February 2023 Census Project Update

Appropriations Update

With the release of the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget postponed until March 9, there was very little appropriations news in February 2023.

The most significant development was news from the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee confirming that Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) will, once again, be the Chair and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee, respectively. The CJS subcommittee is responsible for funding the U.S. Census Bureau. The final Senate CJS roster was also confirmed. The following Democratic Senators will be serving on the subcommittee during the 118^th Congress: Sen. Diane Feinstein (CA); Sen. Jack Reed (RI); Sen. Chris Coons (DE); Sen. Brian Schatz (HI); Sen. Joe Manchin (WVA); Sen. Chris Van Hollen (MD); Sen. Jeff Merkley (OR); and Sen. Gary Peters (MI). The following Republican senators were assigned to serve on the CJS subcommittee: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK); Sen. Susan Collins (ME); Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (WVA); Sen. John Kennedy (LA); Sen. Bill Hagerty (TN); Sen. Katie Britt (AL); and Sen. Deb Fischer (NE).

In a separate announcement, Senators were informed that all spending requests to the CJS subcommittee must be submitted by April 5.

The Census Project will release its Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Recommendation next month and will also provide a complete summary of the President’s request once details are unveiled.

Policy Update

House Census Oversight Subcommittee Announces Roster

On February 1, Congressman James Comer (R-KY), Chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, announced subcommittee assignments, including the roster of members assigned to serve on the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, which has primary jurisdiction over the Census Bureau. The Chairman is Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) and the following Republicans were assigned to serve on the subcommittee: Rep. Byron Donalds (FL); Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO); Rep. Nick Langworthy (NY); Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL); Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC); Rep. Scott Perry (PA), and Rep. Lisa McClain (MI).

On February 23, Democrats on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee confirmed their subcommittee assignments. The Ranking Democrat member of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs is U.S. Representative Cori Bush (D-MO). The Subcommittee’s Democratic roster includes:Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC); Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL); Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA); Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA): Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH); and Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM).

Census Scientific Advisory Committee to Meet March 9-10

In a blog posted February 22, The Census Project provided details regarding the Census Bureau Scientific Advisory Committee meetings on March 9 and 10.

Montana Announces New Strategy for Counting Incarcerated Individuals

In a February 13 blog, the Prison Policy Initiative announced that the Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission officially approved new legislative maps that count incarcerated people at their homes instead of in their prison cells. The blog explains that “Montana is the third state to address this problem without legislation. It is among more than a dozen states and over 200 local governments” that have made a similar policy change.

Census Bureau News

On February 22, the Bureau released new data from phase 3.7 of the experimental Household Pulse Survey (HPS). The HPS is an effort by the Census Bureau and other federal statistical agencies to provide near real-time data on how the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes in social and economic conditions are affecting people’s lives to inform federal and state response and recovery planning.

The Opportunity Project Summit (TOPS) 2023, a three-day virtual conference that showcases new products created through TOP’s 2022 sprints, featuring innovative technology and other solutions that use federal open data, began February 22.

On February 6, Director Santos released a blog reflecting on Black History Month.

On February 1, the Bureau announced the launch of a standard application process (SAP) developed by federal statistical agencies for applying for access to confidential microdata for research with an evidence-building purpose. Applicants can now apply for access on one consolidated portal at ResearchDataGov.org.

Census Bureau Data Releases

On February 16, the Bureau released findings from the Educational Attainment in the United States: 2022 table package, which uses statistics from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement to examine the educational attainment of adults age 18 and older by demographic and social characteristics, such as age, sex, race and nativity.

Data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), a survey that measures business conditions on an ongoing basis was released on February 16 and February 2. The BTOS is the successor to the Small Business Pulse Survey (SBPS), a high-frequency survey that measured the effect of changing business conditions during the coronavirus pandemic and other major events like hurricanes on our nation’s small businesses.

On February 14, the Bureau released the first set of estimates from the National Experimental Wellbeing Statistics (NEWS) project, an experimental data product that uses a new methodology to calculate income and poverty estimates.

New Business Formation Statistics (BFS) for January 2023 were released on February 10.

On February 9, the Bureau premiered a new daily data product: the Index of Economic Activity (IDEA). IDEA effectively combines 15 of the primary economic data series produced by the Census Bureau to yield a single time series as a weighted combination.

On February 7 the Bureau released the 2021 County Business Patterns (CBP) First Look data table.

News You Can Use

Below are several articles posted on The Census Project home page in February 2023. For a complete listing, go to: https://thecensusproject.org/recent-media/.

Arab Americans aren’t ‘white,’ study authors tell Census
Chicago Sun-Times
February 22, 2023

These cities are home to the happiest Americans
The Hill
February 21, 2023

Cities With the Largest Minority Homeownership Gap
KSJB
February 21, 2023

Census Bureau data susceptible to ‘reconstruction attacks’ exposing individual data, report claims
FCW
February 21, 2023

Proposed changes to census are step in the right direction, experts say
The Hill
February 20, 2023

Want to work from anywhere? These are the top 10 U.S. cities for digital nomads
CNBC
February 19, 2023

Cities appealing 2020 census count garner only small wins
Associated Press
February 17, 2023

Survey Response Rates Are Down Since Covid. That’s Worrying for US Economic Data
Bloomberg
February 15, 2023

More than 1 in 6 Americans now 65 or older as U.S. continues graying
The Washington Post
February 14, 2023

7 Major American Cities That Have Lost Half Their Populations
24/7 Wall St.
February 12, 2023

Fewer Americans may identify as white under proposed federal guidelines for Latinos, Arab Americans
USA Today
February 11, 2023

White people have flocked back to city centers — and transformed them
The Washington Post
February 6, 2023