NW Kentucky News

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability conducted a hearing to examine the U.S. Census Bureau's operations, with a focus on the Post-Enumeration Survey that revealed significant miscounts in the 2020 Census. The discussion highlighted concerns about these inaccuracies, which were said to predominantly benefit Democratic-leaning states.

Chairman James Comer emphasized the need for understanding what went wrong in the 2020 Census to prevent similar issues in future counts. "The 2020 Census was flawed in ways not seen in prior censuses," he stated. He also noted demographic shifts as citizens move from high-tax states to those with lower taxes.

Concerns were raised about political biases affecting census results, with Comer stating, "Six of the eight states benefiting from overcounts tended to favor Democrats." He argued for apolitical conduct by federal workers involved in census activities.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx echoed these concerns, noting that errors benefited Democratic-leaning states while harming Republican ones. Rep. Gary Palmer sought clarification from Director Robert Santos regarding reliance on estimates versus direct data collection during the census process.

Rep. Scott Perry questioned why non-citizens are included in population counts used for apportionment, describing it as "ludicrous." In support of adding a citizenship question to future censuses, Rep. Jim Jordan argued for its necessity despite potential risks highlighted by Director Santos.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene pointed out that census results impact federal funding distribution and stressed accuracy's importance: "Isn’t it important to be accurate?"

The Equal Representation Act was discussed as a legislative measure aiming to add a citizenship question to ensure only U.S. citizens are counted for congressional apportionment and Electoral College votes.