The Census Project recently presented at briefings on both sides of Congress.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) hosted a briefing for House staff on May 17, 2019, featuring Mary Jo Hoeksema, Co-Director of the Census Project. She, along with Corrine Yu (Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights), John Foti (Service Employees Union International), Angela Manso (NALEO Educational Fund), Terry Minnis (Asian Americans Advancing Justice), and Jeri Green (National Urban League), updated staff on a wide range of census-related issues, including funding concerns and the status of the proposed citizenship question. Approximately 30 staff attended, representing a wide range of offices including freshman and senior members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hosted a briefing for more than 40 Senate staff on May 20, 2019, featuring: Howard Fienberg, codirector of the Census Project; Robert Goldenkoff, director of strategic issues for the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Denise Desiderio, senior policy advisor in American Indian Law at Akin Gump; Angela Manso, director of policy & legislative affairs at NALEO Educational Fund; and Terri-Ann Lowenthal, census consultant. The panelists covered the state of 2020 Census preparations, budget considerations, the importance for rural areas, native communities, and the business community, and how Congressional offices can assist the get-out-the-count, as well as helping them prepare for expectations during and after the count next year.