Politics

House Republicans Question Census Count, Say White House Involvement And Difference From Estimates Is Suspicious

White House Press Secretary Psaki, Joined By Commerce Secretary Raimondo, Holds Daily Briefing With

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Gabrielle Temaat Contributor
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House Republicans questioned Friday the legitimacy of the final census count presented, which determines the number of representatives each state will be allotted in the House.

Over a dozen Republicans sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo asking about political interference in the census numbers. The letter speculates on irregular and inappropriate involvement in the census from the White House, requesting materials to clarify the process in preparing the census.

Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee, Republican Kentucky Rep. James Comer, is the first signature on the letter. He was joined by 16 other congressmen and ranking Republican members, including Georgia Rep. Jody Hice, Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, Pennsylvania Rep. Fred Keller, and Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins.

“We write today with concerns about the apportionment count released by the Census Bureau, and whether the process which derived the count was fair, accurate, and independent from any White House interference,” the letter opens. (RELATED: Cuomo Exploring Legal Options To Contest Census Results) 

The House members claim that staff contacted the Census Bureau to ask questions about the count, but were referred to the White House.

“Yet the statute is clear: it is the Secretary of Commerce who reports the apportionment count to the President, not the other way around,” the letter reads. “Referring our staff’s questions to the White House about the results produced by the Census Bureau is entirely inappropriate, and raises questions about the level of White House involvement in the process.”

The representatives also mentioned major gaps between projected results and the finals results.

“Furthermore, the apportionment population results released by the Census Bureau are strikingly different from the population evaluation estimates released just months ago on December 22, 2020,” the letter reads.
The congressmen note that the differences benefit blue states, which saw an increase in population, over red states which lost population when compared to the projections.