Washington, DC--Yesterday, five former U.S. Census Directors, who oversaw the U.S. Census process since 1973, expressed in a statement their grave concerns about a proposed amendment by Senator David Vitter (LA-R) to the Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill that would add a new question on citizenship and immigration status to the 2010 census. Citing concerns about enumeration accuracy, delays, processing nightmares and billions in wasted taxpayer resources, the former Census Directors urge the Senate to vote down the Vitter amendment when it comes up for a vote late Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.

"Adding an untested question at this late point in the decennial [Census] process would put the accuracy of the enumeration in all communities at risk and would likely delay the start of the census," the former Directors' statement says. "Less than six months before Census Day, and only several months before the count starts, is not the time to place a decade of careful and demanding preparations at risk."

In their statement, the former Census Directors highlight the over $7 billion that the U.S. Census has already invested in questionnaires, administrative policies and planning for 2010 that will be entirely wasted if changes to the Census questionnaire are made at this late point. They likewise warn that adding an immigration and citizenship question would likely discourage millions of immigrants from participating in the 2010 Census--further damaging accuracy of the one document that is supposed to paint an accurate picture of who we are as a nation.

"In order to get an accurate count and uphold the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Census count should be isolated from petty, divisive politics," said Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina. "SEIU urges Senators to vote against Senator Vitter's efforts to poison the 2010 U.S. Census and turn our nation on a backwards course. An accurate 2010 Census count is simply too critical to recognizing our nation's true diversity and building better future for all of us."

Click here to read full statement by the former U.S. Census Directors.

Background:

Held every 10 years, the U.S. Census determines Congressional reapportionment and political representation in State Legislatures and hundreds of legislative bodies at the local level. It also decides the allocation of more than $400 billion in Federal funds annually to communities annually--including funds for Medicaid, voter protection, SCHIP, childcare, early child education, school lunch, and other vital services.

Currently, SEIU is an active partner in the ya es hora !HAGASE CONTAR! campaign--an effort to fully count U.S. Latinos in the 2010 Census. Click here or contact Ali.Jost@seiu.org to learn more.

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