August 2025 Census Project Update

Appropriations Update

Little has changed on the funding front for the U.S. Census Bureau since the July Update, while the House and Senate have been in recess this month.

Congress returns to Washington, DC the week of September 1, with no markups yet scheduled for the Senate floor or the full House Appropriations Committee of their chambers’ respective Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 2026) Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations legislation, which funds the Bureau. The Senate bill, which was marked up by the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 17, would fund the Bureau at $1.520 billion, with the House funding it at $1.6765 billion.

Policy Update

President Trump Issues Call for “New” Census: Stakeholders and The Census Project Respond
In an August 7, 2025, Truth Social post, President Trump announced his support for a “new” census that would not count “people who are in our country illegally.” No further clarifying comments from the White House nor the Department of Commerce or Census Bureau were immediately issued.

Census stakeholders responded by urging the Administration to remain focused on preparations for the next decennial census. As the Population Association of America said in its statement, “recommending a “new” census at this point in the ramp up to the 2030 Census poses significant operational, fiscal, and constitutional challenges. These challenges would be exacerbated by any potential unprecedented changes to the design and conduct of such an enumeration.” The Insights Association echoed this position by calling for the Administration to “fully fund the 2030 Census.” The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights also issued a statement, urging Congress and the administration to “prioritize providing the Census Bureau with the resources necessary to utilize the latest technology and most effective methods for counting all residents of our nation, just as it has been charged to do every 10 years for centuries.”

The Census Project joins these organizations and others in urging the Administration to remain focused on ensuring the success of the 2030 Census. Diverting funding, personnel, and other resources away from 2030 Census preparations potentially jeopardizes the conduct of the next constitutionally-required decennial census. Further, conducting a new or mid-decade census threatens ongoing research and testing needed to ensure the 2030 Census is inclusive, cost-effective, and accurate.

Census Project Cosponsors Webinar: 2030 Census: Obligations, Obstacles, and Opportunities
On August 26, The Census Project, in collaboration with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Census Counts, cosponsored a webinar, “2030 Census: Obligations, Obstacles, and Opportunities.” The purpose of the webinar was to not only promote greater understanding about the status of planning for the 2030 Census, but also to address current threats that threaten to disrupt the current scheduled ramp up to the next decennial census. A recording of the webinar is posted.

1-pager on the 2026 Census Test
To help promote greater understanding about the significance of the 2026 Census Test, The Census Project released a 1-page fact sheet.

Voluntary ACS bill introduced in U.S. House
On July 29, U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-FL-17) introduced H.R. 4820, the Freedom from Government Surveys Act. The bill, which would make participation in the American Community Survey (ACS) voluntary, is a companion measure to S. 265 which Senator Risch (R-ID) introduced in January 2025, as covered in the January Census Project Update.

The Correct the Count Act – H.R. 4884
On August 5, Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL-06) introduced the Correct the Count Act (H.R. 4884), legislation that would authorize a new census of only U.S. citizens, facilitated by a citizenship question on that new census, presumably driven by President Trump’s recent social media commentary on the issue.

H.R. 4889 Would Prohibit Mid-Decade Congressional Redistricting
On August 5, Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA-03) introduced H.R. 4889, which would allow for redistricting of Congressional districts to happen only once following a decennial census headcount.

CSAC Meeting as Independent Body
The members of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee, disbanded by the Administration earlier this year, will be meeting again as an independent body on September 18, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET. Public comments on the meeting’s agenda may be emailed to CensusScientific@gmail.com with the subject entitled “I-CSAC Fall Meeting Public Comment.” Submissions received before September 17, at noon EST and not exceeding one minute will be read aloud. Public comments received after the deadline will not be read but will be posted to the I-CSAC website.

CRS Report on Census Bureau and Administrative Data
A new report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the research agency serving Congress, explores how the Census Bureau is using “administrative data to reduce respondent burden and data-collection costs, create new data products, and increase the research potential of census data.” CRS posits that, “Members of Congress may have an interest in how the Census Bureau uses administrative data as it pertains to cost savings, quality of data and its fitness for purpose, and confidentiality of the administrative data sources,” as well as the Bureau’s legal authority pertaining to administrative data and the statistical quality standards applicable to their use.

Requests for Public Comments

In August, The Census Project highlighted requests for public comments that may be of interest to census stakeholders, including:

The U.S. Census Bureau seeks public comment on conducting the next three months of data collections of the Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS), which will include the 2030 Census Planning Survey. Comments are due by September 20, 2025.
The Census Bureau seeks public comment by August 29, 2025 on beginning “Phase 1 of the 2030 Census Redistricting Data Program: The Block Boundary Suggestion Project.”
The Census Bureau seeks public comment on extending the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey by October 14, 2025.
The Census Bureau seeks public comment on the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) by September 27, 2025.
The U.S. Census Bureau seeks comments on the Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES) by October 20, 2025.
The U.S. Census Bureau seeks public comment “on the proposed extension of the Monthly Retail Surveys” by October 6, 2025.
The Census Bureau seeks public comment on “an extension of approval for the Annual Survey of School System Finances” by August 31, 2025. “The FY 2025 survey content is unchanged from what was collected during the FYs 2022-2024 survey cycles.”

Census Bureau Releases

Ron Jarmin, the acting director of the Census Bureau, shared a blog post explaining the Bureau’s data ecosystem: “At the Census Bureau, we refer to the software and systems we use to gather, process and disseminate data as our Business Ecosystem (BE). In this blog, I want to update you on how we’re evolving the BE to better measure our dynamic population and economy.”

Jarmin also blogged about improving the quality and sustainability of census statistics.

The Bureau is scheduled to hold a prerelease webinar on September 4 about the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates set to be publicly released Sept. 11, 2025. The webinar will explain how to access data and resources from the ACS, and provide tips for comparing geographies and statistics over time.

A Research Matters blog from the Bureau explained the Bureau’s process of “cross survey modeling,” which “allows the Census Bureau to enhance the usefulness of federal data products by bridging the gaps between surveys.”

The U.S. Census Bureau released new data products from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), a survey that measures business conditions and projections on an ongoing basis, on August 14 and August 28.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced it will release the Income in the United States: 2024, Poverty in the United States: 2024, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2024 report in September.

Census Bureau released new Business Formation Statistics (BFS) for July 2025. The BFS provide timely and high frequency information on new business applications and formations in the United States.

News You Can Use

Below are several articles posted on The Census Project site in August 2025. The news media coverage posted is not necessarily endorsed or supported by The Census Project but is provided to give census stakeholders a wide spectrum of views and materials. For a complete listing, go to: 2025 Media – The Census Project

Mass. Sec. of Commonwealth visits Berkshires to prepare region for crucial 2030 census count
WAMC
August 27, 2025

Trump’s focus on excluding migrants from census is just one of several issues with preparations for 2030 count, experts say
Government Executive
August 26, 2025

Mid-Decade Redistricting: What’s Happening and What’s Next?
NCSL
August 25, 2025

Immigrant population in the US has started to decline for the first time in years
Scripps News
August 22, 2205

Are Trump’s calls for a mid-decade census unconstitutional?
WUWM
August 18, 2025

America must have a Census recount
The Highland County Press
August 18, 2025

Using Tax Incentives to Improve Our Economic Statistics
National Review
August 18, 2025

No One Trusts the Government Statistics Anymore
Unleash Prosperity
August 18, 2025

After firing of BLS chief, Lutnick tells federal statisticians that independence is ‘nonsense’
Government Executive
August 12, 2025

Make the Census Great Again: Stop Counting Illegal Aliens
The American Spectator
August 11, 2025

Vance: Blue States Have Already Maxed Out Advantage With Gerrymandering, Counting Illegals In Census
RealClear Politics
August 10, 2025

Trump’s Push for a New Census: What the Law Actually Says
Erick Erickson
August 9, 2025