Ross: ‘I Don’t Think Sky Will Fall’ When We Add Citizenship Question To Census

on March 22, 2018 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 22: U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill March 22, 2018 in Washington, DC. Ross was te... WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 22: U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill March 22, 2018 in Washington, DC. Ross was testifying about the Trump Administration' tarriffs imposed on foreign steel and aluminum that are set to go into affect on Friday. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is downplaying concerns about a possible low participation in the 2020 Census over the addition of a citizenship question for the first time in 70 years.

“61 million families have already been exposed to the question and the sky has not fallen,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Monday. “So I don’t think the sky will fall when we add it to the census itself in 2020.”

The question has been asked every year in the American Community Survey, which is sent to fewer than 3 percent of U.S. households.

The Justice Department requested early this year that the Census Bureau reinstate a citizenship question to provide more detailed data that the department could use to more effectively enforce the Voting Rights Act.

Democrats are overwhelmingly opposed to including the citizenship question, saying it will depress the count in communities with large immigrant populations.

Ross said his office plans to spend $500 million in advertisement explaining the data cannot be used for immigration enforcement or purposes different than the compilation of census statistics.

Ross also said during a conference held at the National Press Club that the citizenship question will be the last in a questionnaire printed in both English and Spanish to make it easier to whoever feels uncomfortable answering it.

Ross mentioned that the Census Bureau will have instructional material available in 12 languages and a multilingual call center, and it is currently trying to get the cooperation of community organizations to explain to people why it is important to participate.

Ross said the Department of Homeland Security and various government agencies are helping the Census Bureau on the cyber security front in order to protect the data against intrusion.

“People do not need to worry that their privacy will be abused by the census,” he said.

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Notable Replies

  1. Well, that’s the new standard, right? If the sky doesn’t fall, it’s all good.

  2. “Ross: ‘I Don’t Think Sky Will Fall’ When We Add Citizenship Question To Census”

    No, Wilbur, but your sky will be falling when Team Mueller finishes auditing those Bank of Cyprus records.

    “Duck and cover!”

  3. Avatar for nilp nilp says:

    Ok, I’m a US citizen, and I’ll complete the census as normal, but I’m inclined to not answer this particular question at all, either yes or no. What would happen if millions of us just left it blank?

  4. Is that your final answer, Wilbur?

  5. Did Wilbur Ross wake up and utter this nonsense?

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