Statement from Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio Regarding the President’s Memorandum Another Attempt to Redefine Who Counts and Undermine the 2020 Census
The U.S. Constitution is clear, everyone living in the United States– every child, every adult, everyone– is to be counted as part of the decennial census. As of today, we have made incredible progress in standing strong and protecting the census and an accurate count of all individuals living in this country.
The memorandum released by the President on July 21st does not change the Census or our efforts to secure a complete count. However, it attempts to layer on a process that would manipulate census data after its collection for the purposes of congressional redistricting and apportionment. We stand with our partners in calling this action contrary to federal law and unconstitutional.
The President’s memorandum does not fundamentally change who counts in the census, who responds to the census, what questions are included in the census, or the privacy provisions that protect the individual census responses. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the field operations of the census have been extended and we must continue to use this time to make sure that all our children, families, and communities are counted throughout the Buckeye State. It is crucial to know how many people are living in a community when planning for hospitals, roads, and other important services. A complete count benefits every local community. Read more here.