A letter to Congressional appropriators, organized by the Census Project and co-signed by more than 190 organizations, urged Congress to quickly pass a FY 2019 budget for the Census Bureau of at least $4.4 billion.
“Ever since Congress directed the Bureau to mount an aggressive paid outreach and advertising program after the disappointing 1990 Census, never has the need for these efforts been greater if we are to win full public cooperation with the 2020 count. We are nearing the 11th hour in preparations and any disruption to funding will put at risk a full and fair count that is vital for the next decade to secure the continuation of fair political representation for our democracy and the just allocation of federal tax dollars to states and localities,” said Mary Jo Hoeksema, co-director of the Census Project.
In a separate letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, the Census Project said, “given the uncertainty surrounding the final FY 2019 CJS deliberations, and the delicate, consequential state of Census 2020 preparations, we encourage you to exercise your authority and ensure uninterrupted funding for the Census Bureau if a partial government shutdown occurs. Census Data are vital to America’s economy and local planning, as well as countless investment decisions made every day. Ensuring the timely delivery of the 2020 data should be a national priority.”