PAA, Association of Population Centers, Association of Public Data Users, Consortium of Social Science Associations, Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics and American Statistical Association have co-written a letter to express opposition to HR 151, the Equal Representation Act.
The Equal Representation Act proposes adding a citizenship question to the decennial census and excluding noncitizens from the number of persons used to determine apportionment, bypassing the Census Bureau’s objective, robust review process. Taken together, the bill’s major provisions could potentially undermine participation in the decennial census and, therefore, ultimately diminish the quality and utility of decennial census data.
We urge Congress to hold hearings, consult experts, and consider legislation that would facilitate and enhance the Census Bureau’s ability to fulfill its constitutional mandate and implement a successful decennial census.