Torres: Census Undercount is Costing Californians

Statement

Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today responded to an announcement from the U.S. Census Bureau that California will lose a significant amount of federal funding and a Congressional seat in the apportionment process following the 2020 Census.

The new apportionment results from low turnout in 2020 Census as Americans faced unprecedented roadblocks and concerns about participation.

It will mean significantly less funding for vital federal programs, such as education, where California stands to lose more than $2.2 billion in funding.

Other impacted areas include funding for healthcare, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs, youth and family programs, transportation investments and housing supports.

California, which is home to more than 40 million people, will also have one fewer electoral college votes, giving residents less influence in presidential elections.

Congresswoman Torres released the following statement:

"The Trump Administration did everything it could to prevent a full and accurate count in the 2020 census, and now Californians are paying the price for those efforts," Rep. Torres said. "Whether by overt attempts to end the census prematurely, or through subtle intimidation with a proposed citizenship question, Trump's actions were consistently at odds with a full and fair process. The culture of fear he instilled over four years of anti-immigrant rhetoric only added to an environment where many in immigrant communities did not feel safe participating. The unfortunate result is that many of the same people Trump sought to hold back from participating in the census will now have fewer resources in their local schools, less support from the federal government, and one fewer voice fighting for their needs in the halls of power."

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