bobbyw24
11-05-2009, 07:53 PM
The Senate voted 60 to 39 Thursday to block the amendment by Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Robert Bennett (R-Utah) to require 2010 census takers to ask respondents if they are U.S. citizens.
Even though 100 million forms have already been printed, Vitter and Bennett threatened to stop funding for next year's decennial census if the forms were not reprinted to add the extra question. The census director told a Senate panel this fall that 100 million more census forms would cost about $22 million.
But, the real controversy involved the senators' intention to use the information for apportioning Congressional districts, ensuring that only American citizens would count in determining each state's representation in Washington.
Simon Rosenberg, the founder of the New Democrat Network, opposed the measure. "We essentially went to war over this question as a country," Rosenberg said when Vitter introduced his bill. "The Civil War was fought over how we treat slaves and whether they're whole people or not. The country made a resolution around these questions, which is that everyone would be counted in the reapportionment. It is not something Congress can override through law. Congress does not have the ability to change this. They'd have to change the Constitution."
Vitter contended that not counting immigrants for apportionment is a matter of basic fairness. At least nine states, including Vitter's home of Louisiana, stand to loose seats in Congress if non-citizens -- legal and illegal -- count toward states' apportionment. States with large immigrant populations, like Texas and California, stand to pick up seats with the current counting method in place.
Vitter said he is disappointed by the Senate vote to prevent amendments, including his own, from even being considered. "The census is important – but so is gathering accurate data and we can't do that unless we know whether or not we are counting actual U.S. citizens," he said. "My amendment would have helped us do just that – it's a shame that so many of my colleagues chose to ignore that."
By agreeing not to take up the Vitter amendment, senators successfully avoided an issue that has become the source of a vicious proxy fight over illegal immigration and a preview of the anger, animosity and legal challenges that await the larger battle over comprehensive immigration reform that President Obama has said he'll eventually bring forward.
The Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill is now under consideration in the Senate, without the Vitter measure attached.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/11/05/senate-kills-vitter-amendment-to-include-citizenship-question-on/
Even though 100 million forms have already been printed, Vitter and Bennett threatened to stop funding for next year's decennial census if the forms were not reprinted to add the extra question. The census director told a Senate panel this fall that 100 million more census forms would cost about $22 million.
But, the real controversy involved the senators' intention to use the information for apportioning Congressional districts, ensuring that only American citizens would count in determining each state's representation in Washington.
Simon Rosenberg, the founder of the New Democrat Network, opposed the measure. "We essentially went to war over this question as a country," Rosenberg said when Vitter introduced his bill. "The Civil War was fought over how we treat slaves and whether they're whole people or not. The country made a resolution around these questions, which is that everyone would be counted in the reapportionment. It is not something Congress can override through law. Congress does not have the ability to change this. They'd have to change the Constitution."
Vitter contended that not counting immigrants for apportionment is a matter of basic fairness. At least nine states, including Vitter's home of Louisiana, stand to loose seats in Congress if non-citizens -- legal and illegal -- count toward states' apportionment. States with large immigrant populations, like Texas and California, stand to pick up seats with the current counting method in place.
Vitter said he is disappointed by the Senate vote to prevent amendments, including his own, from even being considered. "The census is important – but so is gathering accurate data and we can't do that unless we know whether or not we are counting actual U.S. citizens," he said. "My amendment would have helped us do just that – it's a shame that so many of my colleagues chose to ignore that."
By agreeing not to take up the Vitter amendment, senators successfully avoided an issue that has become the source of a vicious proxy fight over illegal immigration and a preview of the anger, animosity and legal challenges that await the larger battle over comprehensive immigration reform that President Obama has said he'll eventually bring forward.
The Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill is now under consideration in the Senate, without the Vitter measure attached.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/11/05/senate-kills-vitter-amendment-to-include-citizenship-question-on/