Law requires results of census to be delivered to Congress by December 31.
The first time in its 44-year history, the Census Bureau has missed the end-of-year deadline. They have now set a target of January 9 for getting the information to Congress, and certainly before the January 20 presidential inauguration.
President Trump’s administration has advocated for the removal of undocumented immigrants from the population base used for congressional seat apportionment. The Supreme Court earlier this month said a lawsuit challenging those plans was “premature” and threw it out.
In a statement, the Census Bureau said it plans “to deliver a complete and accurate state population count for apportionment in early 2021, as close to the statutory deadline as possible.”
There are no penalties for missing the New Year’s Eve deadline.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the Census Bureau to be able to complete the compilation of its data in quickly and accurately.
- For those states that will see an increase or decrease in representation as well as funding from Congress because of shifting populations.
- For officials in charge of redistricting for many states as they draw the new lines.
Sources: NPR, Axios
