Appropriations Update
In October, Congress jumpstarted the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations process in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
In an October 25 blog, the Census Project summarized a schedule that the new Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-LA-4) proposed for the chamber�s consideration of FY 24 appropriations bills. His plan includes a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the Federal government funded when the current CR expires on November 17. In addition, he proposed that the House debate its version of the FY 24 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) bill, which funds the Census Bureau, the week of November 6. In a subsequent update, the House Rules Committee announced that floor consideration of the CJS bill may occur the week of November 13.
The U.S. Senate has not announced plans for considering its version of the FY 2024 CJS appropriations bill. However, in October, the chamber brought three other appropriations bills to the floor in a �minibus� package�a move that portends possible action for the remaining bills.
(Forget where funding levels stand in the FY 2024 CJS appropriations legislation? Refer back to this recent blog from The Census Project.)
Policy Update
Changes on Key U.S. Senate Committees Overseeing U.S. Census�Bureau
On September 29, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the longest serving female member of the U.S. Senate, died at the age of 90. Given Senator Feinstein was a high-ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its CJS Appropriations Subcommittee, her passing necessitated changes to key committees that fund and oversee the U.S. Census Bureau.
To fill Senator Feinstein�s seat on the Appropriations Committee, Senate leadership appointed Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) Senator Laphonza Butler (D-CA), who was chosen by California Governor Gavin Newsom to replace Senator Feinstein, was assigned to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC). HSGAC has oversight authority of the Census Bureau in the U.S. Senate. More details are available in an October 23 Census Project blog.
National Academies Releases Long Awaited Report on 2020 Census
A new report from the National Academies, �Assessing the 2020 Census,� looked at �the quality of the 2020 Census and its constituent operations, drawing appropriate comparisons with prior censuses.� The report, which was featured in a recent Census Project blog, raised concerns regarding coverage, data quality, and strategies that the Bureau employed to protect the confidentiality of data. The report also acknowledges �the extraordinary challenges the Census Bureau faced in conducting the census� and suggests steps that the agency can take to improve its conduct of the 2030 Census.
Census Bureau News
In an October 31 blog, Deputy Director Ron Jarmin discusses steps that the Census Bureau is taking to secure data and protect the privacy of survey respondents.
On October 26, Director Santos released a blog in which he reflects on how the 2030 Census research agenda will help improve the enumeration of historically undercounted populations.
According to an October 24 release, the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) are launching a joint effort to modernize the Current Population Survey (CPS) and announce proposed plans to implement changes to ensure sustainability.
On October 17, the Census Bureau announced how it is addressing the over 8,000 public comments it received regarding its 2030 Census research plans. The ideas were received in response to a Federal Register Notice (FRN) seeking input or suggestions on ways to improve or enhance the way people respond to the once-a-decade population count.
The Bureau issued a release on October 12 stipulating that special tabulations program for the decennial census has resumed. The data-user community now has an opportunity to request 2020 Census data not included in a 2020 Census data product release.
Census Bureau Data Releases
Data from the 2022 Annual Business Survey was released on October 26.
On October 26, the Bureau released new data products from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), a survey that measures business conditions and projections on an ongoing basis.
The Noisy Measurement File associated with the 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC) was unveiled on October 23. The 2020 Noisy Measurement Files are considered research-based statistical products and should not be considered the official 2020 Census counts.
Based on the 2022 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, new state-level statistics on geographic mobility and place of birth in 2022 were released on October 19.
On October 17, a new Earnings by Field of Degree table package providing detailed data on field of bachelor�s degree and median earnings for the U.S. population ages 25 to 64 with a bachelor�s degree or higher was released. The package, based on the 2022 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, shows detailed fields of degree such as sociology, nursing and fine arts, rather than examining one large group such as �social sciences� for the first time.
The September 2023 Business Formation Statistics (BFS) were released on October 16. According to the Bureau, the BFS provide timely and high frequency information on new business applications and formations in the United States.
Total school enrollment in the United States experienced a growth of 1.3 million from 2021 to 2022, reaching a total of 75.2 million students enrolled, according to new data from the 2022 Current Population Survey (CPS) released on October 11.
Preliminary tables containing data from the Annual Survey of School System Finances were released on October 3.
In an October 10 report, �Aging-Ready Homes in the United States�Perception Versus Reality of Aging-Accessibility Needs: 2019,� the Census Bureau found that about 4 million U.S. households with an adult age 65 or older had difficulty living in or using some features of their home. This report is based on data from the 2019 American Housing Survey (AHS).
News You Can Use
Below are several articles posted on The Census Project home page in October 2023. For a complete listing, go to: https://thecensusproject.org/recent-media/.
Exodus From New York and San Francisco Is Far From Over
Bloomberg
October 30, 2023
5 facts about Hispanic Americans and health care
Pew Research Center
October 30, 2023
In Mississippi, most voters will have no choice about who represents them in the Legislature
Associated Press
October 29, 2023
A GOP plan for the census would revive Trump�s failed push for a citizenship question
NPR
October 28, 2023
Fitting Race In a Box
The New York Times
October 28, 2023
The Native American population exploded, the census shows. Here�s why.
The Washington Post
October 27, 2023
States With the Highest Shares of Foreign-Born Residents
U.S. News & World Report
October 26, 2023
US pending home sales rise unexpectedly in September
Reuters
October 26, 2023
North Carolina legislature passes new congressional map that favors Republicans
Roll Call
October 25, 2023
Roughly 545,000 New Yorkers High-Tailed It Out in 2022: Census Bureau
The Messenger
October 24, 2023
The state with the most children living in poverty, according to data. Plus, see how your state compares.
Stacker
October 23, 2023
Study Reveals Children, Black Women, And Latinos Disproportionately Affected By Evictions In The U.S
Black Enterprise
October 21, 2023
The Supreme Court refuses to speed the drawing of a new congressional map in Louisiana
Associated Press
October 19, 2023
Return-to-office appears to be winning, with the proportion of people working from home dropping to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic began
Business Insider
October 17, 2023
Census data shows state-by-state differences in people working from home
Marketplace
October 17, 2023
A Shift in Gerrymandering
The New York Times
October 16, 2023
New England�s population is graying, but its homes are less �aging-ready� than rest of U.S.
WBUR
October 16, 2023
How the U.S. Census Bureau leveraged cloud services to modernize security
FedScoop
October 12, 2023
Post-pandemic poverty is rising in America�s suburbs
Brookings
October 11, 2023
The Roots of Today�s Authoritarianism Come From a 19th Century Supreme Court Ruling
Politico
October 9, 2023
How The Post Examined America�s Worsening Death Crisis
The Washington Post
October 3, 2023
Census Bureau Valiantly Conducted 2020 Census, but Privacy Method Degraded Quality, Report Says
Associated Press
October 3, 2023
Poverty rate increases for first time since 2010
The Hill
October 1, 2023