Letters

The Census Project works continuously to educate Congress about the critical importance of adequate yearly funding for 2020 Census planning and operations and for the American Community Survey.

In letters to both the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, more than 300 civil rights, faith and labor groups called for oversight hearings on Secretary Ross’ decision to include the citizenship question on the 2020 Census
Apr. 12, 2018

Letter from a coalition of social scientists, organized by Census 2020 Counts and the Union of Concerned Scientists, urging Secretary Ross to protect the scientific integrity of the census by not introducing the citizenship question at this late stage
Mar. 23, 2018

American business leaders express deep concern about the DOJ’s request to include an untested question about citizenship on the 2020 Census
Mar. 22, 2018

Letter from the New York Immigration Coalition requesting a rejection of any DOJ effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census
Feb. 20, 2018

Jewish Organizations Send Letter to Department of Commerce on Addition of Citizenship Question to 2020 Census
Feb. 16, 2018

Letter from a coalition of 19 Attorneys General and the State of Colorado opposing citizenship question on the 2020 Census
Feb. 12, 2018

Letter from the National League of Cities to Secretary Ross urging him not to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census
Feb. 8, 2018

Letter from over 160 mayors to Secretary of Commerce Ross: Don’t undercut cities – work with us to ensure U.S. cities are treated fairly in the 2020 Census
Feb. 6, 2018

Bipartisan letter from six former Census Bureau Directors in opposition to the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census – Jan. 26, 2018

Letter from 61 Members of Congress expressing deep concern over the DOJ’s request to include citizenship questions in the next census
Jan. 17, 2018

Protect the Census: Oppose DOJ Request to Add a Citizenship Question to the 2020 Census
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Jan. 10, 2018

The American Statistical Association strongly cautions against the addition of a citizenship question in the upcoming census
Jan. 8, 2018

Census Bureau Director

Twenty-one senators sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Ross and Director of Presidential Personnel John DeStefano urging them to choose a nonpartisan, experienced and scientifically-qualified nominee to lead the Census Bureau
May 17, 2018

Thirty-four senators sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Office of Personnel Management Director John DeStefano asking them to urgently appoint a new Census Bureau director
Nov. 7, 2017

Thirty members of Congress sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross asking him to quickly appoint a qualified new Census Bureau director
August 14, 2017

Letter to President Trump urging the prompt nomination of a new director of the Census Bureau
June 7, 2017

A Fair and Accurate Census is Essential: The 2020 Census Must be Well-Funded with a Highly Qualified and Established Leader as Census Bureau Director
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
May 31, 2017

Director Nomination

Letter to Senate leaders urging the prompt confirmation of Dr. Steven Dillingham to be the next U.S. Census Bureau director
December 14, 2018

Letter to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee urging careful consideration of nominee Dr. Steven Dillingham
September 28, 2018

Tribal Areas

Letter to Secretary Ross expressing deep concern regarding the accurate counting of tribal communities across the nation and requesting an actionable plan to ensure an accurate and cost effective process to count all American Indians and Alaska Natives in the 2020 Census
August 2, 2018

Fiscal Year 2018

Letter to appropriators urging an increase in 302(b) allocations for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) bill
Feb. 22, 2018

Letter from the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) to Congressional leaders regarding Census Bureau funding
Jan. 17, 2018

Letter from U.S. senators to the Senate Appropriations and Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies committees regarding funding for the Census Bureau in the FY 2018 omnibus package
Dec. 21, 2017

Letter to appropriators in support of a funding anomaly for the Census Bureau in a FY 2018 Continuing Resolution
Dec. 4, 2017

National business organizations’ letter on Census Bureau funding for FY 2018
Nov. 28, 2017

Letter to appropriators on FY 2018 Census Bureau funding
Nov. 16, 2017

Letter from the American Enterprise Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on census funding
Sept. 22, 2017

NCSL Letter Urging the House of Representatives to Provide Sufficient Funding for the 2020 Decennial Census
The National Conference of State Legislatures sent a letter to congressional policymakers urging “robust” funding of the 2020 Census. The letter noted the important connection between accurate census data and federal allocation of about $600 billion in annual funds to state and local governments.
Sept. 6, 2017

Letter to appropriators on FY 2018 Census Bureau funding
Sept. 1, 2017

Letter from controllers and treasurers to policymakers
A bipartisan group of state and local controllers and treasurers wrote to national policymakers about the need to fully fund the 2020 Census budget for FY 2018 so adequate preparations can be done to ensure a fair and accurate decennial census.
June 20, 2017

FY 2018 CJS bill – Support adequate funding for the U.S. Census Bureau
July 24, 2017

Congressional “Dear Colleague” letter on FY 2018 appropriations for the Census Bureau
May 18, 2017

Fiscal Years 2017-2018

Letter to Senate appropriators on appropriations for Census 2020 and ACS in FY 2017 and FY 2018
Letter to House appropriators on appropriations for Census 2020 and ACS in FY 2017 and FY 2018
April 24, 2017

National business organizations’ letter on appropriations for Census 2020 and ACS in FY 2017 and FY 2018
Letter to House appropriators
Letter to Senate appropriators
April 24, 2017

Letter from the nation’s major state/local government organizations on appropriations for Census 2020 and ACS in FY 2017 and FY 2018
April 21, 2017

Congressional “Dear Colleague” letter on FY 2018 appropriations for the Census Bureau
April 4, 2017

Presidential Transition

Letter to President-elect Donald Trump about 2020 Census priorities
Dec. 13, 2016

Party Platforms

Nine major business trade associations wrote to the chairs of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee urging them to include language in their parties’ 2016 platforms to endorse a fair and accurate 2020 Census and a comprehensive American Community Survey.
June 27, 2016

Congressional Oversight

Letter from House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to Census Director John Thompson, regarding the progress of IT system development for the 2020 Census
May 2016

Fiscal Year 2017

In anticipation of congressional action extending the Continuing Resolution (CR) for the FY 2017 federal budget, 16 members of Congress co-signed a letter urging the Appropriations Committee to create a so-called anomaly which would give the Census Bureau an extra $100 million during the period of the second CR in order to fund planning for the 2020 Census.
Dec. 5, 2016

Letter to Senate appropriators in support of a funding anomaly for the Census Bureau in the second FY2017 Continuing Resolution
Letter to House appropriators in support of a funding anomaly for the Census Bureau in the second FY2017 Continuing Resolution
Nov. 30, 2016

Letter to Senate appropriators in support of Census Bureau funding in final FY2017 CJS/Omnibus bill
Letter to House appropriators in support of Census Bureau funding in final FY2017 CJS/Omnibus bill
Oct. 17, 2016

Letter to OMB Director Shaun Donovan in support of a funding anomaly for the Census Bureau in the FY2017 Continuing Resolution
August 2016

Letter to full U.S. House of Representatives on the FY 2017 Census Bureau budget
June 13, 2016

Letter to full U.S. Senate on the FY 2017 Census Bureau budget
June 10, 2016

Senators’ letter to the Appropriations Committee in support of full FY2017 census and ACS funding (organized by Sen. Al Franken)
Representatives’ letter to the Appropriations Committee in support of full FY2017 census and ACS funding (organized by Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Keith Ellison, and Gerald Connolly)

National business organizations’ letter on FY 2016 census budget and the ACS
Letter to House appropriators
Letter to Senate appropriators
March 17, 2016

Letter to Senate appropriators on the proposed FY 2017 Census Bureau budget
Letter to House appropriators on the proposed FY 2017 Census Bureau budget
Feb. 18, 2016

Fiscal Year 2016

Letter to Senate appropriators on the FY 2016 Census Bureau budget
Letter to House appropriators on the FY 2016 Census Bureau budget
Nov. 9, 2015

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sent a letter to congressional leadership urging full FY 2016 funding for Census 2020 and the American Community Survey
Nov. 4, 2015

Letter to Congress on FY 2016 appropriations
Sept. 10, 2015

Letter to members of the U.S. Senate on the FY 2016 CJS appropriations bill
June 8, 2015

Letter from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights on the FY 2016 CJS appropriations bill
June 1, 2015

Letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives on the FY 2016 CJS appropriations bill
June 1, 2015

The nation’s major state/local government organizations sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging full funding of the American Community Survey.
May 20, 2015

The Office of Management and Budget sent a letter to leadership on the House Appropriations Committee expressing concern regarding committee actions on FY 2016 budget cuts affecting Census 2020 planning and the American Community Survey.
May 19, 2015

Letter from the U.S. Conference of Mayors to the House Appropriations Committee, in support of sufficient funding for 2020 Census planning and the American Community Survey in FY 2016
May 18, 2015

Twenty-one business organizations, representing tens of thousands of local and community businesses, sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to fully fund the FY 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) budget. In addition, the business groups said they were opposed to efforts that might make participation in the ACS voluntary instead of mandatory.

Read the version sent to the U.S. House of Representatives
Read the version sent to the U.S. Senate
April 13, 2015

Letter from 46 Members of Congress Supporting Full FY 2016 Funding for Census 2020 Planning and ACS
March 24, 2015

Letters from state and local chambers of commerce in support of full funding for the American Community Survey and keeping response mandatory.

Letter to the House Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations subcommittee
Letter to the Senate Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations subcommittee
March 24, 2015

Letter to Senate appropriators on the FY 2016 Census Bureau budget
Letter to House appropriators on the FY 2016 Census Bureau budget
Feb. 25, 2015