Sam Gibbons: “today this House will begin to address the year 2000 census and the adverse effect of sampling. Sampling is not about…”

“today this House will begin to address the year 2000 census and the adverse effect of sampling. Sampling is not about politics. It is about the Constitution. The Constitution clearly states that the actual enumeration shall be made within 3 years after the first meeting of Congress within every 10 years in such manner as Congress shall by law direct. Further, title 13 of the U.S. Code authorizes sampling except for the determination of population for purposes of apportionment of Representatives in Congress shall be allowed. This exception was enacted because when determining congressional districts, guessing is just not good enough. Nowhere in this country is the case against sampling any clearer than in my home State of Nevada. Nevada has only two Representatives in Congress, and it has nearly 2 million people. Nevada is the fastest growing State in the Nation. This sampling could greatly underestimate our State's growing population, costing Nevada residents their constitutional right of representation.”