A group of 48 bipartisan senators signed a letter to leaders of the Senate and House calling for the extension of the statutory deadlines for the delivery of apportionment data and redistricting files following the 2020 Census. The senators urged House and Senate leaders to include the extension in the upcoming COVID-19 relief package.
Citing a request first made by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham to extend the deadlines for apportionment to April 30 and redistricting to July 31, the senators underscored the need to give the Census Bureau adequate time to collect and report an accurate count following delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letter cites a statement from the census official leading field operations, Tim Olsen from this May. Olsen stated: “We have passed the point where we could even meet the current legislative requirement of December 31. We can’t do that anymore.”
Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan are the only Republicans to have signed the letter. 44 Democratic Senators signed the letter, as well as Independent Senators Bernie Sanders and Angus King.
