[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 9 (Monday, January 25, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              2010 CENSUS

  Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I commemorate the launch of the 2010 
Decennial Census in Noorvik, AK, and thank the U.S. Census bureau for 
the honor of kicking off this decade's census. Our State is honored to 
once again have this privilege. I am proud our country is acknowledging 
the contributions of all its citizens by beginning this historic count 
in a small, rural village in Alaska.
  Noorvik is a rural community in the Northwest Arctic Borough of 
Alaska with a population of 642 residents. Because there are no roads 
linking the community to the rest of the State, it is only accessible 
by plane or shallow-draft vessel. The majority of the population 
consists of Inupiaq Eskimo residents primarily working as miners, 
construction workers, teachers, and public administrators. Noorvik may 
be a small town, but its residents contribute a great deal to Alaska's 
infrastructure and industry. Therefore, it is important the decennial 
count begin in this small yet significant community. The Census will 
also provide several thousand jobs for Alaskans, who will be travelling 
to remote areas to collect accurate data from our most remote regions.
  The U.S. Census is a valuable and time-honored tradition. Its roots 
can be traced back to article 1, section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, 
where the founders of our democracy stated, ``The actual Enumeration 
shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the 
Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten 
Years.'' When our Nation was founded, the Census was a way to determine 
the number of each State's delegation in the House of Representatives. 
Since then, the Census has become more than a mechanism for allotting 
congressional seats, but also provides policymakers with the data they 
need to better serve Americans.
  I thank the U.S. Census Bureau for launching the 2010 Decennial 
Census in Noorvik, AK. This is a great opportunity to reach out to 
rural Alaska and honor our State's rich cultural heritage.

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