Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) released the following statement warning that the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the U.S. Census could shortchange communities that rely on census data for federal funding.

“Donald Trump is trying to weaponize the U.S. Census to intimidate immigrant families and scare them from participating. His so-called citizenship question would not just undercount immigrant communities. It would shortchange communities across America.

Census data help determine how federal funding reaches schools, roads, hospitals, emergency services, and other essential needs. An undercount would not reduce the need for those services. It would leave states and local communities with fewer resources and force local taxpayers to shoulder more of the burden.

As the late Congressman Gerry Connolly’s Chief of Staff, I helped him fight back against Trump’s first attempt to add a citizenship question ahead of the 2020 Census.

Trump’s effort failed then, and it will fail now.”

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