have been actively
involved in our local communities to make sure that everyone has the
opportunity to be counted. Because every one of us needs to count.
I thank my colleague for this opportunity to join with her today.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank my
colleague for his consistent outstanding work and commitment to getting
an accurate count.
Our goal in this body has been to get the most accurate census
possible, conduct it using the most up-to-date methods as recommended
by the National Academy of Sciences and the vast majority of the
professional scientific community.
It is very important that we get an accurate count because the census
has a real impact on the lives of real people. Information gathered in
the census is used by States and local governments to plan schools and
highways by the Federal Government, to distribute funds for health care
and other programs, and by businesses in deciding where to build new
stores and factories and provide new services.
We are pleased to have the gentleman from Patterson, New Jersey (Mr.
Pascrell) with us, a former mayor, and he has firsthand knowledge of
conducting a census which was conducted during the time that he was
mayor. I thank him for joining us today, and I yield to him.
Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I am alarmed to hear that the Republican
candidate for President is opposed to use the sampling methodologies
for the 2000 Census. That methodology has been certified by the
National Academy of Sciences, which is the body which determines
scientific methodology with regards to medicine, the environment,
biology, etcetera.
I am alarmed because these studies that I have just defined have
shown that this is the only true way to obtain an effective count of
our population. There is no such thing as a perfect count regardless of
which methodology we use. But certainly the least perfect, the one
which brings us further away from the number, is to believe that we can
count noses by counting noses. It just does not work that way.
In particular, members of the population that have been historically
undercounted are ethnic minorities and immigrants where there is a
tremendous mobility in domicile from month to month, from year to year.
That decision by the Republican candidate for President casts serious
doubt on the claim that he wants to reach out to the minority
communities of America.
The beauty of the census is that it has no barriers due to education,
background, citizenship, income, or heritage. It is, in fact, one of
the most democratic events we undertake in our Nation.
There is no anecdotal data reflecting any breach of confidentiality
in the history of the United States census. I think that is quite a
record. We would only hope that other agencies in Government had that
record. We have debated it on this floor.
Unfortunately, entire communities are not counted each decennial due
to inherent flaws in the process of traditional head counts. Sampling
is the way to correct this. I know from experience how important
sampling is.
In 1995, the Census Bureau spent $3.3 million to test the use of
statistical methods in making the census more accurate. My hometown, a
town where I was the mayor, Patterson, New Jersey, was one of these
cities; and the results are staggering. Through this technique, we
found that the 1990 Census had missed 8,000 people in one city alone in
only one part of that city. Imagine what that means for other towns,
large and small, across this greatest of all nations.
As a result of that undercount, that county within which Patterson
sits lost over $60 million in those 9 years. Since much of Federal
funding is distributed by many items, yes, but one of those items being
population, that is an amazing number. It is almost $10,000 per
uncounted person, this phantom population.
An independent study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers estimates that in the
2000 Census, the one in which we just sent out the forms, the
questionnaires, one in every six gets the long form, the rest of us get
the short form, in that census undergoing right now in New Jersey, we
will be undercounted in New Jersey by 72,000 people. That should be
unacceptable to all of us regardless of which side of the aisle we sit
on. If it happens, this undercount would result in tremendous
underfunding of Federal dollars.
To disenfranchise millions of Americans, disproportionately
minorities, children and the poor, and prevent them from getting their
fair share of resources for priorities like schools, hospitals and
roads, that is not compassionate. That is not conservative. Indeed, it
is not fair.
So what we are asking for is there has been a hiatus since the
Supreme Court decision and we will, now that the questionnaires will be
returned and the enumerators are being sent out, that we not get back
into the partisan battles of 1998 and 1999, that we work together to
make sure that sampling becomes a major part without defying the
Supreme Court position.
Mr. Speaker, this is a critical issue for America. The Constitution
mandates a count. The Constitution does not mandate how that count will
take place. Hopefully, we will not have the undercount that we have had
since 1960 and 1970 and 1980 and 1990. This, hopefully, will be a
different census.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New
Jersey for his comments. I agree completely that the census is about
people, it is not about politics, it is about getting the most accurate
count possible. Because the census is so important, we must do
everything we can to ensure that everyone is included in the count.
We know that previous censuses overlooked millions of Americans,
especially children and minorities. That is not fair, it is not
accurate, and it is not acceptable. We are determined to do better.
One of the programs that the Census Bureau has initiated is one
called Partnerships With Community Groups and the formation of Complete
Count Committees that work in the neighborhoods to help work with the
Census Bureau to make people aware of the census, encourage them to
fill out their forms, and to improve the counting of all Americans.
Our next speaker, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), is the
chair of the Baltimore City Complete Count Committee. He is also one of
the most active members on the Committee on Government Reform and
Oversight on which the Census Subcommittee resides. I thank him for his
work on the subcommittee and for taking a leadership role in his
community, and I thank him for being here tonight.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York
(Mrs. Maloney) on behalf of the Congress and all the people of this
great United States of America for all of her hard work. And she has
worked hard. She has been working on this issue for a long time and we
thank her. Because a lot of the things that were talked about a little
bit earlier, the program that she just talked about and others, are
because she was in there and she was fighting and she continues to
fight. And we thank her, we really do, all of us.
I also want to take a moment to thank Ken Pruitt. He visited my
district about 2 weeks ago and met with some young children at one of
our elementary schools encouraging them to go home and remind their
parents to make sure that they filled out the form and sent it off into
the mail and make sure that it got back. And that shows how sensitive
the Census Bureau is that he would come and spend an hour and a half
with elementary schoolchildren and sending them as messengers back to
their homes to make sure that these forms were properly filled out and
returned.
But, Mr. Speaker, I take the time tonight because I believe that all
Americans regardless of race, ethnicity and socio-economic status
deserve livable communities. All must share equitably in this great
American dream.
In Baltimore, people work hard. They do not ask for a lot, but they
deserve to have communities that are safe and healthy, communities
where children can obtain quality educations. Creating livable
communities for our Nation's residents greatly depends upon a complete
and accurate census count.
[[Page H1058]]
I recently learned that Governor Bush has sided with the Republican
majority in Congress that has objected to the use of modern scientific
methods to provide accurate census data. As a candidate for the
presidency of these diverse United States of America, his opposition to
using modern scientific methods casts very serious doubts on his
efforts to reach out to minority communities.
It is so unfortunate, but not surprising, that the compassionate
conservatism does not include the community I represent. Use of modern
scientific methods ensure that those communities traditionally missed
will be counted.
In 1990, approximately 23,000 citizens, let me repeat that, 23,000
citizens, in Baltimore City were missed. The City lost as much as $650
million in critical Federal grants and loans. However, an accurate
count is not just about the money, it is also about quality of life.
Census information impacts programs like Childcare and Development
Block Grant, a program that enables low-income families to obtain child
care while they are at work or obtaining a job or obtaining job
training or going to school.
The Labor Department uses census estimates in support of the
Workforce Investment Act to prepare young people and adults facing
serious impediments to employment by providing jobs and skilled
training.
The Department of Education uses census data to identify school
districts and allocate funds under title I program, helping to provide
extra help in basic education to students most in need, particularly
communities and schools with high concentrations of children in low-
income families.
{time} 1715
The Treasury Department uses census data for the Community
Reinvestment Act to help determine whether financial institutions are
meeting the credit needs of minorities and low- and moderate-income
areas.
As the honorary chair of Baltimore City's Complete Count Committee,
my focus has been on the most difficult groups to enumerate; and the
gentleman from Baltimore, Maryland (Mr. Cardin), has joined me in those
efforts.
We have worked hard to make sure that we reached the African American
male population between 18 and 30 years old, children under 5 years
old, undocumented residents, Hispanics, and native Americans. Using
Governor Bush's method, even our best efforts will not ensure that
these groups are counted. A complete and accurate Census 2000 will
ensure that education, accessible health care, child care, access to
jobs, and the protection of civil rights are the foundation of livable
communities. Our citizens deserve no less.
I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for yielding.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I would like to really
elaborate on a tremendous threat to an accurate count which has been
brought up by some of my colleagues. At a press conference from Oakland
on March 5, 2000, Governor George W. Bush finally revealed what we,
many of us, suspected all along.
He has no intention of helping minorities, children and even the
people of Texas by supporting the use of modern statistical methods for
the census.
Let me read directly from the transcript. A reporter asked Governor
Bush, and I quote, ``Governor, you mentioned the similarities between
California and Texas. One of the issues in the minority community in
California is regarding the census and an undercount that they
experienced 10 years ago and can expect to experience again. What is
your position on the idea of using sampling methods which would count
minority communities more fully? Your party is against it,'' end quote.
Governor Bush responded, and I quote, ``Yeah, so am I. I think we
need to count, an actual count. I think we need to spend the money,
make the effort and work hard to get an actual count,'' end quote.
That was a very telling exchange. Governor Bush is willing to put his
party's position ahead of what is right for the American people.
Governor Bush sided with those in Congress who believe their partisan
political power is best served by pretending that minority voters do
not exist.
Why is this important to the presidential race if the census is now,
if the census is this year? Let me say why. Under the plan that the
professionals at the Census Bureau have devised, the more accurate data
will correct the historical undercount of minorities. This will not be
available until the beginning of the term of the next President.
The next President, if he should choose, could try to stop the
numbers from being released to the States. This is exactly what
President Bush did 10 years ago. That is why his statement from last
week cast serious doubt on Governor Bush's claim that he wants to reach
out to minority communities. The Bush census plan would effectively
disenfranchise millions of Americans, disproportionately minorities,
children, and the poor, and prevent them from getting their fair share
of resources for priorities in their neighbors like schools, hospitals,
and roads.
That is not compassionate. That is not conservative. That is not
fair.
This decision puts Governor Bush at odds with the entire scientific
community; from the National Academy of Sciences and the American
Statistical Association to current Census Bureau professionals and even
Dr. Barbara Bryant, former President Bush Census Bureau director.
All of these individuals and organizations agree that millions of
Americans, disproportionately minorities, children and the poor, will
again be missed if corrected numbers are not released. That is why a
fair and accurate census is a priority for the civil rights community
and groups like the Children's Defense Fund. Many civil rights
communities have called getting the use of modern scientific methods to
correct for the undercount the most important civil rights issue of the
decade.
The governor's remarks remind me of something former Speaker Gingrich
said in his book, Lessons Learned the Hard Way. Speaker Gingrich wrote
about the error he made in holding the 1997 flood bill hostage in his
effort to stop modern scientific methods. In explaining his actions, he
said he stopped the flood bill because preventing a fair and accurate
census was an issue, and I quote, ``of great importance to our party,''
end quote.
Still it seems that Governor Bush did not always share the party's
view on the census. Like our former speaker, who used to support modern
statistical methods, the Texas Office of State Federal Relations under
Governor Bush's leadership used to be in agreement with the scientific
community on this issue. I quote from the 1997 Texas State Federal
Relations Office priorities, and I quote,
All sides in the census debate concede that traditional
methods of calculation which seek to identify and count each
individual resident will never provide a full and accurate
portrait of the U.S. population. At issue is how to correct
that so that everyone can acknowledge it is an undercount and
specifically an undercount of certain populations, most often
urban minorities. This issue is important to Texas, because
many Federal funding distributions are made according to
census results. Most Texans do not realize that well over
one-third of the State budget is derived from Federal
sources, and all of these Federal sources are tied to census
numbers. Consequently, the accuracy of the census is vitally
important to the State, and even members of his own State.
end quote.
This is a tremendously important issue. There was a report that was
issued earlier last week by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and it was based on
the impact of an accurate census data across the Nation; but on my city
it stated that New York City stands to lose approximately $2.3 billion
during the next decade if the Census Bureau is blocked from releasing
the most accurate population data; $2.3 billion over 10 years. That is
a lot of teachers; that is a lot of police officers, roads, bridges. It
is important that we get an accurate count. It means a great deal to
the people of America.
I have with me the next speaker, the gentleman from California (Mr.
Baca). He is a first-term Congressman, a former Senator and he has
direct knowledge of the problem of the undercount in his State.
Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the gentlewoman
from New York (Mrs. Maloney), for giving me the opportunity to speak on
this important issue. I appreciate the leadership that she has taken on
this issue, especially urging and demanding an accurate count on the
2000 Census.
[[Page H1059]]
This is not about political wedges. This is about improving the
quality of life. That is what this issue is about. It is not about
political wedges. It is about improving the quality of life. This issue
affects all Americans. This issue affects every man in America. This
issue affects every woman in America. This issue affects every child in
America.
During the census of 1990, nearly 18,000 residents of my
congressional district were not counted. I state 18,000 residents of my
congressional district were not counted. The undercount resulted in a
loss of Federal dollars and funds that would have benefited, nearly $50
million in revenue, that would have gone over the past 10 years.
Because we failed to do an accurate count, we lost $50 million over the
last 10 years.
$50 million could have gone a long ways in providing much needed
resources to my congressional district. $50 million would have brought
the Inland Empire roads and infrastructure. $50 million could have
brought the Inland Empire housing programs and projects and educational
services, law enforcement for cities, parks and recreation, senior
citizen services, youth centers, educational services. Overall, the
State of California has lost out on more than 2.2 billion Federal
dollars, and I state overall the State of California has lost out on
more than 2.2 billion Federal dollars due to the 1990 census
undercount.
Last week, the lieutenant governor of California, Cruz Bustamante,
warned that our State could lose $5 billion, and I state $5 billion, in
Federal funding if the undercount this year is similar to the 1990
undercount. That is why I commend our colleague from New York for
urging for an accurate count and demanding an accurate count, not only
what it means to my State but what it means to many other States across
the Nation.
As Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante said, we will have less than
we deserve, and I state we will have less than what we deserve. This is
not just a matter of loss of Federal dollars. People are being
overlooked. Millions of Americans are being overlooked. It is a shame
that California will not get its fair share of dollars if we do not do
an accurate count. That is why it is important that we do an accurate
count, not only for California but for others.
Ten years ago, millions of Americans were not included in the census
count, a count that would have placed them equally alongside each and
every other American. In 1990, 2.7 percent of people of California were
not counted, 2.7 percent. 2.7 percent. That means one out of every 37
people in California were not counted. Yet our population continues to
grow.
We have 34 million people or more in the State of California. It
would be a shame if California did not have an accurate count and it
did not receive its fair share of dollars back into our State.
The census undercount does not affect all Americans in the same way.
Again, during the 1990 census, 7.6 percent of the black population was
overlooked in that counting; I state, 7.6 percent. That means one out
of every 13 black residents of California were not being counted.
Also, during the 1990 Census, 4.9 percent of Hispanic residents of
California were not counted. That is 4.9 percent. That means 4.9,
roughly one out of every 20 Latinos in California were not being
counted. Imagine what it is going to be like this year if we do not do
an accurate count. It is a shame if we do not do that. It is a shame
that the leadership on the other side does not want to do an accurate
count.
I am appalled that Governor Bush does not want to do an accurate
count. I think it is important that we all do it in the State of
California, that we do it in every State. I am truly appalled. 4.9
percent equals nearly 400,000 Latinos in California not counted the
last 10 years. 400,000 is more than the population of Fresno,
California; 400,000 is more than the population of Sacramento. It is
more than the population of Oakland. 400,000 people not being counted
is 400,000 too many.
However, it is not just a matter of blacks and Latinos not being
counted. Millions of children also were overlooked over the last 10
years. Nationwide, more than 2 million children were not counted 10
years ago.
In California alone, 342,000 children were not counted in the 1990
Census. That is 342,000 children. Imagine the services that could have
gone back to our schools, to our communities, to our State. This
represents 4.2 percent of the children of California not being counted
in 1990. This represents nearly one of every 24 children in California
not being counted.
I join my colleagues here on the floor this evening in urging all
Americans to stand up and be counted this year. I join with those who
have been undercounted in the past in stressing the importance of being
counted during the year 2000 Census. All Americans should be counted
this year. If we do not do an accurate count, the Federal dollars do
not come in and the taxpayers will have to pay for the services that we
want and deserve.
I urge all of us to stand up and be counted. Whether we are white or
whether we are American Indians, African Americans, Hispanic, Asian
Americans, we should all stand up together and be counted. We are one
Nation, a great Nation; and we are one people together unified and
inclusive, and I state inclusive, and that is important that we are all
included in this process and that every one of us is counted.
Filling out the forms and mailing them back is important. As the
Chair indicated that April 1, everyone has received it, we urge
everyone to return those back and to participate in the process. It is
the responsibility of a partnership between all of us. It is not just
the legislature's responsibility. It is a partnership for the total
community, for businesses, for schools, for churches, for our
communities to come together and do what is necessary for our States.
If we come together collectively, we will put our political wedges
aside and we will do what is good for America. We will do what is good
for our country. We will do what is good for our State.
I thank my colleague for providing me the opportunity to speak on
this important issue, and I yield the balance of my time back to the
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), who has done an outstanding
job, who is a true fighter and a true leader leading us in this
important issue that is affecting all Americans.
{time} 1730
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, our next speaker is the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez), an outstanding and consistent
leader on this issue and others. He is the Chair of the Latino Caucus's
Task Force on the Census and Civil Rights.
Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentlewoman's
efforts. It is a great honor to serve with her.
Mr. Speaker, it is of great importance. It is just not a matter of
partisan politics. It is just not a matter of Latino politics. I am
very privileged to be the Chair of the Hispanic Caucus's Task Force on
Civil Rights and the Census, but they really are one and the same. That
is what I want to talk about this evening.
It is brief, but it is going to be very important. I am going to
digress from the Federal funding aspect of what happens when we have
inaccurate numbers. Not that that is not important, and I will give you
a couple of examples why it is so important to Texas and for my
district.
The 1990 census resulted in half a million Texans being missed, not
counted. That is astounding. What was more astounding though is that
330,000 of those that were not counted were Hispanic or African
Americans. That is something that we cannot tolerate and should not
tolerate.
But, you may ask, why is it a civil rights issue? Because when the
census misses people, it is not missing all people equally. The reality
is that the people undercounted in the census are disproportionately
Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and
all other American minorities.
The unquestionable result of undercounting American minorities is not
only a reduction in Federal funds for services in minority communities,
which are in the greatest need, obviously; it is a blatantly unjust
reduction in the political voice of those communities. This is indeed a
political fight. It is a fight for the political representational
rights of millions of Americans.
[[Page H1060]]
Based on these numbers we will be redrawing all lines. What do I mean
by that? I mean we will be setting up what comprises school districts,
city council districts, county commissioner districts in the State of
Texas, State representative and State senators, as well as
Congressional districts. Minorities will be underrepresented. They will
not be counted. They will not exist for the purposes of making sure
that they are represented when they draw those lines in the State
legislatures.
We cannot start a new millennium with inaccurate numbers. This is not
1990. We have the ability; we have the science; we have the method; and
it is there at our disposal, only if we use it.
Think of it, a new millennium; and we start it off with an inaccurate
census that does not count everyone, and for 10 years going into the
next century, we live with these inaccurate numbers, at great cost to
the quality of life of our fellow Americans. That will not be
tolerated, that should not be tolerated, and that is why I come here
tonight to join my colleague from New York in a single voice to say
that we are here to remind the American public, whether they be
Republican, Democrat or Independents, that we must join together and
use the best method to have an accurate census, because it truly
impacts all of us.
The old quote, ``For whom does the bell toll,'' well, it tolls for
you and me, because we are all Americans in this great country. If one
American goes without a voice, then all Americans are without a voice.
This is not what this great country has been built on all these years.
This is not what we have fought great wars over. This is a
representational democracy, and we can never achieve that if we do not
have an accurate census and if we do not utilize proven scientific
methods, such as sampling.
So I beseech and implore everyone out there that has any questions
about it, they can come and talk to us. We will be happy to have a
dialogue. But let us not let this be reduced to some petty partisan
squabble, where the only end game and end product will be some sort of
perceived political advantage. There is much more at stake here.
General Leave
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks on this special order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis), a member of the Census Subcommittee, who has been
our most consistent advocate for an accurate count and a strong voice
for civil rights and social justice and all scientific methods to
correct the undercount.
I thank the gentleman for all of his hard work and leadership this
year. We all appreciate it.
(Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want, first of all,
to thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), who has done
such an outstanding job of providing leadership on this issue over the
past 2 years and more. As a matter of fact, the gentlewoman has been
all across the country looking at different approaches, methods,
techniques, talking to as many people as she possibly could, trying to
get the message out; and I think all of America owes the gentlewoman a
tremendous debt of gratitude for her unselfish efforts in trying to
make sure that we do in fact have an accurate count. I certainly want
to thank the gentlewoman.
Mr. Speaker, an accurate census is in the best interests of our
Nation. In less than 22 days the Census Bureau will undertake the
enormous task of counting the entire population. It is an exercise that
has been done since 1790 when the first census was commissioned.
Unfortunately, during the first census, not everyone was counted. As
a matter of fact, Africans in America were considered three-fifths of a
person. Since 1790, we have evolved as a Nation to include at least on
paper women and minorities as equal citizens of this democracy.
However, the proposed methods of counting the population by many in
the Republican Party, including its most likely presidential nominee,
Governor George Bush, could lead to a serious undercount of our
citizens. This is tantamount to moving backwards instead of going
forward.
The constituents of my district, the Seventh District of Illinois,
deserve and demand an accurate count of the entire population. They
realize, as many others do, that too much is at stake to get less than
an accurate count.
In 1990, for example, we lost millions of dollars in Chicago in
Federal funds because of a census undercount. According to the Census
Bureau, at least 10 million people, at least 113,831 in the State of
Illinois, 81,000 in Cook County, and 68,000 in the City of Chicago,
were not counted in the 1990 census. Many of those missed were children
and women who live in minority communities, people who are in need of
Federal programs to assist them in their daily living.
Because the 1990 census miscounted thousands of people in Chicago,
every one of our residents were shortchanged on money to repair roads
and streets. They were shortchanged on money for mass transit and
senior citizen programs. They were shortchanged on money for schools,
parks and job training.
Perhaps the most egregious shortchange was that of political
representation. In a democracy, representation is essential to having a
voice in local, State and Federal Government, and when those in
powerful positions fail to do what is right, America loses. It is
unfortunate that the census has become so political that those in power
would ignore the voices of the National Academy of Sciences and others
who have said that strict enumeration could result in millions more
people being missed by the census.
I often say that when elephants rumble, it is the ground that gets
trampled. In this case, it is the rights of those in rural and urban
America, the rights of the poor, the rights of the needy, who will be
abridged if they are not counted.
Perhaps Lincoln said it best when he said that you can fool some of
the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all
of the time.
So I am pleased to join with my colleagues in urging that those in
powerful positions to lead do so, and not follow what many predict is a
flawed way of counting our citizens. The essence of leadership requires
that one do what is right and not politically expedient.
This is a great opportunity for Governor Bush to show that he is
concerned about women, children and minorities in urban and rural
communities. I urge him to reconsider his position on the census
question and do the right thing, to make sure that every citizen is
counted, because, if you are not counted, then truly you do not count.
Mr. Speaker, I want to urge all citizens of this country, and
especially residents of the State of Illinois, to make sure that when
you get the form, that you too do the right thing: Fill it out,
complete it, send it in.
Again I say to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), I
commend her for being a stalwart, a true trooper, a real soldier, as
one might say, of the cause, carrying the message throughout all
America that if you are not counted, then you truly do not count. I
tell the gentlewoman, she counts in the hearts of millions of Americans
who know the great work that she has done, and we all appreciate it.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very,
very much for those kind statements and his professional statements.
Mr. Speaker, our next speaker is the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Menendez), the Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, who has been a
leader on this issue and many other issues that are important to our
country. I thank the gentleman for coming tonight.
(Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman for
organizing this special order this evening to speak to one of the most
important peacetime activities that take place in our country, which is
the census, and for
[[Page H1061]]
her leadership as the ranking Democrat on the committee of jurisdiction
that has dealt with the census. The gentlewoman has done a fantastic
job in ensuring that the census be as full and as accurate as every
American I think wants it to be, and we salute the gentlewoman for her
work.
Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that as Americans throughout
the country get that census form in the mail, this is, again, one of
the most important peacetime activities that we will conduct, because
the census is about over 100 programs, with $150 billion every year,
that in a great part are determined by the demographic information, the
statistical information that the census derives.
So it is about schools, it is about seniors and home health care, it
is about transportation dollars, it is about community-oriented
policing, it is about housing, it is about every imaginable thing that
we face in our communities, and the census dictates, to a large degree,
the resources of Federal and State governments in the context of that
information.
It is also about representation. This is more than a snapshot about
who we are at a given time, although that is important throughout our
country, for us to know who we as Americans are. But it is also about
representation, because from Congressional districts in our various
States, to legislative districts in our respective States, to even our
local council people who may run a ward or district across the entire
spectrum of the political landscape, the question of who represents us
will be determined again by the census and its demographic information.
Lastly, it is about private sector decisions, which in fact make
billions of dollars in decisions. Am I going to market to this part of
the country? Am I going to open up my corporate headquarters in this
part of the country? Am I going to open up a regional headquarters in
this part of the country? Is this where I am going to put some of our
stores?
Mr. Speaker, the repercussions are enormous, and that decision is
made to a large degree by the demographic information in the census. In
essence, democracy requires demography. That is why the census is so
important.
For each one us who does not get counted, this is not about, well, I
did the right thing, I sent my census form in. This is about being our
brother's keeper.
{time} 1745
It is about making sure that our family and our friends and everyone
else that we know, our neighbors, make sure that their census form goes
in, because when they do not get counted, each and every one of us is
diminished. I am a New Jerseyan. When a New Jerseyan does not get
counted, all New Jerseyans suffer. When someone from my community where
I live does not get counted, all of the residents of my community
suffer, because each person has actually a value. Roughly, that is
about $1,000 per person for 10 years. For each individual person who
does not get counted, roughly about $10,000, multiply that by the
numbers of people undercounted and it is enormous. That means less
opportunities for our children, for our grandparents, for our
communities, for a better way of life.
Now, that is why we Democrats have been fighting to ensure that we
have the most accurate census possible in this millennium year. This
fight began with an agreement within the scientific community that the
use of modern scientific methods, which we call statistical sampling,
would greatly improve the accuracy of the 2000 Census. But despite the
evidence from the scientific community, Republicans have persistently
opposed an accurate census that includes that scientific determination
to have a sampling.
Now, Mr. Speaker, when the Labor Department puts out labor statistics
and we see what the unemployment rate is and Wall Street reacts to that
and other businesses react to that, that is a statistical sample. It is
in essence what scientists have said we can use and we already use that
in the government. Why should we not use it for the census to ensure
that we have the best possible count?
I am really concerned when I see that one of the two Presidential
candidates, George W. Bush, falling in lockstep with his Republican
congressional leadership, has made his true intentions known that he
does not support what scientists say makes sound science, which is a
full and accurate count by using modern statistical sampling methods.
When he takes that position, which came about only after various
caucuses in the Congress wrote to him and said, what is your position?
We have heard the position of Gore on this. What is your position on
the question of the census and sampling? He finally came forth and
said, I do not support sampling. Therefore, I do not support good
science. But more importantly, when he fails to support sampling, he
fails to support having every citizen ultimately counted. He has no
interest in an accurate census, he has no interest in a fair and full
representation for all Americans, and he has no interest in ensuring
that my constituents in New Jersey, much less his constituents in
Texas, receive the Federal funds their communities are entitled to
receive.
Mr. Speaker, let me give an example of that. In the 1990 census, for
example, more than 486,000 Texans were missed in the 1990 census. This
translated into a loss of $1 billion, $1 billion in Federal funds to
the State of Texas during this past decade. Now, George W. Bush's
decision earlier this month to oppose the use of modern statistical
methods and thus oppose an accurate census demonstrates that he is not
committed to correcting a problem.
But it is not just about affecting the Texans. It affects my
constituents in New Jersey. Because when we fail to use statistical
sampling, we fail in every State that has realized an undercount to
realize for those citizens their full potential and the resources that
they deserve.
So this decision actually means double trouble for Texans in the next
decade. Estimates indicate that an undercount in 2000 similar to the
one in 1990 could mean a loss of $2 billion in Federal funding for the
State of Texas over the next decade, twice the amount in 1990. Now,
usually when we identify a problem, common sense dictates that we try
to solve it, I say to the gentlewoman; and so that ultimately is what
we are trying to do here.
Ultimately, what the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) is
trying to do, what we are trying to do is to ensure an accurate count.
In my own district, over 20,000 people were not counted in 1990. The
State of New Jersey lost $231 million in Federal funding in that time
period because of the undercount. That, and also lastly, because
Hispanic Americans and other minorities who are among the greatest
people who were undercounted, I hear all of these candidates talking
about how they are reaching out to this community to ensure that, in
fact, they vote for them. Well, if they want us to be counted on
election day, they need to count on us in the census.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman
and all of the other speakers tonight. I urge my colleagues and all
Americans to support and participate in the census, to fill out their
forms and mail them in and finally to urge this House to let the
professionals at the Census Bureau do their job so that the 2000 Census
will be the most accurate and inclusive ever.
Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, the Census, as we are all aware, is
important to our nation for a host of serious reasons. Not only is the
decennial census the largest peace-time mobilization of American
resources and personnel, it is a great day for civic participation and
engagement! This is perhaps one of the most important features of the
Census.
The day the Census is taken is the one day in which everyone has the
opportunity to make their presence known! On April 1st, everyone is
equal--every response is equally important to the nation; to states and
local communities.
In this great melting-pot we call the United States, the significance
of Census participation cannot and should not be understated.
Everyone--every citizen in this nation counts--and everyone should be
counted--as the implications of the Census count are critical to each
and everyone of us.
The Census count influences the manner in which billions of federal
dollars are allocated to states and local governments. This affects all
of us--rich and poor alike--as these funds are used for our roadways,
educational systems, hospitals, health care and for so many other
important initiatives.
That is why, I am dismayed with those who oppose using modern
statistical methods to provide a more accurate Census count.
We now know with certainty that the undercount of minorities is well-
documented.
[[Page H1062]]
For example, the 1990 census missed 8.4 million people. The majority of
those overlooked were children, the poor and people of color. The 1990
census missed: 4.4 percent of African Americans; 5 percent Hispanics;
2.3 percent of Asians and Pacific Islanders; and over 12 percent of
Native Americans.
The 1990 census missed 7 percent of Black children, 5 percent of
Hispanic children, and over 6 percent of Native American children.
What is compassionate and logical is to guarantee the right of each
and every American to both accurate and fair political representation
and a fair share--a fair share--of federal funds for education, health
care and transportation and the like.
I am committed to ensuring that all Americans are counted and that
all Americans receive their fair share of political representation and
federal funds to which they are entitled.
In my District, the devastation caused by Hurricane Floyd has
displaced many residents of eastern North Carolina. My staff and I, as
well as numerous Census officials have taken steps to ensure that
displaced citizens are informed about how to participate in the Census.
It is clear that Census 2000 is a civil rights issue. As such, it
affects every citizen. Each of us is concerned with one or more of the
following: Medicare; Medicaid; special education preschool programs;
job training programs; disabled veterans outreach programs; adult
education programs; bilingual education programs; child care programs
and education programs; and Voting Rights Act.
This list could continue because the Census count affects a wide-
range of programs and persons. However, what is fundamental regarding
the significance of obtaining an accurate Census count is fair
political representation and a fair distribution of federal funds.
The Census Bureau will provide us with two sets of numbers for the
2000 Census--an actual count and a statistically adjusted count. The
Supreme Court ruled that statistically-based figures cannot be used for
the reapportionment of U.S. House seats. However, states have the
discretion as to which set they may use.
I encourage everyone to seriously consider the implications of
obtaining an accurate Census count--one that reflects the U.S.
population in its totality and diversity. I am quite cognizant of the
fact that all Americans count, that is why I am committed to ensuring
that every American gets counted!
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