Klobuchar, Colleagues Urge the Office of Management and Budget to Reconsider Change That Could Harm Mid-Sized Towns

Press Release

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and 21 of her Senate colleagues today urged the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reconsider proposed changes to the 2010 classifications of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. These classifications are tied to several housing and transportation programs and have important impacts on their respective cities and towns. The Senators wrote that "this change could result in the loss of federal programming for many small- and mid-sized counties, cities and towns across the country."

Mankato, MN, and Grand Forks, ND, are among the 144 cities and towns across the country this recommendation is expected to affect.

The Senators also note that the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in thousands of people temporarily leaving their home cities, with a four percent increase in address changes in 2020 compared to 2019. As a result, "population data based on the calendar years of 2020 or 2021 is likely to be misleading and inaccurate in predicting long-term trends about where Americans will choose to live."

In addition to Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Hoeven (R-ND), Tina Smith (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Joe Manchin (D-WV).

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