April 18, 2020
Dear Friends,
With the Coronavirus pandemic disrupting every aspect of daily life, these past several weeks have rightfully been spent protecting public health for all Americans and securing resources for our workers, families and small businesses.
Even amidst nation-wide efforts to practice physical distancing to flatten the curve, we all can take action to better our communities by completing the 2020 Census.
The Census determines how hundreds of billions of federal dollars are allocated to programs and services across the nation for an entire decade, including hospitals, businesses, disaster relief, transportation, infrastructure, schools and more. In FY2016 alone, New York State received $73,300,580,954 as a result of data derived from the decennial Census.
This crisis has demonstrated the urgency and the importance of adequately funding these programs. However, efforts that federal, state and local jurisdictions would normally take to achieve a complete and accurate count have been suspended in response to COVID-19. Census workers are unable to directly engage with the public and hold in-person events promoting a self-response. Partner organizations such as libraries and schools that normally assist in this promotion are currently closed.
Under these unprecedented circumstances, an undercount would not only fail to properly determine the current American population, it would further shortchange our communities who currently do not receive their fair share in federal funds.
That is why, in March, I joined the New York delegation in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, whose jurisdiction includes the Census Bureau, to extend the enumeration period. Following this request, Secretary Ross and U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham announced the Census Bureau would extend the window for field data collection and self-response to October 31, 2020.
These measures are necessary to ensure a full and fair count. In the meantime, it is essential for households to complete the Census—either online or by phone—as soon as possible, whether they receive the invitation or not. Self-responses early in this process will reduce the need for Census-takers to knock on doors, safeguarding both your health as well as the health of your family and community.
The United States Census Bureau has a 2020 Census Response Rate Map, which is updated daily and tracks how cities and towns across our country are currently responding.
As of Friday April 17, Census self-response rates are as follows:
- National response: 49.8%
- New York State response: 43.8%
- NY-20 response: 49.2%
- Albany County: 49.1%
- Montgomery County: 39.7%
- Rensselaer County:46.3%
- Schenectady County: 49.7%
- Saratoga County: 51.0%
The Census is safe, easy, important and urgent. Participating is a way to ensure that our health care workers, emergency responders, seniors, teachers, students, friends and neighbors receive the assistance they need and deserve in the months and years to come.
When everyone is counted, we have a lot gain; but if everyone is not counted, we have a lot to lose.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
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