New subject: CTPP animation map

3 Nov 2015

This came from the Census Project and may be of interest.
http://www.thecensusproject.org/

Today, two subcommittees will hold a joint hearing on the Census Bureau's use of
technology to improve the next decennial census and to reduce costs. This update also
includes information on the Census Bureau's Fiscal Year 2016 budget; new resource
information (posted on the Census Project's website) on the 2020 Census Operational
Plan; and the U.S. Conference of Mayors new 2020 Census Task Force.

1. Appropriations update: Congress and the Administration have reached a budget deal for
FY2016 (and FY2017) that will increase the overall spending limit for non-defense
discretionary programs by $25 billion for the fiscal year that started October 1st. The
House and Senate Appropriations Committees must now revise the 12 annual funding bills,
and Congress must enact them, before the temporary spending bill (Continuing Resolution)
expires on December 11th. The Census Project will circulate a sign-on letter later this
week, urging appropriators to increase funding substantially for 2020 Census planning and
the American Community Survey (ACS); the Commerce, Justice, and Science bills approved
over the summer cut the budget significantly for both programs. (Congress is likely to
roll all 12 appropriations bills into one Omnibus measure.)

2. Other congressional news: Two subcommittees of the House Oversight and Government
Reform Committee, which has jurisdiction over Census Bureau programs, will hold a joint
hearing, "Preparing for the 2020 Census: Will the Technology be Ready?,” on Tuesday,
Nov. 3, at 2:00pm in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building. The Subcommittee on Information
Technology is chaired by Rep. William Hurd (R-TX); the Subcommittee on Government
Operations is chaired by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC).

3. 2020 Census update: Census Director John Thompson and Associate Director for the
Decennial Census, Lisa Blumerman, discussed the 2020 Census Operational Plan with Census
Project stakeholders during an October 21st telephone briefing. The Bureau released the
baseline plan on October 6th. The slides that accompanied the presentation are posted on
our website.

4. Stakeholder news: The U.S. Conference of Mayors selected San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor
to chair its Census Task Force for the 2020 Census. Mayor Taylor, a nonpartisan office
holder, was elected on June 13, 2015, but she was previously appointed to the position
when President Obama nominated former Mayor Julian Castro to be the Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development. The Conference is the official, non-partisan organization of cities
with populations of 30,000 or higher.

Ed Christopher

Census Bureau News