2010 Census

Floor Speech

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I commemorate the launch of the 2010 Decennial Census in Noorvik, AK, and thank the U.S. Census bureau for the honor of kicking off this decade's census. Our State is honored to once again have this privilege. I am proud our country is acknowledging the contributions of all its citizens by beginning this historic count in a small, rural village in Alaska.

Noorvik is a rural community in the Northwest Arctic Borough of Alaska with a population of 642 residents. Because there are no roads linking the community to the rest of the State, it is only accessible by plane or shallow-draft vessel. The majority of the population consists of Inupiaq Eskimo residents primarily working as miners, construction workers, teachers, and public administrators. Noorvik may be a small town, but its residents contribute a great deal to Alaska's infrastructure and industry. Therefore, it is important the decennial count begin in this small yet significant community. The Census will also provide several thousand jobs for Alaskans, who will be travelling to remote areas to collect accurate data from our most remote regions.

The U.S. Census is a valuable and time-honored tradition. Its roots can be traced back to article 1, section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, where the founders of our democracy stated, ``The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years.'' When our Nation was founded, the Census was a way to determine the number of each State's delegation in the House of Representatives. Since then, the Census has become more than a mechanism for allotting congressional seats, but also provides policymakers with the data they need to better serve Americans.

I thank the U.S. Census Bureau for launching the 2010 Decennial Census in Noorvik, AK. This is a great opportunity to reach out to rural Alaska and honor our State's rich cultural heritage.

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