Washington, D.C. (Feb. 10, 2020)—On Wednesday, February 12, 2020, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, will hold a hearing with the Director of the Census Bureau and officials from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) regarding significant challenges with ongoing preparations for the 2020 Census.

“Based on troubling new information from the Government Accountability Office and others, I am deeply concerned that the Census Bureau is not ready for prime time and that preparations for the Census are at significant risk,” said Chairwoman Maloney. “We are holding this hearing to hear directly from GAO about these challenges and from the Census Bureau about how they plan to address them. The Constitution requires a complete and accurate count, and we will do everything in our power to ensure the Bureau delivers.”

WHERE: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building

WHEN: Wednesday, February 12, 2020

TIME: 10:00 a.m. EST

A livestream of the hearing will be available here.

BACKGROUND

At the hearing, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office will publicly release a troubling new report that highlights serious concerns about preparations for the 2020 Census.

This year’s Census count has already begun in Alaska, and is set to begin across the country on April 1. The Census Bureau must be prepared to conduct an accurate, fair, and complete Census.

The Committee is very concerned that minority, immigrant, and rural communities are in danger of being undercounted in the 2020 Census, which could cause these communities to lose their voice in Congress and to miss out on federal funds for healthcare, schools, roads, and other essential services.

The Committee is also concerned the Census Bureau has fallen behind in recruiting hundreds of thousands of Census workers and developing the technology needed for the first online census.

The Census Bureau must address fears, distrust, and disinformation that could reduce Census participation in many communities, including fear caused by the Trump Administration’s immigration policies and the illegal—and failed—attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

WITNESSES

The Honorable Dr. Steven Dillingham

Director

United States Census Bureau

Mr. J. Christopher Mihm

Managing Director

Strategic Issues

Government Accountability Office

Mr. Nick Marinos

Director

Information Technology and Cybersecurity

Government Accountability Office

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