CONCERNS ABOUT GREGG ON CENSUS PROMPT WHITE HOUSE TO ASSERT
AUTHORITY; REPUBLICANS CHARGE POLITICIZATION OF CENSUS COUNT
Plus: Senate continues stimulus spending debate; 111th Congress
continues to organize.
Responding to concerns from key census stakeholders about the
President’s nominee for Commerce Secretary, Obama Administration
officials said the Census Director would report directly to the White
House, according to an article by Jonathan Allen in today’s
Congressional Quarterly. A posting by Philip Rucker on The Washington
Post Blog subsequently quoted a White House statement as saying: “From
the first days of the transition the Census has been a priority for the
president, and a process he wanted to reevaluate. There is historic
precedent for the director of the Census, who works for the commerce
secretary and the president, to work closely with White House senior
management, given the number of decisions that will have to be put
before the president. We plan to return to that model in this
administration."
It was not clear from the Administration’s statement whether the Census
Director would bypass the Commerce Secretary only on matters related to
the 2010 census or on all Census Bureau activities.
Republican leaders on the House Oversight and Government Reform
Committee, which has jurisdiction over the census, called the
Administration’s plan a “power grab to politicize [the] census.” Rep.
Darrell Issa (R-CA), the committee’s senior Republican member, and Rep.
Patrick McHenry (R-NC), the new ranking minority member on the
committee’s census oversight panel, said in a statement: “President
Obama’s calls for bipartisanship are severely damaged when reports
indicate they’re maneuvering to stab Republicans in the back through a
national gerrymander orchestrated directly by the White House.”
In a letter to the President, the lawmakers said they were “shocked and
dismayed” by the White House’s statement on the census. “Requiring the
Census Director to report directly to White House Chief of Staff Rahm
Emanuel is a shamefully transparent attempt by your Administration to
politicize the Census Bureau and manipulate the 2010 Census.” Rahm
Emanuel is a former Democratic member of Congress and former head of the
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Reps. Issa and McHenry
also suggested that having the Census Director report directly to the
White House might violate the Census Act (Title 13, United States Code),
which places the Census Bureau under the jurisdiction of the Department
of Commerce.
President Obama nominated Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) to head the Commerce
Department, which houses the U.S. Census Bureau, earlier this week. As
reported in the February 3, 2009 Census News Brief, Sen. Gregg chaired
the Appropriations subcommittee that funded the Census Bureau during the
2000 census and objected to an “emergency” appropriation of $1.7 billion
that the Clinton Administration requested after a 1999 Supreme Court
ruling forced a redesign of the census.
The nomination prompted some census stakeholders to express concern
about the Senator’s commitment to ensuring an accurate 2010 census.
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus,
issued a statement saying, in part, “[S]en. Gregg’s record of previously
voting to abolish the Commerce Department and his attempts to block
President Bill Clinton’s efforts to secure adequate funding for the 2000
census raise troubling concerns regarding his commitment to the
department’s core missions.” The National Association of Latino Elected
and Appointed Officials (NALEO), a member of the Census Bureau’s 2010
Census Advisory Committee, said in a statement that Sen. Gregg’s “record
raises serious questions about his willingness to ensure that the 2010
Census produces the most accurate possible count of the nation’s
population. … NALEO will be closely monitoring the confirmation process
to learn more about Secretary-Designate Gregg’s view of the Department’s
responsibility to conduct an accurate census.”
Amendments target extra funds for census in stimulus bill: The U.S.
Senate continued consideration of the “American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009” today, after defeating at least one amendment
that would have stripped funds for the 2010 census from the measure.
Yesterday, by a vote of 32 – 65, senators rejected an amendment offered
by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) to “eliminate unnecessary spending” in the
stimulus bill, including $1 billion for 250,000 additional census
takers, more partnership specialists, and increased outreach and promotion.
In a statement explaining his amendment, Sen. Vitter called the 2010
census a “bottomless pit,” noting that Congress allocated additional
funds for the census last year after the Census Bureau dropped plans to
use handheld computers for door-to-door visits to unresponsive
households. The proposed funding, the senator said, “is not job
creation … it is not economic stimulus. … [It] is run-of-the-mill,
Washington-big-Government spending,” suggesting that Congress should
debate the need for more money at another time.
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) decided not to offer an amendment to eliminate
the census funds from the stimulus bill. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK),
ranking Republican on the Census Bureau’s oversight subcommittee,
reportedly was still considering such an amendment.
111th Congress continues to organize: Congressional committees continue
to organize for the 111th Congress. Democrats on the House Oversight
and Government Reform Committee have made subcommittee assignments for
the 111th Congress. The Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and
National Archives is responsible for oversight of the Census Bureau and
authorization of Census Bureau activities. Republicans are expected to
announce their subcommittee assignments by next week; Rep. Patrick
McHenry will be the new ranking Republican member on the census
oversight panel.
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives
(Democratic Members)
Chair: William Lacy Clay, Missouri
Paul Kanjorski, Pennsylvania
Carolyn Maloney, New York
Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of Columbia
Danny Davis, Illinois
Steve Driehaus, Ohio
Diane Watson, California
Census News Briefs are prepared by Terri Ann Lowenthal, a consultant to
the nonpartisan Census Project, organized by the Communications
Consortium Media Center in Washington, DC. Please direct questions
about the information in this News Brief to Ms. Lowenthal at
TerriAnn2K(a)aol.com. Please feel free to circulate this document to
other interested individuals and organizations. Previous Census News
Briefs are posted at www.thecensusproject.org
--
Ed Christopher
708-283-3534 (V)
708-574-8131 (cell)
FHWA RC-TST-PLN
19900 Governors Dr
Olympia Fields, IL 60461
Please remember that Gregg is nominated for Secretary of Commerce,
not for Census Bureau Director. We have no nominee for that position
right now.
I doubt that the Secretary of Commerce would read this
listserv. However, you might want to direct questions to the members
of the Senate committee which will be holding his confirmation
hearing. A list of those folks is attached. If any of them is from
your state, contact him or her with questions for Sen. Gregg would be useful.
Patty Becker
At 11:26 AM 2/4/2009, you wrote:
>One idea might be to let your state FHWA coordinators or someone who
>can ask Senator Gregg if he is interested in being part of this
>listserve. If so, we could precede to inform from that direction.
>
>Angie Byrne
>Transportation Planner
>Bi-State Metropolitan Planning Organization
>Western Arkansas Planning and Development District
>1109 S. 16th St., P.O. Box 2067
>Fort Smith, Arkansas 72902
>(479) 785-2651
>abyrne(a)wapdd.org <mailto:abyrne@wapdd.org>
>www.bistatempo.org <http://www.bistatempo.org>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: ctpp-news-bounces(a)chrispy.net
>[mailto:ctpp-news-bounces@chrispy.net]On Behalf Of Nancy Reger
>Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 5:28 PM
>To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
>Subject: RE: [CTPP] CENSUS NEWS BRIEF
>
>
>Should we do anything--- ie say, welcome to Director Gregg and tell
>him how we use this data in the econ devt and transportation world
>as a community or just go solo?
>
>
>Nancy Reger, AICP
>Assistant Director, Transportation
>Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission
>111 Liberty St; Ste 100 / Cols OH 43215
>(p) 614-233-4154 / (e) nreger(a)morpc.org
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: ctpp-news-bounces(a)chrispy.net
>[mailto:ctpp-news-bounces@chrispy.net] On Behalf Of Ed Christopher
>Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 10:16 AM
>To: ctpp-news maillist
>Subject: [CTPP] CENSUS NEWS BRIEF
>
>PRESIDENT SELECTS SEN. GREGG FOR COMMERCE SECRETARY;
>SENATE CONSIDERS $1B FOR CENSUS IN STIMULUS BILL
>Plus: House Passes Stimulus Funds for Census
>
>
>President Obama has selected Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New
>Hampshire, to be his Commerce Secretary. The post would give Sen. Gregg
>authority over the Census Bureau and upcoming decennial census. The
>Census Bureau is part of the Commerce Department's Economics and
>Statistics Administration (ESA), which also houses the Bureau of
>Economic Analysis (BEA).
>
>Sen. Gregg, a three-term senator, former representative, and former New
>Hampshire governor, is the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget
>Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee. He is a member
>and former chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and
>Science (formerly Commerce, Justice, and State), which funds the Census
>Bureau. The biography posted on his official web site highlights his
>interest in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
>another large Commerce Department agency.
>
>Sen. Gregg chaired the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce,
>Justice, and State during the 2000 census. In 1999, he questioned the
>Administration's request for additional census funding for fiscal year
>2000; the Census Bureau had asked for an extra $1.7 billion after a
>Supreme Court decision forced it to redesign non-response follow-up
>operations. The House of Representatives had approved the full $4.5
>billion for the census year, while the Senate allocated the $2.8 billion
>the Administration had sought before the Court ruling in a case
>challenging the use of sampling to compile census population counts used
>for congressional apportionment. Sen. Gregg especially questioned the
>House's proposal to designate all census funding for 2000 as "emergency"
>spending, which would remove the allocation from under tight budget
>caps. The impasse over census funding helped delay passage of final
>spending bills for 2000; Congress eventually approved the full funding
>request, designating the entire amount as an "emergency."
>
>The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold
>confirmation hearings for Sen. Gregg, while the Homeland Security and
>Governmental Affairs Committee will be responsible for confirming a
>Census director. President Obama has not yet nominated an Under
>Secretary for Economic Affairs, who oversees the ESA, or Census Bureau
>director; both positions require Senate confirmation.
>
>Economic stimulus bill includes extra funds for 2010 census: On January
>28, by a vote of 244 - 188, the U.S. House of Representatives approved
>an $819 economic stimulus bill (H.R. 1) that includes $1 billion in
>additional funds for the 2010 census. No Republican lawmakers supported
>the bill.
>
>The stimulus package requested by President Obama is also working its
>way through the U.S. Senate. Last week, the Committee on Appropriations
>approved its own version of the economic recovery package (S. 336),
>which includes $1 billion for the 2010 census. The funds would be
>available until September 30, 2010. The Census Bureau is required by
>law to report state population totals to the President by December 31,
>2010, and detailed populations counts to the states for redistricting
>purposes by April 1, 2011.
>
>Committee report language (S. Rept. 111-3) directs the Census Bureau to
>use $780 million to hire more census takers "to count underserved
>communities"; $120 million to expand the Partnership Program, "with
>specific focus being placed on hard to reach populations"; and $100
>million to increase outreach and promotion "to minority communities."
>Appropriators suggested that the Census Bureau hire additional staff who
>are experienced with partnership programs and are trusted community
>leaders who can convey the importance of participating in the census to
>"hard to reach" populations.
>
>The full Senate is considering the package this week. Amendments to
>strip or reduce some of the funding from the bill, including the
>proposed $1 billion for the 2010 census, are possible.
>
>The House version of the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
>2009" does not lay out as many specific dollar amounts for spending the
>additional money, instead saying more broadly that the Census Bureau
>should "hire additional personnel, provide required training, increase
>targeted media purchases, and improve management of other operational
>and programmatic risks to ensure a successful decennial." The Census
>Bureau should use $150 million for "expanded communications and outreach
>programs to minimize undercounting of minority groups," according to the
>House Appropriations committee.
>
>An analysis of the economic stimulus package by Robert Santos of the
>Urban Institute, a Washington, DC think-tank, concludes that the
>proposed spending for the 2010 census "would provide an infusion of new
>jobs, better community participation and a more accurate census." Dr.
>Santos calls the census "a shovel-ready infrastructure project," a
>reference to one of President Obama's criteria for including projects in
>a stimulus package. The analysis is available on-line at
>http://www.urban.org/issues/recovery.cfm#santos.
>
>Senator urges quick appointment of Census Director: Senator Thomas
>Carper (D-DE), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial
>Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International
>Security (Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs), sent
>a letter to President Obama on January 28, urging him to "move quickly
>to fill the top leadership at the Commerce Department and the Census
>Bureau with individuals with the knowledge and the management skills
>necessary to get the ongoing preparations for the 2010 Census back on
>track for good." The chairman said that "serious challenges in managing
>key information technology activities" and reduced spending on
>advertising and outreach have led the Government Accountability Office
>(GAO) to designate the 2010 census as a "high risk" federal program.
>Sen. Carper called on the President to make the "overall success [of the
>census] a top priority of your Administration."
>
>The Federal Financial Management panel has tentatively scheduled an
>oversight hearing for February 25 to review the status of planning for
>the 2010 census.
>
>Census News Briefs are prepared by Terri Ann Lowenthal, a consultant to
>the nonpartisan Census Project, organized by the Communications
>Consortium Media Center in Washington, DC. Please direct questions
>about the information in this News Brief to Ms. Lowenthal at
>TerriAnn2K(a)aol.com. Please feel free to circulate this document to
>other interested individuals and organizations. Previous Census News
>Briefs are posted at www.thecensusproject.org
>
>--
>Ed Christopher
>Resource Center Planning Team
>Federal Highway Administration
>19900 Governors Drive
>Olympia Fields, Illinois 60461
>708-283-3534 (V) 708-574-8131 (cell)
>708-283-3501 (F)
>
>_______________________________________________
>ctpp-news mailing list
>ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
>http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news
>
>_______________________________________________
>ctpp-news mailing list
>ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
>http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news
>
>_______________________________________________
>ctpp-news mailing list
>ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
>http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patricia C. (Patty) Becker 248/354-6520
APB Associates/SEMCC FAX 248/354-6645
28300 Franklin Road Home 248/355-2428
Southfield, MI 48034 pbecker(a)umich.edu
One idea might be to let your state FHWA coordinators or someone who can ask Senator Gregg if he is interested in being part of this listserve. If so, we could precede to inform from that direction.
Angie Byrne
Transportation Planner
Bi-State Metropolitan Planning Organization
Western Arkansas Planning and Development District
1109 S. 16th St., P.O. Box 2067
Fort Smith, Arkansas 72902
(479) 785-2651
abyrne(a)wapdd.org <mailto:abyrne@wapdd.org>
www.bistatempo.org <http://www.bistatempo.org>
-----Original Message-----
From: ctpp-news-bounces(a)chrispy.net
[mailto:ctpp-news-bounces@chrispy.net]On Behalf Of Nancy Reger
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 5:28 PM
To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
Subject: RE: [CTPP] CENSUS NEWS BRIEF
Should we do anything--- ie say, welcome to Director Gregg and tell him how we use this data in the econ devt and transportation world as a community or just go solo?
Nancy Reger, AICP
Assistant Director, Transportation
Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission
111 Liberty St; Ste 100 / Cols OH 43215
(p) 614-233-4154 / (e) nreger(a)morpc.org
-----Original Message-----
From: ctpp-news-bounces(a)chrispy.net [mailto:ctpp-news-bounces@chrispy.net] On Behalf Of Ed Christopher
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 10:16 AM
To: ctpp-news maillist
Subject: [CTPP] CENSUS NEWS BRIEF
PRESIDENT SELECTS SEN. GREGG FOR COMMERCE SECRETARY;
SENATE CONSIDERS $1B FOR CENSUS IN STIMULUS BILL
Plus: House Passes Stimulus Funds for Census
President Obama has selected Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New
Hampshire, to be his Commerce Secretary. The post would give Sen. Gregg
authority over the Census Bureau and upcoming decennial census. The
Census Bureau is part of the Commerce Department's Economics and
Statistics Administration (ESA), which also houses the Bureau of
Economic Analysis (BEA).
Sen. Gregg, a three-term senator, former representative, and former New
Hampshire governor, is the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget
Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee. He is a member
and former chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and
Science (formerly Commerce, Justice, and State), which funds the Census
Bureau. The biography posted on his official web site highlights his
interest in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
another large Commerce Department agency.
Sen. Gregg chaired the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce,
Justice, and State during the 2000 census. In 1999, he questioned the
Administration's request for additional census funding for fiscal year
2000; the Census Bureau had asked for an extra $1.7 billion after a
Supreme Court decision forced it to redesign non-response follow-up
operations. The House of Representatives had approved the full $4.5
billion for the census year, while the Senate allocated the $2.8 billion
the Administration had sought before the Court ruling in a case
challenging the use of sampling to compile census population counts used
for congressional apportionment. Sen. Gregg especially questioned the
House's proposal to designate all census funding for 2000 as "emergency"
spending, which would remove the allocation from under tight budget
caps. The impasse over census funding helped delay passage of final
spending bills for 2000; Congress eventually approved the full funding
request, designating the entire amount as an "emergency."
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold
confirmation hearings for Sen. Gregg, while the Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee will be responsible for confirming a
Census director. President Obama has not yet nominated an Under
Secretary for Economic Affairs, who oversees the ESA, or Census Bureau
director; both positions require Senate confirmation.
Economic stimulus bill includes extra funds for 2010 census: On January
28, by a vote of 244 - 188, the U.S. House of Representatives approved
an $819 economic stimulus bill (H.R. 1) that includes $1 billion in
additional funds for the 2010 census. No Republican lawmakers supported
the bill.
The stimulus package requested by President Obama is also working its
way through the U.S. Senate. Last week, the Committee on Appropriations
approved its own version of the economic recovery package (S. 336),
which includes $1 billion for the 2010 census. The funds would be
available until September 30, 2010. The Census Bureau is required by
law to report state population totals to the President by December 31,
2010, and detailed populations counts to the states for redistricting
purposes by April 1, 2011.
Committee report language (S. Rept. 111-3) directs the Census Bureau to
use $780 million to hire more census takers "to count underserved
communities"; $120 million to expand the Partnership Program, "with
specific focus being placed on hard to reach populations"; and $100
million to increase outreach and promotion "to minority communities."
Appropriators suggested that the Census Bureau hire additional staff who
are experienced with partnership programs and are trusted community
leaders who can convey the importance of participating in the census to
"hard to reach" populations.
The full Senate is considering the package this week. Amendments to
strip or reduce some of the funding from the bill, including the
proposed $1 billion for the 2010 census, are possible.
The House version of the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009" does not lay out as many specific dollar amounts for spending the
additional money, instead saying more broadly that the Census Bureau
should "hire additional personnel, provide required training, increase
targeted media purchases, and improve management of other operational
and programmatic risks to ensure a successful decennial." The Census
Bureau should use $150 million for "expanded communications and outreach
programs to minimize undercounting of minority groups," according to the
House Appropriations committee.
An analysis of the economic stimulus package by Robert Santos of the
Urban Institute, a Washington, DC think-tank, concludes that the
proposed spending for the 2010 census "would provide an infusion of new
jobs, better community participation and a more accurate census." Dr.
Santos calls the census "a shovel-ready infrastructure project," a
reference to one of President Obama's criteria for including projects in
a stimulus package. The analysis is available on-line at
http://www.urban.org/issues/recovery.cfm#santos.
Senator urges quick appointment of Census Director: Senator Thomas
Carper (D-DE), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial
Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International
Security (Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs), sent
a letter to President Obama on January 28, urging him to "move quickly
to fill the top leadership at the Commerce Department and the Census
Bureau with individuals with the knowledge and the management skills
necessary to get the ongoing preparations for the 2010 Census back on
track for good." The chairman said that "serious challenges in managing
key information technology activities" and reduced spending on
advertising and outreach have led the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) to designate the 2010 census as a "high risk" federal program.
Sen. Carper called on the President to make the "overall success [of the
census] a top priority of your Administration."
The Federal Financial Management panel has tentatively scheduled an
oversight hearing for February 25 to review the status of planning for
the 2010 census.
Census News Briefs are prepared by Terri Ann Lowenthal, a consultant to
the nonpartisan Census Project, organized by the Communications
Consortium Media Center in Washington, DC. Please direct questions
about the information in this News Brief to Ms. Lowenthal at
TerriAnn2K(a)aol.com. Please feel free to circulate this document to
other interested individuals and organizations. Previous Census News
Briefs are posted at www.thecensusproject.org
--
Ed Christopher
Resource Center Planning Team
Federal Highway Administration
19900 Governors Drive
Olympia Fields, Illinois 60461
708-283-3534 (V) 708-574-8131 (cell)
708-283-3501 (F)
_______________________________________________
ctpp-news mailing list
ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news
_______________________________________________
ctpp-news mailing list
ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net
http://www.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/ctpp-news
Check out the Environmental Justice (EJ) Estimator and the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Baseline Report at: http://www.cubitplanning.com?vis=ct
In less than 60 seconds, you can pull free data ready for cut and paste insertion into planning reports and environmental documents.
Free EJ Estimator-This tool uses Census data to estimate the likelihood of EJ groups at the block level. Transportation practitioners can use the EJ Estimator during project scoping, before site visits and to estimate the level of effort needed to address EJ concerns.
Free LEP Baseline Report-This tool uses Census, school district and literacy data to identify LEP populations. You can cut and paste the automated text and tables into NEPA documents and planning reports.
Thanks for trying these new tools at: http://www.cubitplanning.com?vis=ct
Anthony Morales
amorales(a)cubitplanning.com
http://www.cubitplanning.com
PRESIDENT SELECTS SEN. GREGG FOR COMMERCE SECRETARY;
SENATE CONSIDERS $1B FOR CENSUS IN STIMULUS BILL
Plus: House Passes Stimulus Funds for Census
President Obama has selected Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New
Hampshire, to be his Commerce Secretary. The post would give Sen. Gregg
authority over the Census Bureau and upcoming decennial census. The
Census Bureau is part of the Commerce Department’s Economics and
Statistics Administration (ESA), which also houses the Bureau of
Economic Analysis (BEA).
Sen. Gregg, a three-term senator, former representative, and former New
Hampshire governor, is the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget
Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee. He is a member
and former chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and
Science (formerly Commerce, Justice, and State), which funds the Census
Bureau. The biography posted on his official web site highlights his
interest in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
another large Commerce Department agency.
Sen. Gregg chaired the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce,
Justice, and State during the 2000 census. In 1999, he questioned the
Administration’s request for additional census funding for fiscal year
2000; the Census Bureau had asked for an extra $1.7 billion after a
Supreme Court decision forced it to redesign non-response follow-up
operations. The House of Representatives had approved the full $4.5
billion for the census year, while the Senate allocated the $2.8 billion
the Administration had sought before the Court ruling in a case
challenging the use of sampling to compile census population counts used
for congressional apportionment. Sen. Gregg especially questioned the
House’s proposal to designate all census funding for 2000 as “emergency”
spending, which would remove the allocation from under tight budget
caps. The impasse over census funding helped delay passage of final
spending bills for 2000; Congress eventually approved the full funding
request, designating the entire amount as an “emergency.”
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold
confirmation hearings for Sen. Gregg, while the Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee will be responsible for confirming a
Census director. President Obama has not yet nominated an Under
Secretary for Economic Affairs, who oversees the ESA, or Census Bureau
director; both positions require Senate confirmation.
Economic stimulus bill includes extra funds for 2010 census: On January
28, by a vote of 244 – 188, the U.S. House of Representatives approved
an $819 economic stimulus bill (H.R. 1) that includes $1 billion in
additional funds for the 2010 census. No Republican lawmakers supported
the bill.
The stimulus package requested by President Obama is also working its
way through the U.S. Senate. Last week, the Committee on Appropriations
approved its own version of the economic recovery package (S. 336),
which includes $1 billion for the 2010 census. The funds would be
available until September 30, 2010. The Census Bureau is required by
law to report state population totals to the President by December 31,
2010, and detailed populations counts to the states for redistricting
purposes by April 1, 2011.
Committee report language (S. Rept. 111-3) directs the Census Bureau to
use $780 million to hire more census takers “to count underserved
communities”; $120 million to expand the Partnership Program, “with
specific focus being placed on hard to reach populations”; and $100
million to increase outreach and promotion “to minority communities.”
Appropriators suggested that the Census Bureau hire additional staff who
are experienced with partnership programs and are trusted community
leaders who can convey the importance of participating in the census to
“hard to reach” populations.
The full Senate is considering the package this week. Amendments to
strip or reduce some of the funding from the bill, including the
proposed $1 billion for the 2010 census, are possible.
The House version of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009” does not lay out as many specific dollar amounts for spending the
additional money, instead saying more broadly that the Census Bureau
should “hire additional personnel, provide required training, increase
targeted media purchases, and improve management of other operational
and programmatic risks to ensure a successful decennial.” The Census
Bureau should use $150 million for “expanded communications and outreach
programs to minimize undercounting of minority groups,” according to the
House Appropriations committee.
An analysis of the economic stimulus package by Robert Santos of the
Urban Institute, a Washington, DC think-tank, concludes that the
proposed spending for the 2010 census “would provide an infusion of new
jobs, better community participation and a more accurate census.” Dr.
Santos calls the census “a shovel-ready infrastructure project,” a
reference to one of President Obama’s criteria for including projects in
a stimulus package. The analysis is available on-line at
http://www.urban.org/issues/recovery.cfm#santos.
Senator urges quick appointment of Census Director: Senator Thomas
Carper (D-DE), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial
Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International
Security (Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs), sent
a letter to President Obama on January 28, urging him to “move quickly
to fill the top leadership at the Commerce Department and the Census
Bureau with individuals with the knowledge and the management skills
necessary to get the ongoing preparations for the 2010 Census back on
track for good.” The chairman said that “serious challenges in managing
key information technology activities” and reduced spending on
advertising and outreach have led the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) to designate the 2010 census as a “high risk” federal program.
Sen. Carper called on the President to make the “overall success [of the
census] a top priority of your Administration.”
The Federal Financial Management panel has tentatively scheduled an
oversight hearing for February 25 to review the status of planning for
the 2010 census.
Census News Briefs are prepared by Terri Ann Lowenthal, a consultant to
the nonpartisan Census Project, organized by the Communications
Consortium Media Center in Washington, DC. Please direct questions
about the information in this News Brief to Ms. Lowenthal at
TerriAnn2K(a)aol.com. Please feel free to circulate this document to
other interested individuals and organizations. Previous Census News
Briefs are posted at www.thecensusproject.org
--
Ed Christopher
Resource Center Planning Team
Federal Highway Administration
19900 Governors Drive
Olympia Fields, Illinois 60461
708-283-3534 (V) 708-574-8131 (cell)
708-283-3501 (F)
Hi,
I am out of office and will be back on Tuesday, February 17, 2009.
If you need demographic information, please call (303) 866-4147 (Becky Picaso).
For questions related to the CTF 7/1/2008 Housing Unit and GQ Population Estimates Review, please contact Elizabeth Garner, State Demographer, at (303) 866-3096 or email address at elizabeth.garner(a)state.co.us.
Thank you.
>>> ctpp-news 02/03/09 08:16 >>>
PRESIDENT SELECTS SEN. GREGG FOR COMMERCE SECRETARY;
SENATE CONSIDERS $1B FOR CENSUS IN STIMULUS BILL
Plus: House Passes Stimulus Funds for Census
President Obama has selected Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New
Hampshire, to be his Commerce Secretary. The post would give Sen. Gregg
authority over the Census Bureau and upcoming decennial census. The
Census Bureau is part of the Commerce Department’s Economics and
Statistics Administration (ESA), which also houses the Bureau of
Economic Analysis (BEA).
Sen. Gregg, a three-term senator, former representative, and former New
Hampshire governor, is the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget
Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee. He is a member
and former chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and
Science (formerly Commerce, Justice, and State), which funds the Census
Bureau. The biography posted on his official web site highlights his
interest in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
another large Commerce Department agency.
Sen. Gregg chaired the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce,
Justice, and State during the 2000 census. In 1999, he questioned the
Administration’s request for additional census funding for fiscal year
2000; the Census Bureau had asked for an extra $1.7 billion after a
Supreme Court decision forced it to redesign non-response follow-up
operations. The House of Representatives had approved the full $4.5
billion for the census year, while the Senate allocated the $2.8 billion
the Administration had sought before the Court ruling in a case
challenging the use of sampling to compile census population counts used
for congressional apportionment. Sen. Gregg especially questioned the
House’s proposal to designate all census funding for 2000 as “emergency”
spending, which would remove the allocation from under tight budget
caps. The impasse over census funding helped delay passage of final
spending bills for 2000; Congress eventually approved the full funding
request, designating the entire amount as an “emergency.”
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold
confirmation hearings for Sen. Gregg, while the Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee will be responsible for confirming a
Census director. President Obama has not yet nominated an Under
Secretary for Economic Affairs, who oversees the ESA, or Census Bureau
director; both positions require Senate confirmation.
Economic stimulus bill includes extra funds for 2010 census: On January
28, by a vote of 244 – 188, the U.S. House of Representatives approved
an $819 economic stimulus bill (H.R. 1) that includes $1 billion in
additional funds for the 2010 census. No Republican lawmakers supported
the bill.
The stimulus package requested by President Obama is also working its
way through the U.S. Senate. Last week, the Committee on Appropriations
approved its own version of the economic recovery package (S. 336),
which includes $1 billion for the 2010 census. The funds would be
available until September 30, 2010. The Census Bureau is required by
law to report state population totals to the President by December 31,
2010, and detailed populations counts to the states for redistricting
purposes by April 1, 2011.
Committee report language (S. Rept. 111-3) directs the Census Bureau to
use $780 million to hire more census takers “to count underserved
communities”; $120 million to expand the Partnership Program, “with
specific focus being placed on hard to reach populations”; and $100
million to increase outreach and promotion “to minority communities.”
Appropriators suggested that the Census Bureau hire additional staff who
are experienced with partnership programs and are trusted community
leaders who can convey the importance of participating in the census to
“hard to reach” populations.
The full Senate is considering the package this week. Amendments to
strip or reduce some of the funding from the bill, including the
proposed $1 billion for the 2010 census, are possible.
The House version of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009” does not lay out as many specific dollar amounts for spending the
additional money, instead saying more broadly that the Census Bureau
should “hire additional personnel, provide required training, increase
targeted media purchases, and improve management of other operational
and programmatic risks to ensure a successful decennial.” The Census
Bureau should use $150 million for “expanded communications and outreach
programs to minimize undercounting of minority groups,” according to the
House Appropriations committee.
An analysis of the economic stimulus package by Robert Santos of the
Urban Institute, a Washington, DC think-tank, concludes that the
proposed spending for the 2010 census “would provide an infusion of new
jobs, better community participation and a more accurate census.” Dr.
Santos calls the census “a shovel-ready infrastructure project,” a
reference to one of President Obama’s criteria for including projects in
a stimulus package. The analysis is available on-line at
http://www.urban.org/issues/recovery.cfm#santos.
Senator urges quick appointment of Census Director: Senator Thomas
Carper (D-DE), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial
Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International
Security (Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs), sent
a letter to President Obama on January 28, urging him to “move quickly
to fill the top leadership at the Commerce Department and the Census
Bureau with individuals with the knowledge and the management skills
necessary to get the ongoing preparations for the 2010 Census back on
track for good.” The chairman said that “serious challenges in managing
key information technology activities” and reduced spending on
advertising and outreach have led the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) to designate the 2010 census as a “high risk” federal program.
Sen. Carper called on the President to make the “overall success [of the
census] a top priority of your Administration.”
The Federal Financial Management panel has tentatively scheduled an
oversight hearing for February 25 to review the status of planning for
the 2010 census.
Census News Briefs are prepared by Terri Ann Lowenthal, a consultant to
the nonpartisan Census Project, organized by the Communications
Consortium Media Center in Washington, DC. Please direct questions
about the information in this News Brief to Ms. Lowenthal at
TerriAnn2K(a)aol.com. Please feel free to circulate this document to
other interested individuals and organizations. Previous Census News
Briefs are posted at www.thecensusproject.org
--
Ed Christopher
Resource Center Planning Team
Federal Highway Administration
19900 Governors Drive
Olympia Fields, Illinois 60461
708-283-3534 (V) 708-574-8131 (cell)
708-283-3501 (F)
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