Brady, House Vote Down Census Sampling

Congressman Kevin Brady joined a majority of the House of Representatives to block President Clinton’s proposal to use statistical sampling in order to conduct the nation’s census. The constitutionally mandated census is performed every ten years and is used primarily to apportion districts for local, state, and federal elections. Citing problems with the 1990 census, the Clinton administration plans to use computer models and statistical data to estimate the population.

Brady noted that the administration’s plan represents an abandonment of the constitution’s mandate to "enumerate" citizens. Article I, section 2 of the U.S. Constitution states: "The actual Enumeration shall be made three Years . . ." of the first Congress and every ten years thereafter. The census has been