Blumenthal Struggles to Defend Opposition to Citizenship Question on Census

‘The practical effect will be to shortchange areas of the country where there are a large number of undocumented people’

Blumenthal Struggles to Defend Opposition to Citizenship Question on Census (The Washington Free Beacon)

CNN host Alisyn Camerota pressed Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) Wednesday over his opposition to a question about U.S. citizenship in the upcoming decennial Census, wondering why it wouldn't hurt to know an accurate number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

The Commerce Department announced Monday the question would again be part of the Census in 2020, drawing outrage from the left over its concerns that illegal immigrants would not complete the questionnaire. Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez called it a form of "voter suppression."

"What's wrong with that question?" Camerota asked.

"First, it violates the Constitution, which—" Blumenthal started.

"Why?" Camerota asked.

"—requires Census tabulation to be done on every person, everyone who lives in the United States, not necessarily just on citizens. Second as a practical matter, it undercounts people who live in states or in areas that may need federal funding, so it short-changes—" Blumenthal said.

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