When Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that the 2020 Census would include a question about citizenship, Democrats reacted as though the very foundation of our republic was under assault. “Let’s call this like it is: The Census, written about and hallowed in the Constitution, is being distorted by this administration for political purposes. President Trump and (Commerce) Secretary (Wilbur) Ross should be ashamed of themselves,” howled Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer.
It took about 30 seconds for Democrats, led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, to file a lawsuit aimed at blocking the Census Bureau from including a question that might help us ascertain how many non-citizens reside in the United States.
And it didn’t take much longer for Senate Democrats on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has oversight of the U.S. Census Bureau, to demand hearings on the matter. “We are concerned that the addition of the citizenship question is tainted by improper political considerations,” stated a letter signed by four members of the committee.
Among the signatories to that March letter expressing their grave concerns about using the Census to gather information about citizenship status were Senators Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.). Yet, oddly enough, the same three senators are among a list of Democrats who have introduced The Census Equality Act that would “require the U.S. Census Bureau to ensure the approximately 10 million Americans who identify as LGBTQ are properly counted for and represented in Census data collection efforts. The Census Equality Act requires the Census Bureau to begin the process of adding questions related to sexual orientation and gender identity to the decennial census and American Community Survey (ACS).”
In addition to Harris and Carper who are the prime sponsors of the bill demanding questions about sexual orientation, co-sponsors of the Census Equality Act are: Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Bob Menendez (N.J.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Ron Wyden (Ore.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Tina Smith (Minn.), Michael Bennet (Colo.), and Mazie Hirono (Hawaii).
Perhaps someone can ask these senators why, in order to get a complete and accurate snapshot of the American population, it is important to include questions (plural) about sexual orientation, but including even one question about people’s citizenship is a desecration of the Constitution?
10 Comments
On most applications (including medical, fed & local government, and loans) we are asked if we are a citizen or not. On most of the same, we are also asked for our gender (male or female) and NOT our sexual preference of the day. Neither are illegal questions and should always be included in the consensus.
The biggest problem here is that all too many people presume that everything is being done at the request of the POTUS – and not those that are in charge of the consensus. Naturally the anti-Trump league want to keep everything in a state of uproar to get themselves on camera.
One final note on the Q crowd – I still do not understand why you want yourselves in the spotlight knowing full well that a certain cult (mistaken for a religion) puts a bulls-eye on your backs for execution as per their manuals. Back it down – keep your dam sex preference behind closed doors where it belongs.
The sex orientation question is pure bull ! The Democrats want to protect the illegals, as usual, but they want to know if you are queer or not. Total nonsense! Lee Kendter 8-4-18
We are being played by the Left. The Left ALSO is against mandatory voter ID, but we should NOT be concerned about voter fraud. How stupid do they think wr are???
Told Census bureau to Ask question. Can give comments to Census Bureau. FYI
The goal of the census is to provide as complete a picture of the population as possible. Asking for someone’s citizenship status undermines this goal because undocumented residents and even legal documented non-citizens are already skittish about any contact with government agencies and often don’t believe you when you say that you’re not going to report them. I saw this all the time as a census worker and I didn’t even have to ask any citizenship questions. It’s a real concern.
Being gay or trans isn’t illegal and so this complication is not a factor. These populations are minorities who have historically been targeted for discrimination by lawmakers. In an age when the president is trying to bar trans people from the military, doesn’t it make sense to know how many people he’s talking about? We already have census questions about race and sex; orientation and identity are logical next steps.
No, the goal of the census is to make sure that the people are being represented properly….its primary and perhaps only true intention is to make sure that the Congressman/woman are apportioned correctly.
Do you think foreigners can just cross the border and demand to represented by someone’s else government?!
over 80% of Americans disagree with you…it’s just insane.
When I see you asking Israel, China, India, Brazil and Mexico to do the same…then get back to me….and tell me how that went.
Well said.
That’s one use for the data, yes. It’s also used for many other purposes. See https://www.census.gov/about/what.html#par_textimage_2
Like it or not, residents are counted regardless of citizenship status. This is by design https://www.census.gov/population/apportionment/about/faq.html#Q2
The proposed question would reduce the accuracy of the process. What goal is served by doing so?
I think the UN is recommending “citizenship” questions as part of National census taking for all nations
Friggin’ incredible, but not in the true sense of being “beyond any possibility of being believed!” Demon-Rats want to know what sex your bed partner is, or perhaps pretends to be? I thought that was none of the government’s goddamned business?