Rep. Carter withdraws amendment, Census funding maintained - Articles

Articles

13Jul

Rep. Carter withdraws amendment, Census funding maintained

On July 13, the House Appropriations Committee passed the Fiscal Year 2012 Commerce/Justice/Science Appropriations legislation, which had already cut about 25% from Census funding compared to FY11, without an amendment which would have further sliced away at the Census Bureau's budget.

MRA successfully convinced Rep. John Carter (R-TX) to withdraw his amendment during debate, which would have reduced Census Bureau funds by $86 million and the Legal Services Corporation by $136 million, in order to increase funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP).

However, the Committee did approve an amendment from Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) which cut 0.1% of spending across the board for all programs in the legislation -- for the Census Bureau, that amounts to a $850,000 reduction. Census Director Groves has shared some details of the consequences of Census funding cuts.

The Committee Report on the legislation is available, with the Census mentioned on pages 14-15.

About the Author

Howard Fienberg

Howard Fienberg

Based in Washington, DC, Howard is the Insights Association's lobbyist for the marketing research and data analytics industry, focusing primarily on consumer privacy and data security, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), tort reform, and the funding and integrity of the decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS). Howard has more than two decades of public policy experience. Before the Insights Association, he worked in Congress as senior legislative staffer for then-Representatives Christopher Cox (CA-48) and Cliff Stearns (FL-06). He also served more than four years with a science policy think tank, working to improve the understanding of scientific and social research and methodology among journalists and policymakers. Howard is also co-director of The Census Project, a 900+ member coalition in support of a fair and accurate Census and ACS. He has also served previously on the Board of Directors for the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics and and the Association of Government Relations Professionals. Howard has an MA International Relations from the University of Essex in England and a BA Honors Political Studies from Trent University in Canada, and has obtained the Certified Association Executive (CAE), Professional Lobbying Certificate (PLC) and the Public Policy Certificate (PPC). When not running advocacy for the Insights Association, Howard enjoys hockey, NFL football, sci-fi and horror movies, playing with his dog, and spending time with family and friends.

Related

New U.S. Law Gives Financial Boost to Continuing Education for Insights Professionals

New U.S. Law Gives Financial Boost to Continuing Education for Insights Professionals

The big tax and budget reconciliation law, signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, includes a pro...

Read More >
Fighting for You: June 2025 Legislative and Regulatory Update

Fighting for You: June 2025 Legislative and Regulatory Update

June brought lots of sizzling policy developments for the insights industry -- some promising, other...

Read More >
Florida Kills Proposal That Would Have Prohibited Election Polling by State Universities

Florida Kills Proposal That Would Have Prohibited Election Polling by State Universities

The Florida legislature turned its back on a bill opposed by the Insights Association that would hav...

Read More >
New Approaches Proposed for Indirect Costs in Federally-Funded Research

New Approaches Proposed for Indirect Costs in Federally-Funded Research

Early in the second Trump Administration, the federal government instituted a uniform 15 percent cap...

Read More >
CFPB Withdraws Data Broker Rules That Could Have Clobbered Insights Work

CFPB Withdraws Data Broker Rules That Could Have Clobbered Insights Work

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) withdrew a regulatory proposal that could have unfai...

Read More >
Fighting for You: May 2025 Legislative and Regulatory Update

Fighting for You: May 2025 Legislative and Regulatory Update

Legislative and regulatory issues facing the insights industry are blooming all over, including: a n...

Read More >
Members only Article - Please login to view