[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 8, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E758-E759]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            FULL EQUITY FOR AMERICANS ABROAD ACT, H.R. 1745

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 8, 2001

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Full Equity for 
Americans Abroad Act, which I request to be inserted and printed in the 
Record at the end of my statement.
  This bill provides that all American citizens living abroad will, for 
purposes of the apportionment or representatives in Congress, among the 
several States, be included in future decennial censuses of population.
  As chairman of the International Relations Committee and as a long 
time member of the former Post Office and Civil Service Committee I 
have had numerous opportunities to work with Americans living and 
working overseas and can attest to the increasingly important role this 
segment of the U.S. population plays in our Nation's economy and in our 
relations with countries and their citizens throughout the world.
  In this era of growing globalization, we are all aware of the 
importance placed upon our Nation's exports of goods and services 
overseas in an effort to provide a strong and versatile economy.
  Not only are we reliant on Americans abroad to carry-out exports for 
the creation of U.S.-based jobs, but we rely on these U.S. citizens to 
best promote and advance U.S. interests around the world.
  Nevertheless, the U.S. Census Bureau does not count private sector 
Americans residing abroad, despite the fact that the U.S. Government 
employees working overseas are currently included in the U.S. census. 
This is an inconsistent, inappropriate policy.
  It is imperative that the U.S. Census Bureau count all Americans, 
including private citizens living and working abroad. Not only will 
such a policy provide an accurate census, but it will allow Congress 
and private sector leaders to realize how best to support U.S. 
companies and our citizenry abroad.
  U.S. citizens abroad vote and pay taxes in the United States, yet are 
discriminated

[[Page E759]]

against by the U.S. Government solely because they are private 
citizens.
  I invite my Colleagues to help change this policy by including 
private sector Americans residing overseas in the census.
  Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, H.R. 1745.

                               H.R. 1745

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Full Equality for Americans 
     Abroad Act''.

     SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF AMERICAN CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD IN 
                   FUTURE DECENNIAL CENSUSES.

       The Secretary of Commerce shall ensure that, in each 
     decennial census of population taken after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act under title 13, United States Code, all 
     American citizens living abroad shall be included for 
     purposes of the tabulations required for the apportionment of 
     Representatives in Congress among the several States, and for 
     other purposes.

     SEC. 3. REPORT ON RELATED ISSUES.

       (a) In General.--There is hereby enacted into law the 
     provision described in subsection (b) (relating to the report 
     to be submitted by the Secretary of Commerce to the Congress 
     by no later than September 30, 2001).
       (b) Description.--The provision described in this 
     subsection in the paragraph beginning on page 256 and ending 
     on page 257 of the explanatory language on H.R. 5548 (as 
     introduced on October 25, 2000), as included in the joint 
     explanatory statement of the committee of conference 
     accompanying the conference report on H.R. 4942 (House Report 
     Numbered 106-1005, 106th Congress, 2d Session, October 26, 
     2000, 256-257), but deeming such paragraph not include ``and 
     their dependents''.

     

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