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
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.