Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 2 July 2019

Delay in 2020 census could gum up finely calibrated planning

By MIKE SCHNEIDER be added to the 2020 cen- Fewer people are expect-
Associated Press sus because of the looming ed to fill out the question-
President Donald Trump deadline. naires using paper than in
said he has asked about "I think it's very important years past because the
delaying the 2020 census to find out if somebody is bureau for the first time is
over a citizenship question, a citizen as opposed to an relying on most respon-
but experts say any de- illegal," Trump told report- dents to use the internet
lay could gum up the U.S. ers Monday. "There's a big to answer questions. Still,
Census Bureau's finely cali- difference to me between printed postcards and let-
brated timetable for the being a citizen of the Unit- ters will be sent out next
10-year count. ed States and being an il- March reminding residents
Monday was the deadline legal." it's time to answer the ques-
to start printing the 600 mil- The U.S. Supreme Court tionnaire, and those who
lion documents that will be ruled last week that the don't respond digitally will
mailed to 130 million house- question couldn't be add- be mailed paper question-
holds for next April's census Nana Gyamfi, executive director of the Black Alliance for Just ed for now. Trump tweeted naires. As recently as last
Immigration, left, reads a statement as Gustavo Torres, right, ex-
count. ecutive director of CASA, an advocacy group for the immigrant that he had asked lawyers week, the Trump admin-
For months, the Trump ad- community, stands with his activists, after the Supreme Court put if the count can be de- istration's solicitor general
ministration had argued a hold on the Trump administration's effort to add a citizenship layed until the court can wrote in court papers that
that the courts needed to question to the 2020 census, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thurs- reevaluate the matter. the Census Bureau needed
decide quickly whether the day, June 27, 2019. Julie Iriondo, a bureau to finalize the questions by
citizenship question could Associated Press spokeswoman, said early June. Any changes to the
Monday that she didn't paper questionnaire after
know if any printing sched- June would impair the bu-
ule changes had been de- reau's ability to conduct
cided. the count in a timely man-
From a logistical stand- ner, wrote Noel Francisco.
point, any delay "would A spokesman for R.R. Don-
be a nightmare," said John nelley & Sons, the com-
Thompson, who served as pany awarded the $114
Census Bureau director million printing contract for
during President Barack the 2020 census, didn't re-
Obama's second term. spond to an email seeking
The bureau is already in the comment Monday.
process of signing almost If there's a delay, R.R. Don-
250 office leases across the nelley & Sons may have
U.S. and has hired 1,500 to pay workers overtime
specialists who partner with and run the presses lon-
community organizations ger hours, but the ques-
to encourage people to tionnaires will get printed,
participate in the census. said James Clement, an
More than 170,000 recruits equity research analyst for
have already filled out ap- the Buckingham Research
plications for the almost Group. In a worst case,
half-million positions being scenario, the nation's big-
created for the count. The gest printing companies
bureau has helped set up have underutilized presses,
more than 1,500 commit- he added. "If there are de-
tees nationwide that will lays, it becomes a hassle,
work to get everyone to re- maybe, but it's not like the
spond. job isn't going to get done,"
Furthermore, Congress Clement said Monday.
would have to change the More than two dozen Dem-
law for the count to be de- ocratic U.S. senators last
layed because Title 13 of week sent a letter urging
the U.S. Code mandates U.S. Commerce Secretary
that it take place on April 1, Wilbur Ross to drop any fur-
2020, Thompson said. ther pursuit of the citizen-
"I don't think there's any ship question because it will
ambiguity, but I'm not a delay the bureau's ability to
lawyer," Thompson said. conduct the count.q