When Does Census Counting End? Bureau Sends ‘Alarming’ Mixed Signals

Enlarge this image

Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham, wearing a face covering printed with the words «2020 Census,» testified before the House oversight committee Wednesday that the bureau plans to finish counting «as soon as possible» despite career officials previously saying they need until Oct. 31 to finish a complete national head count.

Andrew Harnik/AP


hide caption

toggle caption

Andrew Harnik/AP


National
Republicans Signal They’re Willing To Cut Census Counting Short


National
With No Final Say, Trump Wants To Change Who Counts For Dividing Up Congress’ Seats

Asked by Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., if he was aware that the Trump administration reportedly wants to quickly wrap up counting so that the president can receive the census apportionment numbers by the end of the year, Dillingham replied: «I’m not aware of all the many reasons except to say that the Census Bureau and others really want us to proceed as rapidly as possible.»

But top career officials at the bureau — including Tim Olson, the associate director for field operations — have publicly warned since May that the agency can no longer meet the current deadlines.

Pressed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Dillingham said he «can’t agree» with Olson’s assessment, noting the bureau has «many more assessments ahead of us here.»

«President Trump and Mitch McConnell are demanding the American people finance their political manipulation of our democracy,» Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chair of the House oversight committee, said in a statement after the hearing. «Rushing the census to completion means that census workers will not have enough time to follow up on the non-responses, an essential operation designed to find and count the hardest to reach communities.»

The office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the White House press office have not responded to NPR’s requests for comment.

Your name will go down in history if this is the worst census ever conducted by the United States government.

Abandoning Oct. 31 as the end date for counting would throw the census, already upended by months of delays, deeper into turmoil as hundreds of thousands of the bureau’s door knockers try to figure out how to conduct in-person interviews as many states grapple with growing coronavirus outbreaks in the middle of hurricane season.

«That date doesn’t mean anything to me after today,» a Census Bureau official told NPR on Wednesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation from superiors for speaking out.

«It’s embarrassing because we have been discussing this in presentations and conversations with staff,» the official added. «I’m hurt that they ‘suddenly’ changed their minds.»

But local census offices in New England, New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico are still scheduled to continue door-knocking through the end of October, according to Jeff Behler, director for the bureau’s New York regional office.

«Are we doing anything to accelerate?» Behler said Thursday during a press briefing organized by the Association for a Better New York. «I would say, not really.»

On Wednesday, during a hearing full of nonanswers and roundabout responses to lawmakers’ questions, Dillingham did appear certain about at least one topic.


National
10 Census Facts That Bust Common Myths About The 2020 U.S. Head Count

The director of the Census Bureau testified that he first learned about Trump’s plans to attempt to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the census numbers used to reapportion seats in Congress not from any internal discussions, but from a news report «late on a Friday» that said «such a directive may be coming down.»

«I will swear to it all day long under oath,» Dillingham said after Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., looking incredulous in a remote video feed, reminded him that he was testifying under oath.

Gomez, another House member who joined the hearing remotely to question Dillingham, left the bureau’s director with a stern warning before stepping away from the camera.

«It seems like there’s an obvious pattern that you’re not in control of the Census Bureau,» Gomez said. «Your name will go down in history if this is the worst census ever conducted by the United States government. You’re not going to run away and say that this was only because of the Trump administration later on. You will be responsible.»

  • house oversight committee
  • 2020 Census
  • Census Bureau

Комментарии 0