[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 29, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H1483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
               LET US STAND AND BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)


       Extending Concern to Families Affected by Texas Disasters

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me offer my concern to our 
families and friends in the Fort Worth, Texas area with the terrible 
tornado that they experienced last evening, and to our families and 
friends in the Harris County area, with Phillips Petroleum, with the 
terrible tragedy of the explosion that happened at that plant.
  Mr. Speaker, however, this morning, I want to talk about the 
importance and crucialness of the Census, not only in this Nation but 
particularly in the State of Texas, where, from the 1990 Census, the 
State of Texas lost $1 billion by undercounting 400,000 people.
  Unfortunately, the State of Texas has a 33 percent return, but the 
fourth largest city in the Nation only has a 26 percent return. That is 
the city of Houston. Why? Because frivolous lawsuits are being filed 
alleging an invasion of privacy, not recognizing that this 
responsibility is a constitutional responsibility and that in fact 
these questions have not ever been proven to have been used or misused 
by the Census Bureau.
  We need to have the information on the homeless, and I applaud the 
efforts being made by them. I ask of the INS not to do unnecessary and 
provocative raids of immigrants to discourage them from being counted. 
We must count every single person in the United States. We all must 
count. This is a constitutional right and responsibility and duty. Let 
us stand up and be counted.

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