Press Releases

Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) issued the following statement today regarding the Supreme Court opinion in Department of Commerce v. New York:

"As a product of immigrants who is amazed to be part of such a great and diverse nation, I am incredibly disappointed by the Supreme Court's decision to block the reinstatement of a citizenship question for the 2020 census.

The Court ruling that the U.S. Census Bureau cannot ask whether or not a person is an American cuts against the reason we do a census: To ensure accurate representation. So, what are we counting again? If visitors and those here illegally want to send in census information, fine, but without the question you are presuming citizenship, distorting what it means to be an American, and weakening the voice of We the People. That hurts Louisiana, hurts the country and is contrary to the premise of the Census Bureau's mission.

Our representative form of government - at every level - is supposed to be based on citizenship. Citizenship is the foundation for precincts and districts, and of programs and funding. It is fundamental to our democracy. And it should be based on actual numbers of bona fide American citizens.

This should not be a political or partisan issue. The agencies and courts need to get this resolved as soon as possible."

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