Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Census And Federal Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Congressman Bishop Tells Utah House Moving Census to White House Risks Political Influence
Summary
Congressman Rob Bishop addressed the Utah House, warning that shifting the U.S. Census from Commerce to the White House could invite political influence over population counts and federal fund allocation. He also criticized omnibus land bills, praised Utah's military support and discussed energy and education funding.
Congressman Rob Bishop visited the Utah House on Feb. 18 and urged lawmakers to guard against politicizing the census and other federal actions that affect state resources. "But to move it to the White House is extremely significant," Bishop said, arguing that shifting the Census Bureau into a political office raises the likelihood of "abuse or manipulation" in statistical methods used to allocate congressional seats and federal funds.
Bishop told representatives he supports returning authority where appropriate and urged states to seek the most independent structure possible for census work. He noted courts prohibit statistical sampling for congressional apportionment but said that sampling for other purposes — including distribution of federal funds — raises complex legal and political concerns.
On public lands, Bishop criticized the practice of bundling many measures in omnibus bills, saying each land-related proposal should stand on its own. He noted an upcoming omnibus lands package that includes four bills for Utah and cautioned against creating new federal designations while existing visitor centers and facilities remain underfunded.
Bishop also praised Utah's local support for military installations, calling the state's backing for bases and efforts to prevent encroachment "one of the key critical components" that keeps installations viable. He tied energy development to education funding, recounting past recapture actions affecting the Uniform School Fund and urging continued attention to resource development that can help school revenue.
Members followed with questions on specific points, including whether moving the census to the White House could change Utah's congressional representation and how the state's veterans nursing-home reimbursement stands with the federal Veterans Administration. Bishop acknowledged uncertainty but said Utah's prior actions put the state in a competitive position for federal reimbursements and reiterated concerns about population-based formulas.
The session moved on after questions; Bishop thanked the House for the invitation and members thanked him for addressing these federal issues.
