Public Policy
Status
The Senate approved November 5 the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) FY 2010 Appropriations bill that includes funding for the U.S. Census Bureau by a 71-28 final vote. The measure sets Census funding at $7.3 billion, $50 million less than the level requested by President Obama. The legislation will now move to a conference committee to resolve differences with the House-passed bill.
The House of Representatives adopted June 18 the CJS appropriations bill (HR 2847) that includes funding for the U.S. Census Bureau for the 2010 decennial Census by a 259-179 final vote. The legislation provides $206 million less for the Census Bureau than requested by President Obama due to a modification by House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) that was based on an assumption that the Bureau had left-over funds from this year's budget. This has been reported as a "technical mistake," and there is some indication that the funds will be restored in conference.
Independent Sector delivered a letter (PDF) September 15, 2009 urging the Senate to fully fund the Census at the level requested by President Obama and to oppose any effort to redirect funding from the Census Bureau to other programs.
Take Action
Although the House and Senate have completed work on the CJS appropriations bill (HR 2847) that authorizes funding for the Census Bureau, differences in the two chamber’s versions of the bill must still be resolved in conference committee. Contact CJS bill conferees, Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS) and House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (R-WI) and Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-CA) and ask them to support full funding for the Census. We have provided a sample letter for your convenience. Tell them:
- Congress must help ensure that the 2010 Census achieves the most complete count possible of every living person in the United States.
- Fully fund the US Census at the level requested by President Obama.
- Oppose efforts to divert any of these resources to fund other programs.
Last Updated: November 9, 2009
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