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AMSTERDAM, NY—Congressman Paul D. Tonko held a Census discussion today calling out the Trump Administration for creating chaos and undermining the Constitutionally-required Census process. Last month, the Trump Administration announced that it would cut the Census one month short, moving the deadline up from October 30^th to September 30^th, despite internal Census experts warning that this change could cause “serious errors” to the count.  Tonko was joined in the discussion by local census champions, leaders of local service organizations, state and local government officials and others to discuss the urgent need for federal funding in the region as well as efforts underway to ensure a full and accurate count of Capital Region communities.

“After more than a year of effort getting the word out, we now have less than four weeks left until the 2020 Census closes,” Congressman Tonko said. “This pandemic has already brought untold pain and loss, with our circumstances expected to worsen as local governments and school districts run out of money, are abandoned by our federal government, and are forced to make deep service cuts. Ending the Census early will make these matters far worse, not just in our pandemic response but in all federal funding areas for the coming decade. Our roundtable today made clear that a severe undercount will result in grave consequences for essential services and all who depend on them in our Capital Region. We need to pull out all the stops right now to get the word out that we are approaching a Census crisis at the hands of the Trump Administration, and the power is in our hands to prevent this crisis. Taking the Census is quick, easy and most importantly safe, and the stakes for our families and communities are incredibly high.”

Other participants at the roundtable included:

• Congressman Paul D. Tonko
• Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller
• Jeff Behler, New York Regional Director, U.S. Census Bureau
• Natasha Pernicka, Executive Director, The Food Pantries for the Capital District and member of the Albany Complete Count Committee
• Migdalia “Micky” Jimenez, Regional Director of the Capital District, Capital District LATINOS and member of the Albany Complete Count Committee
• Kaweeda Adams, Superintendent, Albany City School District and member of the Albany Complete Count Committee
• Katherine Maciol, President/CEO, Commission on Economic Opportunity and Chair of the Rensselaer County Complete Count Committee
• Justin Relf, Census Representative for Commission on Economic Opportunity on the Rensselaer County Complete Count Committee
• Renee Powell, President, NAACP Troy NY Branch
• Marion Porterfield, Schenectady City Council
• Bob Carreau, Executive Director, The Schenectady Foundation
• Fred Quist, Director, United Way of Montgomery County
• Michael Cinquanti, Mayor, City of Amsterdam
• Lindsey Connors, Office of Planning and Economic Development, City of Saratoga Springs
• Jo Anne Hume, Executive Director, Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council, Inc.
  

The conversation highlighted the need for state and local funding to prevent dire cuts and layoffs, both in the short-term with the House-passed Heroes Act, as well as the long-term needs of communities with programs funded directly by the Census. Participants shared the ways they have adapted their operations due to the COVID-19 crisis as well as the added challenge of completing the count one month early. They said that the lasting impacts of an undercount would devastate communities, slashing funding for education, nutrition programs and countless other services Americans depend on to eat, learn, work and live.

Underserved areas and communities of color are historically at the highest risk of an undercount. Ending the Census early adds to this threat with lasting impacts on how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds are spent on health care, hospitals, schools, infrastructure and more. A lower Census response in the Capital region will mean a smaller share of federal funding for these essential services.

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