“American citizens should count the citizenship question as a partial win, while demanding more action to prevent illegal aliens from determining Congressional seats.”
Congressman Steve King (R-IA) issued the following statement in response to the Department of Commerce’s announcement that the 2020 Census will reinstate a question regarding the citizenship status of respondents. King, who has introduced HR 3600- the Census Accuracy Act of 2017 in order to improve the quality of census data collected, wrote Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in February asking for a citizenship question to be added.
“The Commerce Department has granted my request and is restoring a necessary citizenship question to improve the quality of census data gathered,” said King. “Census data is used for a variety of reasons, including the apportionment of Congressional seats. Sanctuary states like California flaunt federal immigration law to give aid and comfort to large populations of illegal aliens, and those states are unjustly rewarded with extra Congressional representation as a byproduct of doing so.
Citizens should not have their representation in Congress diluted due to the concentrated presence of illegal aliens in lawless cities and states. Americans should count the citizenship question as a partial win, while demanding more action to prevent illegal aliens from determining Congressional seats. Congress should also pass my Census Accuracy Act, HR 3600, and put the government on the path towards ensuring Congressional representation is based on citizen populations, not illegal populations.”
Background:
On February 16, Congressman King led efforts to get a citizenship question added to the decennial census. His letter was cosigned by Reps. Ralph Norman (SC-05), Ralph Abraham (LA-05), Mo Brooks (AL-05), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Bob Gibbs (OH-07), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Mike Johnson (LA-04), Tom McClintock (CA-04), and Bill Posey (FL-08).
An excerpt:
“We write to demonstrate our strong support for requiring the decennial census to ask respondents about their citizenship status. Adding a citizenship question to the decennial census would result in American citizens being more accurately represented in Congress. In addition, such questions would finally provide for an accurate count of how many aliens, both legal and illegal, are residing in the United States.
For that purpose and in light of the vital role the decennial census plays in both representation and funding, I have introduced H.R. 3600, the Census Accuracy Act of 2017. Starting with the 2020 census, the bill would require a checkbox in any census questionnaire for respondents to indicate whether the respondent is: a citizen or national of the United States; lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States; an alien who otherwise has lawful status under the immigration laws; or none of these. This bill would also require that aliens be asked under which Federal program or provision of law they obtained legal status.”
King’s letter requesting the addition of a citizenship question can be read in full here.
King’s HR 3600–Census Accuracy Act is available here.