The Hill: America needs a Census Bureau director who will count all fairly
Federal elections are the pillar of our national democracy, and the decennial census is the foundation for those elections and assuring that every person is counted accurately and has fair political representation. That makes the responsibility of the Census Bureau to carry out an accurate and fair census a critical charge. Everything from how we are represented in Congress to community resources for our schools, hospitals, and assistance to veterans depends on reliable and accurate census data. Unfortunately, as our country moves along a shrinking timeline for executing the 2020 census, serious legal concerns are emerging regarding how the Trump administration views Census Bureau leadership. We applaud the letter recently sent by eight leading legal advocacy organizations to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, urging him to ensure a lawful and transparent process for filling leadership vacancies at this vital agency. We echo concerns set out in the letter that the administration’s apparent approach would flout the will of Congress by disregarding federal law and circumventing the Senate’s role in providing advice and consent for a Census Bureau director.