Vicente Gonzalez: “the issue that we address today will affect every constituent in every congressional district throughout the Nation. You…”

“the issue that we address today will affect every constituent in every congressional district throughout the Nation. You will hear us repeat numbers, facts and figures but truly what we are trying to emphasize, that these are just not facts and figures but real people. The 2000 census is just around the corner and if we do not stop the partisan rhetoric which has clouded this issue for far too long, we will once again keep millions of Americans from having a voice. As Chair of the Census and Civil Rights Task Force for the Hispanic Caucus and Co-Chair of the Census Task Force for the Democratic Caucus, I am committed to achieving a fair and accurate census. The impact of a fair and accurate census will be felt across the Nation in every community and in the lives of every American. The information gathered in the census is utilized in many ways. It is used by States and local governments to plan schools and highways, by the Federal Government to distribute funds for health care and countless other programs. It is used by businesses in creating their own economic plans. Our last census, in 1990, was the first time in history that the count was less accurate than the one before. In 1990, more than 8 million Americans were not counted and more than 4 million were counted twice. In Texas, as already indicated, over 500,000 were not counted. In my own home city of San Antonio, as referred to earlier, 40,000 were not counted.”