[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 78 (Wednesday, May 20, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY ON THE WAY TO 3 MILLION HOMES

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 20, 2015

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it's Friday night. You come home from 
work, tired and hungry for supper.
  There is a big stack of mail on the table you sift through, including 
one piece addressed to you from the government.
  You open the envelope only to find a survey. The survey asks you a 
series of questions like: How many toilets do you have in your house? 
When do you leave and return from work? Does anyone in your home suffer 
from mental illness? Does your house have a sink with a faucet? Do you 
have a refrigerator?
  This government-mandated questionnaire is known as the American 
Community Survey. Three million Americans each year are ``lucky'' 
enough to be selected to answer this mandatory survey. The American 
Community Survey is independent from the Census. This survey is more 
intrusive, more personal and more time consuming. Not to mention, it is 
28 pages long and mandatory.
  Understandably, many people dismiss this survey, tossing it out or 
feeling too uncomfortable to divulge such personal information. But 
throwing it away does not make it disappear.
  If you fail to answer the survey, the government will come after you. 
It begins with phone calls. If the calls go answered or the survey is 
incomplete, the calls will increase from weekly to daily. Then the eyes 
of the federal government are sent to houses of the unwilling, to ring 
the doorbell and peak in the window. This is harassment. No one wants 
the government doing drop-ins to their home. Quite the opposite, the 
majority of Americans want the government to leave them alone. And on 
top of all the harassment and intimidation by Census Bureau emissaries, 
citizens who still choose not to answer, are threatened with a criminal 
penalty, and in some cases face up to a $5,000 fine.
  In an effort to help protect American's privacy, I reintroduced 
legislation that would make the American Community Survey voluntary. 
This survey is another example of unnecessary and completely 
unwarranted government intrusion.
  The federal government has no right to force Americans to divulge 
such private information, especially information that they are 
uncomfortable giving away.
  But this is happening all over America and even right here in 
Southeast Texas. I have had neighbors contact me for years complaining 
about this government harassment.
  According to the Constitution, article 1, section 2, a count of the 
nation's population is required to be conducted every ten years. The 
purpose of the Census is to apportion congressional seats and levy 
direct taxes. But the American Community Survey achieves none of that, 
except information on American's toilet flushing patterns.
  I believe in a limited government and will work to protect American 
citizens from government abuse and harassment. Bottom line, Americans 
should have the choice on whether they want to tell Washington how many 
toilets they have.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________