Transcripts For CSPAN2 House Oversight Hearing On 2020 Censu

Cspan2, on demand another cspan. Org or his on the go with the free cspan radio app. Yesterday representatives from minority and Community Organizations shared their concerns but the 2020 census with the House Oversight and reform committee. They discussed the Citizenship Question. Internet access, language barriers as well as counting certain populations like the homeless, exoffenders and tribal communities. The hearing addressed how census members impact education, health care and infrastructure froms. This is four hours. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] without ox the chair is authorized to declare recess of the committee at any time. With that ill now recognize myself to give an opening state and mr. Gomez will follow me with a minute and the same will be given to the Ranking Member. Good morning. Thank you to everyone for being here today to discuss a topic which is vital to our democracy, the die sendal sentence. The 2020 census is imminent with counting set to begin in alaska in less than two week, and across the country on april 1. The constitution requires every person to be counted. Eave Single Person living in the United States of mrs. , not just citizens. Not just people of a particular Political Party or race, absolutely everyone. I am gravely concern that the Census Bureau may not be prepared to meet the high bar, and that the 2020 census could leave communities across the country undercounted, underrepresented, and underfunded. The Government Accountability office and the department of commerce Inspector General both agree that the census is not where it should be. Sadly, under President Trump, the are forced to ask whether the failure to address these concerns is due to incompetence or is intentional. The Census Bureau has been plagued by delays in hiring. Thousands of census worker needed to ensure eave person is counted. These delair hard to count communities. The most because outreach from trusted voices and nonresponse followup are essential in these communities. The administrations antiimmigrant policies and its illegal effort to add a Citizenship Question have made an accurate count even harder to obtain by sewing fear and distrust in communities across the country. But this appears to be the point. As republican operative thomas hoff her, the socalled mikele angelo of predistricting put it, adding a citizen ship question would be, and i quote from him, quote, advantageous for republicans and nonhispanic whites, end quote. Ultimately the administrations goal in trying to add a Citizenship Question seems to be to take the hard to count and make them the uncounted. This is why i introduced a bill last year, the census idea act to remove the Citizenship Question, and codify the process by which questions are added to the census form. When the Supreme Court ruled that the attempt to add the Citizenship Question was illegal, the administration refused for almost two weeks to accept the outcome before finally following the law. Even still, the president is trying to use administrative records to collect citizenship data. But this has nothing to do with the 2020 census. The Census Bureau needs to make clear that everyone can participate without fear, that doing so will not hurt them or their family and their personal data will be secure. The Census Bureau faces a host of new challenges, as it executes the largest census in history and the first to be conducted mostly and entirely online. Cyber threats, limited broadband access, reduced language assistance and gaps in outreach effort then the success of the census. Data from the census will determine the apportionment of eave seat in the house of representatives, and the allocation of roughly 1. 5 trillion in federal funding. And undercount means fewer federal dollars for communed that need them the most, including for essential Public Services like medicaid, Childrens Health, insurance, foster care and schools and undercount would also mean less representation for these communities at every level of government. If youre not counted, youre not represented. Some states, including california, and my home state of new york, are trying to fill the gaps in the census bury wrotes efforts to reach hard to count commune. This applaud the efforts and urge every state to do the same. The bureau should coordinate with these states so that limited resources can be used most effectively and efficiently. To be clear i believe the career Civil Servants at the census bury re are working hard to achieve the mission of a complete and accurate census but they need help and they need it quick live. Our Witnesses Today know these hard could count communities better than anyone. We should value their expertise and pay heed to their recommendations and i know i will. In november, 2018, my pred dessore Elijah Cummings vow thats enshourd an cuke, nonpartisan census would be a top priority of the Oversight Committee and he was good to his word, and as chairwoman i intend to honor that commitment. So, i want to thank everyone for coming and i look forward to their testimony and i would now like to call on jumpy gomez for one minute. Thank you, chairwoman malone any. As we all know, todays hearing is not a theoretical exercise. The 2020 census is just days away, and the threat of an undercount is real. The last census failed to count more than 750,000 latinos, more 750,000 africanamericans, and more than 50,000 American Indians and native alaskans. Im very concerned that we will could see an even bigger undercount in 2020. Many americans are fearful and mistrustle of their government and overcoming that fear and mistrust require asthmassive mobilization effort we have never seen before but the census entireow appear to be far behind schedule. An undercount will have an. Pact on the turns available to the people in these communities. Means more people going without health care, fewer resources for childcare, Affordable Housing and less money for local schools. As the committee and congress, our message should be simple. Everyone must be counted. Im grateful to each of our witnesses here today, not just for assisting the committee but youror tireless advocacy to ensure shoot members of your communities are counted fairly and accurately as the constitution requires. With that i yield back. Now recognizes the Ranking Member. I thank the chair. Before getting to my Opening Statement, madam chair, win we last met, i brought up the scathing report that Inspector General horowitz of the Justice Department brought forward last month, report where even former fbi director jim comey on National Television had to say that he was wrong in his defense of the fbi and how they handled the fisa application process in the trump russia investigation youch indicated you would let us know when we are would havemer horowitz in front of the committee, understand what he pointed out. 17 different times i thank the gentleman were still waiting for an answer, madam chair. Id like to give you on answer and this was a purpose of the hearing is on the census, and i appreciate the Ranking Members persistence on this issue, but for the Inspector Generals report was released to the public, all members of the Oversight Committee had the opportunity to read the report, and attend a briefing with the office of the Inspector General. The Senate Judiciary Committee Held a hearing on the Inspector Generals report on december 111th. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security followed with its own hearing on december 18th. The Inspector General testified at both of these hearings and answered numerous questions about the report. So i deeply appreciate the Ranking Members request, and i wrote him a letter on december 6th. At this point i dont think another hearing is necessary, and i look forward to so, madam chair on areas where we can Work Together to improve the lives of our constituents. Madam chairwoman, i wouldnt dont we have a census hearing in the senate, then, if were always going rely on the senate to have these health if publish. The gentleman is not recognized. The gentleman is not recognize he. Then i have a point of order. Ill be glad because russian career it could your point of order. Rule 1, clause 2, j, section 1, actually talks about minority hearings and one of the issues that we have had, madam chairman, is that we believe that this committee needs to be doing their oversight function, and i bring up jack he vans. We have had jack evans resign from the d. C. Council. It was the previous chairman, along with i would say the gentleman from virginia, mr. Conly and i, that expressed concern about proper oversight, and the minority hearing will the gentleman cite your point of record. The point of order is under the rule we have the requirement for a minority hearings of which was not noticed properly and was ambiguous at best and did not get to the heart of the matter because it was not conducted, and if the chairman is glowing to argue fop fer deafblind. May i respond to your point of order . Another point of order. We had a minority day of hearings on the i would youre claiming my time i would appeal the ruling of the chair. There is no ruling. There is no ruling. There is no point of order. My point of order out of order or not. You have not stated a point of order. Violated the rule by not having a minority hearing that we had a minority hearing. I appeal now are out of order. I reclaiming my time. I appeal the ruling of the chair. I have that right. I promise you i have that right. For a minority hearing on a minority hearing that we already had, on d. C. Statehood. Has mr. Evans been here . Mr. Evans was invited to come along with others that were requested didded make a motion we spine crossthey did not come and its not up to me to get them to come. You invited the guests do youre a chairman. I would make a motion that we subpoena jack evans and have him come. In if we want to do pro oversight i make a motion we subpoena jack evans. The gentleman has not stated a proper point of order. The gentleman has stated a proper point of order. Now. Whether she wants to rule on it or not iing a eye shower the parliamentarian ill be glad to go back and forth with her i she wants put on her mic. The par limit tarean its not a proper behind of order. Its not a proper point of order. I appeal the ruling of the chair. Okay. Theres no ruling. Theres nothing to rule on. So the gentleman has not stated a proper point of order. All right. It is the Ranking Members time. The Ranking Member is recognizing for his Opening Statement. Yield. Its your time, mr. Ranking member. Well, let me go back to we have a lot of concerns, madam chair. Let just be honest, and not only with the fact that mr. Evans has stepped town and we have yet to have him in front of the committee and also i rateses the issue of mr. Horowitzs report which again 17 different times the fbi misled the fisa court. Let me just read something. Just read something. That the chair talked about the senate having hearings but i thought this committee, which has oversight for every single Inspector General in our government, and were talking now about the Justice Department Inspector General, this is what the public order from the fisa court jung, judge collier, what she had to say after mr. Horwitzs report last month. The frequency with which representations made by fbi personnel turned out to be unsupported or contradicted by the gentleman excuse me, Ranking Member no, no, the time is mine. Youre recognize he for an Opening Statement on the census. The time is mine. And oh, my gosh. All i know is during your Opening Statement the time didnt even run youch developed me you would give us the same opportunity during our Opening Statement. Let me go back before i was interrupted and read judge colliers statement in her public order after mr. Horowitzs report. The frequency with which representations made by fbi personnel turned out to be unsupported or contradicted by information in their possession, and with which they withheld information, detrimental to their case, calls into question whether information contained in other fbi applications is reliable. Lets put that in plain english. They lied so much to the fisa court that the judge is saying how can be trust other representations you have made to this court. Thats what she said. Of mr. Horowitzs report and to date the chair doesnt even want to have a hearing. The chairmans response was, oh, the senate had a couple hearings, thats good enough. Even though this committee has injury disk over every single inspector gene government. Whats why we want mr. Horwitz hering for a hear. Had one when we republicans were in charge. We brought in the Inspector General after a big report but is guess things are different. Mr. He vans should have been here. Mr. Horowitz should have been here already. Unfortunately obviously the chairwoman wont do that. My remaining tomorrow i want to address the situation of the census. Thank you for convening this hearing. Oversight of the census is a core responsibility. I worry that since last january, democrats have been moretouch more focuses on using our committee to attack at the Trump Administration than addressing fundamental Good Government oversight like predness for the crepitus. The rein tess determines he is a poresment of seat the house and dictates how federal funds are and provides crucial detailed about the side of our population. Theft da tase the Gold Standard for research evers and statisticians to better understand e. Trends in american life. When we were in the majority the republicans healed several hearings but rein cuss predness back to 2015. In 2018 alone republicans convened five hearings or briefings weapon looked at important top yings like Information Technology preparation, Cyber Security prepareness and south to understand how the bureau was getting ready for their fit census that will allow people to commit responses online. Rather than conducting similar meaningful oversight the democrats cement a year trying to stop one simple question, are you a citizen . One question. Since obtaining the majority in january 2019 the drops healed on one hearing on the 2020 census that did not focus on the Citizenship Question. Just one. After all these months still dont forward why democrats do not want to know how many u. S. . Is are living in the United States. Its a question thats been on our census before, question asked by numerous nations around the world and its a question the u. N. Uneven courages countries to ask if you take to constituents and i ask them, should we ask on the census if youre a citizen, the person on the street how would talk to would say, well, of course. Arent we already doing that. You would have to say, yes, we are, we have been doing it for 200 years until now. Drops argue that the question disease signed to assert immigrant and racial tsunamis and an gent downtown count the population is not correct. The Census Bureau conducted a test lost summer to study the traditional effect of selfresponse including the citizenship and found the was no difference in selfResponse Rates between forms with and forms without a citizen ship question. No difference between the selfResponse Rate with forms withand those without the citizenship. Question. In july of 2019 following a Supreme Court decision the Trump Administration removed the citizen copy question from inclusion on the 2020 census, the democrats want you to believe it was because it was inappropriate but Supreme Court held the Trump Administration has the authorized to ask the question bit citizenship on the census but took issue with the process for doing so under admin