[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1395-S1396]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO ROBERT SANTOS

  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, earlier this year, Robert Santos 
announced his resignation as the 26th Director of the U.S. Census 
Bureau, marking the end of his service as the first person of color and 
the first Latino in history to be confirmed by this body to head the 
Bureau. I rise today to recognize his extraordinary service to the 
American people, his unshakeable integrity, and his unwavering 
commitment to our democracy.
  Robert Luis Santos was born in San Antonio, TX--one of five children 
of two civil servants who worked at nearby Kelly Air Force Base. A 
proud third-generation Mexican American, Santos was raised in a 
predominantly Latino neighborhood on the northwest side of San Antonio.
  In 1969, the death of his older brother, U.S. Army Spc. Rene Santos, 
in the Vietnam war devastated the Santos family. But according to 
Santos, this tragedy and ultimate act of patriotism also inspired him 
to pursue his education and one day channel his brother's life and 
``give back to the country.'' He went on to earn his bachelor's degree 
in mathematics from Trinity University in San Antonio and, later, his 
master's in statistics from the University of Michigan.
  After graduation, he set off on what would become an over 40-year-
career as a highly respected statistician. In 2006, he became vice 
president and chief methodologist at the Urban Institute--a nonprofit 
research organization dedicated to American's upward mobility--a 
position he held for 15 years. And in 2020, he was elected president of 
the American Statistical Association.
  During his time at the Urban Institute, he warned the Census Bureau 
of the threat of undercounting the national population in the 2020 
Census, with a particular spotlight on Black and Latino populations; he 
opposed the addition of a citizenship question that would have 
undermined public confidence and participation in the census; and he 
spoke out against an early end to the national count during the COVID-
19 pandemic.
  Through it all, Robert Santos' motivation was accuracy and equity--
never politics. At his Senate confirmation hearings, he stated: 
``Although this is a political appointment, I am no politician. I'm a 
scientist, executive-level manager, a researcher, and a longtime 
supporter of the Census Bureau.''
  That approach led to his nomination as Director of the Census Bureau 
by President Joe Biden in the spring of 2021. When he was confirmed 
that fall, he became not only the first Latino to serve as Director, 
but the first person of color the Senate confirmed to lead the Bureau.
  His tenure marked a refreshing and sorely needed return to scientific 
and research-based--not political--work atop the Bureau. He worked 
particularly hard to conduct a more accurate count of communities of 
color and vulnerable communities who have been historically 
undercounted.
  For the Nation, Santos' work was about more than just data 
collection. These accurate data are vital for Federal, State, and local 
governments to function properly and efficiently. They are about 
something as fundamental as accurate representation and equitable 
funding for Americans. And they are about an equal stake in our 
democracy.
  Today, at a time when statisticians and leaders at every level of 
government fear the politicization of our census, Robert Santos leaves 
behind a legacy of integrity and accuracy that should be followed for 
decades to come.
  On behalf of the entire State of California, I want to thank Robert; 
his wife of over 50 years Adella; his two children Emilio and Clarisa; 
and the entire Santos family.

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