This week, a House Republican leader joined Democrats when he announced his opposition to a Republican-backed Senate amendment that would hijack the 2010 Census and stop it in its tracks if it does not include questions on immigration status.

The amendment, introduced by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), will hurt already financially strapped local governments by leaving millions uncounted. Because Voto Latino’s mission is to encourage civic participation, the Vitter Amendment directly contradicts our core values. Please contact your representative TODAY to vote against the Vitter Amendment. Click on the link to look up your congressional representative’s email and number: (http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm). Write that email and make that call AGAINST the Vitter Amendment. Forward this to your networks – our power is in our numbers!

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the ranking member of the House’s committee responsible for census funding, said the legislation proposed by Vitter would block a constitutional requirement and waste the $7 billion in tax payer money that’s already been injected to prepare for the population count.

Issa said denying money to the census is “unthinkable,” when asked about the amendment’s proposal to cut Census funds if the 2010 survey does not include questions on immigration status. And he asserted that the U.S. Constitution does not exclude undocumented Americans from being counted.

If passed, Vitter’s amendment would kill the prospects of an accurate count by next year’s census. Because the amendment discourages immigrant Americans – Anglo, Asian and Brown – from completing the census questionnaire due to fear of persecution, it would obstruct the legitimate allocation of more than $400 billion in federal funds to communities that need it. Congressional representation will also be disrupted as it is apportioned according to the census count.

Sens. Vitter and Bennett can not be allowed to inject hate and fear into an institution that has served the nation since its founding 233 years ago. Legislators must be made aware of the long-term effects that Vitter’s amendment will have on all communities. Contact your senator today and demand that they vote “NO” on Vitter’s amendment. Please click on the link below to find the phone number for your senators’ Washington and local offices.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

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This entry was posted on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 2:25 pm and is filed under US Census. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.