[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 17, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE ENSURING FULL PARTICIPATION IN THE CENSUS ACT OF 
                                  2022

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 17, 2022

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Ensuring Full 
Participation in the Census Act of 2022, which would prohibit the U.S. 
Census Bureau (Bureau) from including questions on the decennial census 
about citizenship, nationality or immigration status.
  This bill is essential because, prior to the 2020 census, the 
Department of Justice wrote to the Bureau requesting that it 
``reinstate on the 2020 [c]ensus questionnaire a question regarding 
citizenship.'' From 1970-2000, this question was sent to only 
approximately 16 percent of the population during any decennial census 
through the so-called ``long-form.'' However, the long-form system was 
dropped from the census and replaced with the current American 
Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is sent to approximately 3 million 
people annually on a rotational basis, and allows the Bureau to get the 
necessary information on citizenship. Asking questions about 
citizenship status to every person through the decennial census has not 
been done in almost 70 years because it would discourage people, 
largely minorities, who are already undercounted in the census, from 
participating in the census. The ACS was created to make the decennial 
census simpler for people to complete, which facilitates higher and 
more accurate participation rates and preserving privacy.
  Fortunately, after a protracted legal and political process, the 
citizenship question was not included on the 2020 census. However, this 
legislation is necessary to ensure it cannot be asked on a future 
census. The representative sampling provided by the ACS is more than 
sufficient to determine citizenship statistics in the U.S. We must 
ensure that all individuals are counted in the decennial census, 
thereby providing accurate allocation of federal funds and 
representation in Congress, and not reduce participation by asking a 
question that is already asked elsewhere.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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