[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 13, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     URGING THE PRESIDENT TO COUNT THE NEEDIEST CITIZENS WHO WERE 
                              UNDERCOUNTED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the census figures are now out. 
As we feared, it looks as though the undercount is going to be 3 
million or more people. That is 3 million of the most needy; 3 million 
who are homeless, helpless, hopeless, in many instances people who live 
in disadvantaged communities; people who live in rural America, in 
inner-city areas, in ghettos and barrios; people who need the resources 
of government the most; people who are sick, do not have access to 
health care; children who need day care; seniors who need Meals on 
Wheels or just a place to go, place to sit, place to be; people who 
need nursing homes.
  The most needy people in our country, Mr. Speaker, are those who are 
undercounted, those who need the resources of education, of health 
care.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I come to urge President Bush to make use of 
adjusted figures; that is, to use statistical sampling as the basis for 
the allocation of resources based upon population needs in these 
various communities.
  Now, I can understand the Supreme Court decision that said we are not 
going to use sampling for apportionment. So there is nothing political 
about what I am asking. There is nothing political about what I am 
urging. I am simply urging that the most needy people in this country 
be counted so that they can have the availability of public resources 
accrued to them based upon their existence, the fact that they are, and 
the fact that they are needy.
  I urge the President to please take into consideration these points 
as he makes the decision about the use of adjusted numbers.

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