Encouraging individuals across the United States to participate in the 2010 Census to ensure an accurate and complete count beginning April 1, 2010, and expressing support for designation of March 2010 as Census Awareness Month.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1096) encouraging individuals across the United States to participate in the 2010 Census to ensure an accurate and complete count beginning April 1, 2010, and expressing support for designation of March 2010 as Census Awareness Month, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous materials.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to present House Resolution 1096 for consideration. The resolution encourages individuals across the United States to participate in the 2010 Census to ensure an accurate and complete count beginning April 1, 2010, and it expresses support for designation of March 2010 as Census Awareness Month.

House Resolution 1096 was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Silvestre Reyes of Texas, on February 23, 2010, and it enjoys the support of over 50 Members of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, article I, section 2 of the United States Constitution requires an actual enumeration of the population of the United States every 10 years. The Founding Fathers deliberately placed this requirement in the Constitution in order to ensure fair and accurate Federal, State, and local representation, and the Census serves the same purposes today by establishing the composition of voting districts at every level of government. Accurate Census data is vital to the well-being of every person in the United States.

Census data directly affects how more than $400 billion in Federal and State funding is allocated throughout our Nation. The information obtained in the Census assists planners in determining where schools, daycare centers, health centers, roads, public transportation, hospitals, housing, and other essential infrastructure should be located.

Businesses in the United States use Census data to support new investments, and Census data also helps determine how funds are distributed to communities for neighborhood improvements in public health, education, and transportation initiatives.

Census data also helps identify changes in community makeup and is essential for distribution of adequate services to our continually growing population. In fact, the Census currently estimates that the U.S. population has increased by over 27 million people since the 2000 Census.

The 2010 Census is extremely fast, safe, and easy to complete. It consists of just 10 questions and only requires about 10 minutes to fill out. 2010 Census data is strictly confidential, and Federal law prohibits the personal information from being shared with any entity. Individual data obtained from the Census is protected under United States privacy laws and cannot be disclosed for 72 years or used against any person by any government agency or court.

Given the ease and safety of the 2010 Census, every person in the United States, including individuals in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the

Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and all other U.S. territories should also take time to fill out the form and be counted. It is especially important that residents of predominantly low income, minority, and-or rural neighborhoods participate in the Census because these groups are at the center of greater risk of being undercounted in the Census. This is extremely troubling considering the fact that the Census officials estimate that every individual who is not accounted for in the Census loses about $1,500 per year in Federal aid for their community. By taking just 10 minutes to complete the 2010 Census form, it can help ensure that everyone in America is properly represented and eliminate Census overcounts and undercounts.

Additionally, House Resolution 1096 expresses support for the designation of March as Census Awareness Month, which will raise public awareness about the importance of completing the Census.

Mr. Speaker, as Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves has noted, ``Taxpayers save $85 million for every 1 percentage point increase in the national mail-back participation rate for the 2010 Census.'' With this in mind, let me take this opportunity to express my strong support for House Resolution 1096, which encourages individuals across the United States to participate in the 2010 Census and expresses support for designation of March 2010 as Census Awareness Month.

I urge passage of Mr. Reyes' resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate and thank the gentleman from North Carolina for his thoughtful remarks and for his support.

At this point, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the lead sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), the chairman of our Intelligence Committee.

I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for his courtesy and for his support.

Mr. Speaker, I do have a copy of the census form here. You can't see it, obviously, because of the size of the type, but it's mostly check- the-box answers. I commend the Census Bureau for simplifying this. As the gentleman from North Carolina has stated, it is probably the simplest version of the form that we have had in our history.

I also want to express the concern that we get about 80 to 90 percent of the forms back in the mail, and this is the most efficient way and the cheapest way to conduct the census. The costly part of the census count is in actually going out and knocking on doors and in trying to get people to respond who have not responded through the mail. That's the costly part. So, to the degree that people can cooperate, can help us out and can mail these back, it's a good use of taxpayer money. It's much cheaper. So there is a dual purpose.

Also, as the gentleman from North Carolina mentioned, the allocation of resources and the representation aspect of this is very important as well.

We have no further speakers. Just in closing, I would ask Members on both sides to support Mr. Reyes in his resolution in supporting the census and in designating March as the official Month of the Census.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I concur with my colleague and fellow member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. I rise today in support of H.R. 1096, and I am proud to cosponsor this resolution encouraging full participation in the 2010 Census and expressing support of the designation of March as Census Awareness Month.

Our Constitution requires that every 10 years the Federal Government count every person residing in the United States once, and only once, and where they live. As a Nation, we have been doing this every decade since our very first Census in 1790. This is not new.

This week, the Census Bureau will begin the process of delivering the 2010 questionnaire from the Census all across America. By midmonth, the majority of the approximately 120 million households in the United States will receive their form by mail or by hand delivery from a Census Bureau employee.

The 2010 questionnaire is the shortest and simplest one the Bureau has ever sent out. There are only 10 easy questions that should take less than 10 minutes to fill out. And not only is it easy, but it's confidential, too. The individual information that respondents provide is protected by Federal law and cannot be shared with any other government agency.

Census data guides the distribution of more than $400 billion in Federal funds, as my colleague mentioned, directs funds to State and local governments each year, and decides the makeup of representative districts from the United States Congress on down to the school board. Decisions to build new infrastructure such as roads, schools, and hospitals are dependent upon population counts derived from the Census. When people do not participate in the Census, they only shortchange themselves and their communities. A poor response rate means people cannot be accurately represented in Federal, State, and local districts when they are drawn. It means that a community may lose its fair share of Federal and State funding. It means a road that should be built won't. A 10-minute response can help avoid 10 years of underrepresentation and underfunding.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, this very important resolution. The Census only comes around every 10 years. We have an obligation, as the people's representatives, to make sure that they know that this is going to happen.

Census day this year is April 1. Every American should get that form in the mail or hand-delivered. Simply fill it out, mail it back in, and you have done your patriotic duty.

Every individual in this country should respond. Let me make this clear: Every individual in this country should respond. It is a wonderful opportunity for you to simply do your patriotic duty. It is what the Founders insisted on. In order for us to have a representative democracy, we must know who we represent, how many people we represent, who's here. And that is our obligation to carry that message out, but it is the American people's obligation to share this message as well.

So with that, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, this very important resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this is not about partisanship. The census is important for every community across this country and for every State in this Nation. Every individual group within this country has something to gain or to lose in this census. It is not simply about how districts are drawn. It is about how Federal, State and local money is allocated. If you don't respond, if you don't mail your form back in, if you don't answer the door when somebody knocks to collect your census data, which is very basic information by the way, you are doing a disservice to yourself, to your family, to your community, to your State, and to your Nation by saying, I don't exist. So it is very important for individuals in this country to respond to the census.

Moreover, it is helpful to see that the President has recorded a PSA, encouraging folks to respond to the census. It shows the importance, from the White House on down to everyone else, for us to respond to the census.

Finally, I hope that the 2010 census is the most successful census we have ever had in our Nation's history. The Bureau has done a solid task of putting together the logistics of getting millions of folks in this country to respond to the census. It's a costly endeavor, but it's one that the Founders insisted on for us to have a functioning democracy. Especially when the House of Representatives is based on population, they wanted to make sure that the population count was correct and accurate.

I thank the Bureau and all of the folks who are working all across every community in this country. Those folks who are working for the Bureau are wonderful, patriotic people, and we want to say thank you for your service to your country and to your community.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding time this morning.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1096, which designates March, 2010, as the Census Awareness Month. I want to thank subcommittee Chair Clay and Ranking Member McHenry for their leadership in getting this through committee. I also thank the 59 bipartisan Members who co-sponsored this very important resolution.

I introduced this bill to urge communities across the country to raise awareness about the upcoming Census and to encourage individuals to fill out their Census form to ensure an accurate and complete count beginning April 1.

Passage of this resolution will help raise awareness of the Census and its significance to communities all across the United States. Although the Census only happens every 10 years, it is extremely important that we get an accurate count because the data derived from the Census affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding.

Every year, more than $400 billion in Federal funds is awarded to States and communities based on Census data. That is more than $4 trillion over a 10-year period. An accurate Census count is vital to U.S. communities because it helps us to plan for new hospitals, new schools, and new community projects. It is also used to determine which places receive additional social services, including development block grants.

Throughout the years, the goal of the census has remained unchanged-- to count every person accurately and to collect information that will help us to better serve the needs of our people. The 2000 census counted more than 281 million people.

The census only takes 10 minutes to fill out, and it is strictly confidential. Unfortunately, despite these facts, Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans, and rural Americans are among those groups most likely to be undercounted and to be, thereby, underrepresented.

I call on our communities--from churches, schools, nonprofits, big and small businesses, to local, State and tribal governments--to please help us to promote the 2010 Census and to urge everyone to fill out their census forms. Together, we can ensure a complete and accurate count.

With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in voting in favor of H. Res. 1096.

Mr. Speaker, the beginning of March marks the one-month process of one of the most important collective actions that our country partakes in, the national Census. Thus I want to express my support to House Resolution 1096, deeming this month designated as Census Awareness Month. The Census provides an opportunity to not only count how many people live in our great nation, but to also collect valuable data that will help to provide services to millions of Americans. According to information collected from the Census, over $400 billion per year in federal funding is distributed to State and local governments. As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I want to ensure that all African Americans are counted as the Census has significant importance in the black community. The implementation and evaluation of programs like the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, the Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act are based on Census data. In 2007 the Black community grew to 40.7 million from 33.5 million in the year 2000. Underrepresentation of minorities is the leading cause of underfunding programs that these communities utilize the most, such as education, health care, housing and transportation programs.

The myths that further discourage people from participating in the Census must be dispelled. The Census is not a long process; there are merely 10 questions to answer, making it the shortest Census form in history. By law the Census Bureau cannot share individual responses with anyone; that includes immigration authorities, IRS, FBI, CIA or any other government agency. The U.S. Census preferred method of participation is through forms sent through mail and returned through mail and Census workers will only visit households that do not return their forms. This snapshot of our nation also effects Congress itself; the distribution of U.S. House of Representative seats are based on the Census. In order to have proportional representation as well as programs and funding that directly serve the American people, everyone must participate in the 2010 United States Census. Underrepresentation of our population must be avoided; thus from March to April, I urge everyone to go to www.census.gov to find out more on how you can be involved in the 2010 U.S. Census.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as an original cosponsor of H. Res. 1096, which encourages all individuals in the United States to participate in the 2010 Census and expresses support for the designation of March 2010 as Census Awareness Month. This important legislation will help achieve an accurate count of the United States population and ensure that communities across the country have the schools, infrastructure, and other vital resources they need to thrive.

I thank Chairman Towns for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. I would also like to thank the author of this legislation, Congressman Reyes, who has taken the time to increase public awareness on this crucial issue.

Mr. Speaker, an accurate count of all individuals living in the United States, as required by the Constitution, is critical to ensure the well-being of cities and communities throughout the country. The Census helps guarantee the accurate and fair composition of voting districts at the Federal, State, and local levels and the proper allocation of Federal resources

to communities. Census data also helps city planners identify changes in population so that they can place schools, fire and police stations, and other city services in locations that will best serve their residents. Finally, accurate census data is essential to the long term prosperity of our country, as it is used by businesses to make effective decisions regarding investments and growth.

It is crucial that we increase public awareness of and achieve full participation in the 2010 Census. It is estimated that approximately 16 million individuals--the equivalent of nearly 27 Congressional districts--did not participate in the 2000 Census. Low-income communities--the communities that rely most on a fair distribution of resources and services--are at risk of being undercounted in this year's Census and, consequently, underserved for the next decade. This important legislation will help ensure that all communities get their fair share of resources and are equipped to achieve prosperity and growth.

I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H. Res. 1096.