Rubio Tweet Links Census Citizenship Question To Redistricting

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo




By Tierney Sneed | March 28, 2018 10:40 am

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in a tweet Wednesday linked the Trump administration’s controversial push to add a citizenship question to the Census to an approach to drawing districts that would boost Republican power.

Link to tweet

Rubio is Link to tweet
" target="_blank">not the first conservative to suggest that data gathered by asking about citizenship on the decennial Census could be used to draw districts based on number of citizens or eligible voters, rather than total population. Currently, states use total population.

The Commerce Department’s own justification for adding the question has instead focused on the need to help the Justice Department enforce the Voting Rights Act. Civil rights advocates and Census experts have been extremely skeptical of that rationale, and of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’ willingness to grant the request.

For one, adding the question without further study risks a significant undercount of immigrant communities — even of immigrants here in the U.S. legally and of citizen children of immigrants — who are spooked by the federal government’s pursuit of such information.

Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/rubio-census-citizenship-question-tweet

[TranssexualKaren]

1. He spilled the beans.

Republicans actually believe it is their right to be in power.

[Renew Deal]

2. I'm pretty sure the US knows how many citizens they have.

There is a place to look for that.

[TranssexualKaren]

3. You mean birth records?

[BadGimp]

4. I think this is a winning issue for the GOP and Donny Dotard.

Not from a logical or legal, just from a messaging perspective.

They are wrong of course both in their arguments and their intent. But that won't matter.

[TranssexualKaren]

5. I know, but...

It’s still a power grab and it needs to be resisted.

[elleng]

6. Of course, SOUNDS good.

The final bill, Statute 2 of March 1, 1790, provided that census marshals and assistants be appointed. The marshals were directed to:

cause the number of the inhabitants within their respective districts to be taken; omitting in such enumeration Indians not taxed, and distinguishing free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, from all others; distinguishing also the sexes and colours of free persons, and the free males of sixteen years and upwards from those under that age.

https://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_cens.html

[Freethinker65]

7. I kinda agree

However, while it may help them politically in DC, states and local areas that need federal resources for non-citizens (not only undocumented immigrants, but migrant workers and families, legal foreign workers/tradesmen, etc.) could find themselves getting less funding for services everyone uses (roads, schools, police, utilities, other infrastructure, etc.).

[KPN]

8. Is this guy Rubio a citizen? I wanna see

his birth certificate? Were his parents here legally when he was born?

Geesh! This guy really has to go.

[KT2000]

9. Busted!

He just revealed their plan!! Asking if a person is a citizen is just the beginning. In this tweet he states that there would be a determination of whether they were legal or not.

Of course we knew that already but the fool just stated it.

[paulkienitz]

10. Constitution says "the whole number of persons" for district apportionment