Sean Patrick Maloney: “I rise to defend the integrity of the Census Bureau. Repeatedly, in an argument over a fair and accurate census, the…”

“I rise to defend the integrity of the Census Bureau. Repeatedly, in an argument over a fair and accurate census, the opponents of accuracy have suggested that they would support the use of modern technology if they could be assured that the process would not be manipulated for political purposes. Perhaps Jim Hubbard, the representative of the American Legion said it best at last week's meeting of the Secretary's Census 2000 Advisory Committee. He said that the only way that the census numbers could be manipulated would be if the professionals in the Census Bureau did it. He went on to say that he did not believe that that was possible. Mr. Hubbard is absolutely right, and the opponents of an accurate census should be ashamed of themselves for attacking the Census Bureau like that. Never in the almost 100 years of the Census Bureau has there been a breach in the integrity of that organization. Just after Pearl Harbor, the President of the United States asked the Census Bureau for a list of the names and addresses of Japanese living in America. The Census Bureau refused. During the 1970s, President Nixon did not like the fact that the rate of poverty was increasing during his administration, and put pressure on the Census Bureau to change the numbers. The Census Bureau refused.”