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Chairwoman Maloney's Statement on House Passage of Legislation to Prevent Partisan Manipulation of the Census

Statement

Date: Sept. 15, 2022
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Operations

Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 8326, the Ensuring a Fair and Accurate Census Act:

"All Americans rely on a fair and accurate census for the representation and access to services they deserve. After the Oversight Committee uncovered the Trump Administration's illegal effort to add a citizenship question and undermine a full census count, it is clear that we need stronger laws to protect the census from political meddling. Today's House vote on H.R. 8326, the Ensuring a Fair and Accurate Census Act, is the first major step to protecting one of our nation's most vital democratic institutions from partisan manipulation. I urge the Senate to swiftly pass this legislation, which is critical to maintaining the integrity of the Census Bureau and preserving our democracy."

The Ensuring a Fair and Accurate Census Act enhances the independence of the Census Bureau and puts safeguards in place to help protect it from partisan manipulation. Chairwoman Maloney's bill would provide transparency into the projected resource needs of the Census Bureau and ensure that any new questions added to a decennial census are vigorously researched and tested.

Specifically, the legislation would:

Ensure that any question added to a decennial census is researched and tested according established statistical procedures, reviewed by the Government Accountability Office, and shared with Congress in advance.

Empower the Census Director to make key decisions about the census, ensure a career expert serves as deputy director, and limit the number of political appointees at the Bureau.

Codify advisory committees for 2030 census planning, hard-to-count populations, and scientific and statistical standards.

Provide transparency into the budgetary needs of the Census Bureau and the operational status of each decennial census.


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