Letter to House and Senate CJS Leadership Supporting Highest Possible Level of Funding for Census Bureau in FY 2024

View a PDF of this letter here.

September 5, 2023

Dear Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, Chairman Rogers, and Ranking Member Cartwright,

On behalf of The Census Project, a broad-based coalition of business, civic, human services, state and local government, and academic groups committed to supporting the U.S. Census Bureau’s mission to produce full, fair, complete, and accurate data, we are writing to express support for ensuring the agency receives the highest possible level of funding in the final Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bill.

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have made important progress on their versions of the FY 2024 CJS bill under challenging circumstances. Funding levels for the Census Bureau in the House and Senate CJS bills, $1.354 and $1.501 billion, respectively, fall short of what the President requested, and the level census stakeholders endorsed. Given the current state of play, however, we urge Congress to provide the Census Bureau with no less than the amount recommended by the Senate Appropriations Committee in the final version of the FY 2024 CJS bill.

As you know, the Census Bureau is the nation’s principal statistical agency, producing demographic and economic data used to guide the prudent allocation of over $2 trillion in annual federal funding and inform key investment and planning decisions in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Insufficient funding in FY 2024 could undermine the Bureau’s ability to sustain and enhance the quality of its surveys and programs that produce these invaluable data. Stakeholders are also concerned that if the Bureau receives less than $1.501 billion in FY 2024, ongoing initiatives to make census data timelier and more accessible and to reduce survey respondent burden could be stymied.

Another major component of the Bureau’s operations is its conduct of the nation’s constitutionally mandated decennial census. Remarkably, we are already a third of the way into the 2030 Census cycle. In FY 2024, the Bureau will choose a design and release an initial operational plan for the 2030 Census—decisions that will affect every facet of the next decennial. Sound investments now will help to ensure the future success and cost efficiency of the 2030 Census by reducing the risk of requiring unplanned, additional funding in the peak planning years later in the decade. In addition, increased funding will enable the Bureau to pursue a thoughtful research agenda to ensure the 2030 Census is inclusive and accurate.

Thank you for considering our views as you move towards completion of the FY 2024 CJS appropriations bill.

Sincerely,