House Democrats to Trump: Nominate a Qualified, Nonpartisan Census Director
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) led seventy of their colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to quickly appoint a qualified and nonpartisan U.S. Census Director to fill the vacancy Director Thompson will leave when he steps down at the end of this week.
The letter recognizes 2018 as a critical year of preparation for the 2020 census that will require effective leadership at the head of the Bureau and warns that the nomination of a partisan Director could erode trust in the minority communities most likely to be undercounted – including immigrant communities.
A signed copy of the letter can be found here.
"The census not only lets us know who we are as a nation, but plays a vital role in drawing congressional districts, distributing federal resources, and even enforcing our laws, so it's imperative that the next Director is qualified, experienced, and deserving of the trust of all Americans, regardless of political affiliation," said Rep. Ruben Gallego. "In 2010, Maricopa County suffered the second largest undercount of Latino children in the country, when more than 27,000 children went uncounted. Immigrant and minority communities across the country cannot afford a compromised 2020 census. It's critical that President Trump moves quickly to ensure that the Bureau has the leadership it needs to complete a fair and effective survey in 2020."
"I'm alarmed that President Trump has left the Bureau of the Census without a director during this lead up to the 2020 Census," said Rep. Grace Meng. "The U.S. government relies on accurate data from the decennial census to make decisions on the distribution of federal resources, which is especially important for minority and immigrant communities, but there is no one at the top of the Bureau to ensure that preparations are moving forward. The Bureau is developing new technology and staffing protocols, but it is behind on testing this technology and it is canceling tests on new procedures. It has also proposed delaying opening up local offices that are important for densely populated areas like New York City. Crucial decisions need to be made now, and so I urge President Trump to immediately appoint an experienced, non-partisan director for the Bureau of the Census."
"With an increasingly large and diverse population across New York City and this great nation, accurate census data is crucial for future research, innovation and development," said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. "A qualified and apolitical census director is imperative in this transformative era of technology and modernization. Leaving the position vacant in this period of preparation puts the country at a significant disadvantage. The Administration must fill this position immediately."