Jody Hice: “With all due respect, this bill will do anything but ensure a fair and accurate Census. Instead, it threatens to produce…”

“With all due respect, this bill will do anything but ensure a fair and accurate Census. Instead, it threatens to produce an unfair and inaccurate Census. As ranking member of the Government Operations Subcommittee, I have stressed time and time again that we need reforms that will ensure a more accountable Federal workforce. But time and time again, Democrats show that they want anything but accountability for civil servants. In fact, it is as though they view Federal employees as a protected and privileged class, and when a Federal bureaucracy is unaccountable, well, that is when it is most likely to threaten the American people with rogue activity like, in this case, providing an unfair and inaccurate Census. First, it makes the Director of the Census unremovable except for ``inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.'' Then, it commands that only the Director can make operational, statistical, and technical decisions about the Census. Mr. Chairman, what is the Secretary of Commerce supposed to do if he or she believes that the Census Director is making decisions that will lead to an unfair or inaccurate Census? Further, what is going to happen if there is no Director in place? Under the terms of the bill, only a career Census Bureau official can serve as the Acting Director.…”