American Statistical Association Supports Bill to Establish Independent Census Bureau
The American Statistical Association and nine other organizations have sent a letter to Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) endorsing HR 1254, "The Restoring the Integrity of American Statistics Act." One of the provisions of Maloney's bill would remove the Census Bureau from the Dept. of Commerce and establish it as an independent agency. The letter also supports another bill provision that would create a fixed, five-year term for the Director of the Census.
Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) March 20, 2009 -- The American Statistical Association (ASA), the nation's preeminent professional statistical society, has stated its strong support for HR 1254, "The Restoring the Integrity of American Statistics Act," in a letter to Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), one of the bill's authors. The letter, which has been signed by a number of organizations representing a variety of fields, endorses the bill's intent to remove the Census Bureau from the Department of Commerce and establish it as an independent agency.
"Because the work of the Census Bureau uses complex scientific methods, it deserves the same status as other scientific research agencies," said Sally Morton, ASA president. "As an independent agency, the Bureau would have autonomy in the fulfillment of its mission to provide the high quality economic and demographic data that are critical to so many of our government, social and economic programs. We hope to be able to provide relevant input on the bill's provisions as it proceeds through the legislative process."
The letter specifically cites another provision of the bill as "one of the bill's most important provisions" - the creation of a fixed, five-year term for the Director of the Census. "With such a term," the letter states, "the Director would withstand disruptions caused by changes in administration, especially around the decennial census, and provide greater continuity in the Bureau's operations."
In addition to ASA, organizations signing the letter are:
| | - American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)
- Association of Population Centers (APC)
- Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA)
- Latino Census Network
- National Association of Latino elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund
- National Institute for Latino Policy (NILP)
- Population Association of America (PAA)
- Southeast Michigan Census Council (SEMCC)
- Southern Demographic Association (SDA)
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About the American Statistical Association
The American Statistical Association (ASA), a scientific and educational society founded in Boston in 1839, is the second oldest continuously operating professional society in the United States. For more than 160 years, ASA has been providing its 18,000 members serving in academia, government, and industry and the public with up-to-date, useful information about statistics. The ASA has a proud tradition of service to statisticians, quantitative scientists, and users of statistics across a wealth of academic areas and applications. For additional information about the American Statistical Association, please visit the association's web site at http://www.amstat.org or call 703.684.1221.
For more information:
Rosanne Desmone
703.302.1861 (direct)
703.946.3820 (mobile)
Rosanne [at] amstat.org
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