Census

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Democracy Counts, a monthly publication to update advocates, media, and interested persons on the latest census news, provide resources for advocates, and connect the census to issues you care about.

We urge the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs to conduct oversight hearings on the Commerce Secretary’s decision to add a citizenship question to the decennial census as soon as possible.

Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn appeared today on CounterSpin, a daily podcast hosted by Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), to discuss the controversy over a proposed citizenship question on the 2020 Census

Plans to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 Census will skew the count in favor of Republicans and leave millions of people unrepresented in Congress,.statehouses, and city and county councils.

Americans deserve a fair and accurate census where everyone within the borders of our country are counted, regardless of their citizenship status. The inclusion of the citizenship question threatens that constitutional requirement and politicizes this process.

The American public must have confidence in the leadership of Census Bureau to ensure everyone is counted accurately. Public outrage met reports that Thomas Brunell would be named deputy director, a slot that does not require Senate confirmation, but that he would in fact lead the Census. The controversy was well founded. Brunell’s controversial background as an academic who regular testified in support Republican gerrymanders would have politicized the national headcount.