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FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Hearing on 2020 Census Modernization and Cost-Efficiency

Original title: 2020 CENSUS: CHALLENGES FACING THE BUREAU FOR A MODERN, COST-EFFECTIVE SURVEY

January 1, 2016

2020 Census Government Efficiency Data Privacy Information Technology Federal Budget

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing addresses the operational and financial planning for the 2020 Census, which determines federal funding allocations and congressional representation for the next decade.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Taxpayers

The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the census directly impact the amount of federal funding required for the project.

U.S. Census Bureau

The agency is responsible for implementing the modernization strategy and addressing GAO findings regarding IT and security.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2016.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This Senate committee hearing examined the U.S. Census Bureau's preparations for the 2020 . The discussion focused on balancing the need for a cost-effective, modern survey with the requirements for data security, taxpayer savings, and the protection of citizen privacy.

Key Facts

The U.S. Constitution mandates an actual enumeration of the population every 10 years.
The Census Bureau is implementing an innovation strategy intended to reduce costs compared to previous censuses.
The GAO identified that while progress has been made since 2010, further work is required to ensure IT systems are fully operational.
The GAO emphasized the need for continued focus on information security and data confidentiality.
The hearing took place on April 20, 2015, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held the hearing to oversee Census Bureau preparations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Senate reviewing the 2020 Census preparations?

The Senate is conducting oversight to ensure the Census Bureau is prepared to conduct an accurate, cost-effective survey while protecting taxpayer money and citizen privacy.

What are the primary concerns regarding the 2020 Census?

Primary concerns include the readiness of new technology systems, the security of collected data, and ensuring that survey questions remain cost-effective and not overly intrusive.

Why It Matters

The hearing addresses the operational and financial planning for the 2020 Census, which determines federal funding allocations and congressional representation for the next decade.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift toward IT-driven Census

The 2015 hearing highlights a clear strategic pivot toward using new technology systems to modernize the census and reduce costs compared to the 2010 survey.

U.S. Census Bureau U.S. Government Accountability Office

Connected Entities

organizationU.S. Government Accountability Office“The federal watchdog agency providing oversight on Census preparations.”Map →

personLawrence Buckner“Census Bureau employee who passed away in the line of duty.”Map →

personCarol R. Cha“Director of Information Technology Acquisition Management Issues at the GAO.”Map →

personJohn H. Thompson“Director of the U.S. Census Bureau.”Map →

organizationU.S. Census Bureau“The federal agency responsible for conducting the decennial census.”Map →

personJames Lankford“U.S. Senator presiding over the hearing.”Map →

personRobert Goldenkoff“Director of Strategic Issues at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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