[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 30 (Thursday, March 16, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E342-E343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             CENSUS DEBATE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. PAUL RYAN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 16, 2000

  Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to express my shock and 
disappointment at the tenor and content of the Special Order that was 
coordinated by the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Census 
last night.
  But before I go on please please everyone in America fill out your 
census forms and mail them in.
  For months now Republicans and Democrats have been promoting the 
census. No political cheap shots, no debates over sampling. But after 
the Democrats ambush last night, it's time to take the gloves off.
  As we all know, this is the most critical time for the census and for 
making sure that everyone participates. But the Democrats have 
obviously decided that promoting the census is

[[Page E343]]

secondary to promoting their own political agenda. Are the Democrats so 
scared of George Bush that they would inject politics into the census, 
the very week people are filling out their forms and mailing them in? 
Sadly the answer can only be yes.
  Are the Democrats so afraid that we will retain the House in the 
upcoming election that they would risk alienating people from 
participating in the census? Once again, the sad answer is yes.
  While it is no secret that our parties and the presidential 
candidates differ on the use of estimated numbers for purposes of 
adjustment, the fact that you could not simply promote the census 
during this most crucial of weeks is very disappointing.
  Democrats have stated all along that they want everyone to fill out 
their forms to assist the Bureau in getting the best count ever. I now 
wonder whether this was merely a ruse you maintained to harbor another 
objective. The Democrat message on Wednesday to the American people was 
``Don't worry about filling out your form--let the government estimate 
where you are.'' The effect of these statements is to undermine a good 
mail-back response rate. There is a very good chance that statistical 
sampling will be found illegal for redistricting as it was found 
illegal by the Supreme Court for reapportionment. Supporters of 
sampling are selling people a false bill of goods.
  Let's face reality for a moment--the Supreme Court ruled last January 
that sampling cannot be used for apportionment and that the Census 
Bureau must conduct a full enumeration. Therefore your attack on 
Presidential candidate George Bush is ludicrous. And as we both know, 
the National Academy of Sciences has yet to endorse the complex ACE 
estimation plan. In fact, at last month's NAS meeting there was much 
debate on both sides of the issue and it was clear that there was 
uncertainty. To suggest that the NAS has endorsed the specifics of ACE 
is to mislead the American people.
  In conclusion, I think that those that participated in last night's 
ambush on Republicans have done far more to hurt the census efforts 
than you all may believe. Many Americans are concerned about the 
intrusiveness of the long form. Even the Bureau acknowledges that many 
of their phone calls and emails are complaints. All offices are 
fielding numerous calls from upset constituents. In fact, you could not 
have picked a worse day in a worse week to make your purely partisan 
political diatribe.
  Last night, on the House floor, you had an opportunity to do one of 
two things: Promote the census and the importance of mailing back the 
forms, or use the opportunity for political grandstanding. 
Unfortunately, you chose the latter. To insert the debate over sampling 
and to take cheap shots at Governor Bush will not motivate one single 
person to fill out their census form and mail it in.
  I can only hope that American people can see through your partisan 
motives and rhetoric and realize that the answer to their needs will 
not be met by a statistical silver bullet and that despite your obvious 
attempts to dissuade them, will fill out their census forms.

                          ____________________