The head of the Census Bureau just quit, and the consequences are huge

As news broke Tuesday evening that President Donald Trump had fired the head of the FBI, the fallout that resulted overshadowed the announced departure of another top government official: the head of the US Census Bureau.

John Thompson, who has led the bureau since 2013, announced Tuesday that he would retire in June to pursue “opportunities in the private sector,” according to the Commerce Department. He is leaving at a critical time for the bureau as it prepares for the arduous, constitutionally mandated task of counting every single person living in the United States, which it does every 10 years.

His departure puts into question the future of the 2020 Census, which has enormous consequences for military veterans and Americans who are elderly, poor, or disabled. Information gathered by the census questionnaire and in-person interviews is used for a wide variety of issues, from drawing congressional districts and voting precincts to distributing hundreds of millions of federal dollars for roads, schools, fire departments, and infrastructure investments.

Thompson has been at the center of a funding battle with Congress, which drastically limited the amount of money it’s providing to carry out the 2020 census. The bureau estimated it would need $17.8 billion to pull it off, but Congress had instructed Thompson to keep the cost the same as last time — $12.5 billion — even though there are another 15 million-plus people to count.

This has led the Census Bureau to find creative ways to cut costs, like relying more on internet surveys, opening fewer field offices, paying canvassers less and requiring fewer hours of training. For the 2020 census, census staff are working out of six regional offices instead of 12, and with 250 local offices instead of 500. The bureau will also try to pull off the 2020 count with 300,00 canvassers, instead of the 516,000 hired for the 2010 count.

When Congress passed its budget in late April, the $1.47 billion allocated for the Census Bureau was even less than the $1.5 billion requested.

At a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on May 3, Thompson basically begged members of Congress for more money. He mentioned that the cost of the electronic system, which was supposed to save money, was more expensive than the amount of money he had originally budgeted: $309 million more.

“Although we’ve experienced a cost overrun, the technical implementation of [electronic system] is progressing well,” Thompson said during the hearing. “There are many challenges ahead, but we’re confident that with the appropriate funding levels we can successfully execute a high-quality 2020 census.”

He added that the funding for 2017 and 2018 are critical to “the outcome of the 2020 Census.”

The added expense likely didn’t sit well with members of Congress, though it’s unclear whether Thompson quit on his own, or if he was pushed out.

If funding problems lead to lower standards for collecting 2020 census data, it damages the credibility of the most reliable data on American society.

Here are seven key data points collected from the Census that have major implications:

Finding out how many senior citizens live in a given community helps cities provide programs and services to help them remain living independently in their homes, as required under the Older Americans Act. This data is also used to identify seniors who are eligible for financial assistance to pay their utility bills.

The number of children and adults in each household is crucial information for communities to enroll families in welfare programs. It tells governments whether or not someone in the house qualifies for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Counting the number of children who live in a neighborhood also guides local school districts in making long-term decisions about where to build schools and how many teachers to hire.

Data about a person’s gender helps researchers identify barriers women face in the workplace, in their education, and homeownership rates. According to the Census Bureau, the National Science Foundation uses gender data to track the percentage of women working in science and engineering. Several government agencies use the data to investigate whether women have similar job opportunities as men, including those in military service.

Details about a family’s income give a snapshot of the American economy, and how many people live in poverty. It determines how to distribute aid to help families pay for food, health care, job training, and rent. Statistics about a person’s employment status and occupation are used to identify neighborhoods where people are having trouble finding work, and helps in planning workforce development, training, and business opportunities.

This data is essential in identifying potential racial discrimination in housing and education. Civil rights advocates use it to ensure the government is complying with the Voting Rights Act and offering bilingual assistance to voters who need it. The information helps agencies identify people who may not be getting needed medical services under the Public Health Service Act. It’s also used to determine which schools get money for bilingual services and education.

Government programs analyze this data to find out if there is enough affordable housing in a neighborhood and whether residents qualify for subsidized housing. These statistics are also used to enforce laws and policies aimed at eliminating housing discrimination.

Details about how people get to work or school is key in planning and funding improvements to road and highway infrastructure and in developing public transportation. The data is also used to ensure that a city or county’s public transit system serves the needs of all groups.