Readying his new House Government Reform Census Subcommittee, Chairman Dan Miller, R-Fla., Tuesday attacked the Census Bureau's plan to use sampling in the 2000 census.
"My concern is that we're moving toward a failed census," Miller said. "A failed census would be an absolute disaster."
Miller said the sampling plan, which would statistically calculate some population figures instead of trying to count them, is too theoretical and untested to implement in time; he said the bureau has a constitutional obligation to conduct an "actual enumeration." Declared Miller: "I don't trust them to do it. I don't think they can do it."
Republicans are generally opposed to sampling, fearing that it might overcount urban residents, who tend to vote Democratic.
To address uncounted citizens in the 1990 census, Miller said he would like to better mobilize existing resources, such as local Postal Service carriers, to coordinate a more inclusive count.
Republican members of the new subcommittee include Reps. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, Thomas Davis of Virginia, John Shadegg of Arizona and Vince Snowbarger of Kansas. The three Democratic members are ranking member Carolyn Maloney of New York, and Reps. Danny Davis and Rod Blagojevich, both of Illinois.
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