[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 15, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E506-E507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        EQUAL REPRESENTATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 8, 2024

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 7109, the 
Equal Representation Act.
  H.R. 7109 would mandate that the decennial Census include a 
citizenship question, and that the apportionment of U.S. 
Representatives be based solely on a count of American citizens. This 
is yet another attempt by House Republicans to advance their anti-
immigrant political agenda by sabotaging the Census, which is required 
by the U.S. Constitution.

[[Page E507]]

 This bill would deliberately undermine the Census's ability to reach 
chronically undercounted populations. The resulting impact would be to 
make future Censuses more costly and lead to inaccurate data that will 
have wide-ranging implications for Minnesota and our nation.
  Accurate Census data is necessary for determining the number of U.S. 
House of Representatives seats and Electoral College votes allocated to 
each state, as well as the share of trillions of dollars in federal 
funding each state receives. For Minnesota, an inaccurate count could 
result in the loss of representation in Congress and less federal 
funding for essential services, causing unnecessary harm to our 
communities. This bill threatens the accuracy of the Census and 
diminishes public trust. It would lead to manipulation of election maps 
and the hindering of the fair allocation of federal resources.
  I will always fight for an accurate Census that is consistent with 
our American values, and I will always work to ensure Minnesotans 
receives the federal funding, representation in Congress, and electoral 
votes they deserve.

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