Rep. Houlahan cautious on top court's census ruling
Chester County,
June 27, 2019
Originally published in Daily Local News
Written by Michael P. Rellahan The congresswoman whose district covers Chester County and its significant migrant community reacted with caution Thursday to the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday to put on hold the Trump administration’s effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. The court, in an opinion authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, said the White House’s explanation for wanting to add the question was “more of a distraction” than an explanation. The administration had cited the need to improve enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. “The Constitution is unequivocal in its directive: the census is to be completed by ‘counting the whole number of persons in each state,’" said U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-6th, of Easttown, in a statement about the matter. "While this ruling by our nation’s highest court is promising, it’s clear the debate is not over.” The 6th District, including all of Chester County and portions of southern Berks County and the city of Reading, has a sizable immigrant population, some members of which are presumably in the United States without documentation. Those opposed to the Trump administration’s attempt to put the citizenship question on the 2020 Census form say those people may be hesitant or uncomfortable filling out those questionnaires. The Census Bureau has concluded that such a question would significantly hurt response rates, which would result in fewer federal resources allocated to the people of the Pennsylvania Sixth, Houlahan stated. “The facts are undeniable: undercounting in the Census would hurt our Pennsylvania,” she said. “An undercount would result in fewer critical resources for our Commonwealth, resources on which many depend in our community. It could also potentially lessen the state’s representation in Congress, lessening our impact and ability to have the votes we need to support Pennsylvanians.” There was no immediate response from the White House on the Supreme Court decision Thursday. It’s unclear whether the administration would have time to provide a fuller account. Census forms are supposed to be printed beginning next week. A lower court found the administration violated federal law in the way it tried to add a question broadly asking about citizenship for the first time since 1950. The Census Bureau’s own experts have predicted that millions of Hispanics and immigrants would go uncounted if the census asked everyone if he or she is an American citizen. Immigrant advocacy organizations and Democratic-led states, cities and counties argue the citizenship question is intended to discourage the participation of minorities, primarily Hispanics, who tend to support Democrats, from filling out census forms. Evidence uncovered since the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case in late April supports claims that the citizenship question is part of a broader Republican effort to accrue political power at the expense of minorities, the challengers say. The case stems from Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’ decision in 2018 to add a citizenship question to the next census, over the advice of career officials at the Census Bureau, which is part of the Commerce Department. At the time, Ross said he was responding to a Justice Department request to ask about citizenship in order to improve enforcement of the federal Voting Rights Act. |