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house Bill H.R. 5359

Should Congress be Informed of Changes to Census Questions Before They’re Finalized?

Argument in favor

Congress needs to be periodically informed of potential changes to the census questionnaire before they’re finalized.

Mindful's Opinion
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04/14/2018
Oversight is preferred to hindsight, don’t you 🤔 think?
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Randy's Opinion
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04/14/2018
Changes to the census questionnaire require time for testing and validation, and the census bureau has neither time nor sufficient budget to handle new questions this late in the process.
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KansasTamale's Opinion
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04/14/2018
The whole country needs to be informed of the questions MOST IMPORTANTLY EVERY ONE IN THE US SHOULD NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTION THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH CITIZENSHIP. You have a right to NOT answer any question. Trump is taking this citizenship question right out of the Nazi playbook. A Putin idea.
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Argument opposed

Congress shouldn’t be looking over the Commerce Department’s work in preparing the census and making changes.

NoHedges's Opinion
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04/14/2018
Our 115th Corporate Congress does not do anything to protect the people. As a legislative body Congress is more apt to do harm than any good. They are morally and ethically bankrupt. Moreover, any action they are likely to take will be toxic to anyone other than lobbyists. Have SCOTUS do the review. Robert is right it is a play out of the Nazi playbook, but we cannot trust Congress anymore than the con artists running our executive branch.
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Mark's Opinion
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04/14/2018
Congress cannot decide what vendor will supply fruit cups and bottled water during their endless, feckless and pointless hearings. What pray tell gives anyone the impression Congress should have final approval over the content of a simple Census questionnaire? Get real....
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William's Opinion
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04/14/2018
I do not support this bill. This is an executive branch function. Congress can’t even pass a budget, how would they ever design and approve by consensus, the census form! Quit wasting time and money. Get on with healthcare reform now. Quit the witchhunt with Mueller, another waste of money.
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bill Progress

  • Not enacted
    The President has not signed this bill
  • The senate has not voted
  • The house has not voted
      house Committees
      Committee on Oversight and Reform
    IntroducedMarch 21st, 2018

What is House Bill H.R. 5359?

This bill would prohibit the Dept. of Commerce from including information or questions in the census, or making major changes to the design of the census which haven’t been researched and tested for at least three years, unless Congress is provided with advance notice.

Beginning 90 days after this bill’s enactment, the Secretary of Commerce would be required to submit biannual reports including a detailed operational plan for the upcoming census with the status of all research and testing. The report would be published on the Census Bureau’s website. The Comptroller General of the U.S. would be required to certify that all information and questions to be included in the census have been adequately researched and tested before the census occurs.

Impact

The Dept. of Commerce; the Comptroller General; and Congress.

Cost of House Bill H.R. 5359

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

More Information

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced this bill to ensure that modifications to the census are vetted before the administration changes the questionnaire:

“The 2020 Census Improving Data and Enhanced Accuracy (IDEA) Act has unfortunately become a necessary safeguard against this administration’s clear desire to politicize and compromise the 2020 Census. This bill will protect the integrity of the census, our nation’s largest peacetime undertaking, by making sure that topics and questions included in the census are properly vetted and not added at the last minute — endangering the accuracy of the census, response rates, and cost to the taxpayer. We cannot accept an incomplete or unfair count in 2020 — too much is at stake. The data from the census affects the way federal and state funds are distributed and district lines are drawn, and helps businesses grow and non-profits better serve their communities. We need accurate, uncompromised data. The IDEA Act will help ensure that happens.”

This legislation has the support of 37 cosponsors, all of whom are Democrats.


Media:

Summary by Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: tattiewelshie / iStock)

AKA

2020 Census IDEA Act

Official Title

To amend title 13, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Commerce to provide advance notice to Congress before changing any questions on the decennial census, and for other purposes.

    Mindful's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    04/14/2018
    Oversight is preferred to hindsight, don’t you 🤔 think?
    Like (78)
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    NoHedges's Opinion Against
    ···
    04/14/2018
    Our 115th Corporate Congress does not do anything to protect the people. As a legislative body Congress is more apt to do harm than any good. They are morally and ethically bankrupt. Moreover, any action they are likely to take will be toxic to anyone other than lobbyists. Have SCOTUS do the review. Robert is right it is a play out of the Nazi playbook, but we cannot trust Congress anymore than the con artists running our executive branch.
    Like (35)
    Follow
    Share
    Randy's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    04/14/2018
    Changes to the census questionnaire require time for testing and validation, and the census bureau has neither time nor sufficient budget to handle new questions this late in the process.
    Like (38)
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    Share
    KansasTamale's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    04/14/2018
    The whole country needs to be informed of the questions MOST IMPORTANTLY EVERY ONE IN THE US SHOULD NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTION THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH CITIZENSHIP. You have a right to NOT answer any question. Trump is taking this citizenship question right out of the Nazi playbook. A Putin idea.
    Like (32)
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    Lynn's Opinion In Favor
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    04/14/2018
    Having good a census Taker and supervisor in the past, I think it's imperative that Congress knows exactly what questions should be asked, which are and may not be constitutional and which questions may or may not be obsolete and other questions which may arise due to the fluctuation and new conditions of the population
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    Dave's Opinion In Favor
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    04/14/2018
    They work for us. They don’t get to push their social agenda by adding questions at the 11th hour that will negatively affect the accuracy and legitimacy of the results.
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    Mark's Opinion Against
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    04/14/2018
    Congress cannot decide what vendor will supply fruit cups and bottled water during their endless, feckless and pointless hearings. What pray tell gives anyone the impression Congress should have final approval over the content of a simple Census questionnaire? Get real....
    Like (19)
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    William's Opinion Against
    ···
    04/14/2018
    I do not support this bill. This is an executive branch function. Congress can’t even pass a budget, how would they ever design and approve by consensus, the census form! Quit wasting time and money. Get on with healthcare reform now. Quit the witchhunt with Mueller, another waste of money.
    Like (19)
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    Christopher 's Opinion Against
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    04/14/2018
    This Congress is useless. The question is necessary and appropriate about citizenship. This is what the census of for.
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    Anna's Opinion In Favor
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    04/15/2018
    Unfortunately this is needed since Trump is trying to skew the upcoming census by including a citizenship question. This will cause a significant segment of the population to not participate in the census, and skew the data. This is racially motivated and will ingrain racism in the data that is collected and used for thousands of decisions and projects, many of them directly impacting our democracy. Stand up for everyone in your district and a democracy that is based on equality and not racism. It only makes sense that questions on something so important as the census are well thought out and researched. Take a stand, do your job, and actually represent the people of your district in the work you do.
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    Mart's Opinion In Favor
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    04/14/2018
    Isn’t Congress supposed to be in charge?
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    Erin's Opinion In Favor
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    04/14/2018
    With the current administration, oh hell yes!
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    Bernie's Opinion Against
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    04/14/2018
    Executive Branch. I like how under Obamacare, things that were exclusively under power of Congress—like immigration, and revising of Obamacare were routinely co opted by the Executive Branch to the sound of dropping pins from the left. Now routine executive power cannot be exercised without Congress completely directing it. The double standard is nauseating and people pushing it are autocrats who do not deserve elected office.
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    Jennifer 's Opinion Against
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    04/14/2018
    They never took this power before. The issue has only arisen because this administration proposed to ask a question about citizenship that has been asked in one form or another in the past. Stop trying to circumvent a duly elected President’s agenda through either sleazy backdoor legislation or judicial overreach! And all the references to Hitler? President Trump not only has Jewish members in his family, but is one of Israel’s greatest supports, unlike Obama who slapped Israel in the face at every turn, and with every misguided policy. Trump is just attempting to right the ship. Your constant charges of racism are a lazy person’s unintelligent argument.
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    Abbi's Opinion In Favor
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    04/14/2018
    Yes because we had a bratty toddler in the White House since 2017 and they should know by now to check his work.
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    Christina's Opinion In Favor
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    04/14/2018
    The census is an important tool for policy-making. Congress should be informed of potential changes before they’re finalized and all changes should be adequately researched.
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    Aaron's Opinion In Favor
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    04/14/2018
    The citizenship question is a disgrace
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    Terry's Opinion Against
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    04/14/2018
    Why ? Another liberal socialists agenda to delay.
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    DrCindyBean-ConcernedVoter's Opinion In Favor
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    04/14/2018
    Yes. Congress should have a say in the census.
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    Poli.Sci's Opinion Against
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    04/14/2018
    Welcome to the Constitution’s rules and regulations. If the Legislative Branch is unhappy with one of the other branches (in this case the Executive) then that’s just too bad. Heck, the American people are upset at the Legislative Branch’s ability to do an honest day’s work and the right kind of work, so they should focus on that instead of squabbling over the functions of the Executive.
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