Political Quotes

“Thank you, Madam Chair. I rise in support of the Poe amendment, and I thank the gentleman from Texas for bringing it. Just to clarify some of the history, this is the questionnaire that apparently has replaced the need for what was the census long form. The census, of course, is directed by the Constitution every 10 years. And that's why we're going through redistricting now and all the primaries take place across the country. But from 1940 until the year 2000, we also had the long form that was part of the census question. Some people got the long form; some got the short form. And this questionnaire came along and replaced the long form. So the perception was that it actually was a census question--the replacement for the long form--but it really is not. Of course, it's the American Community Survey. I agree with the gentleman from Texas. If a government is going to be so intrusive, they're going to issue a 24-page packet of questions that's got 48 questions in it, some of them very, very intrusive. Just names, age, gender, race, income, physical and emotional health--that must have been the one where you have to answer the question on whether you're having trouble concentrating or making decisions-- your family status, details of your residence--that might be the one about whether you have a flush toilet or not--and intimate personal habits--whether you actually use it or not. I'm having trouble concentrating on whether I actually have one.…”