Senate Proceeding 07-13-09 on Jul 13th, 2009 :: 3:36:00 to 3:42:15
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3:35:56 to 3:36:17( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: thank you, madam president. i yield the floor. mr. shelby: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. shelby: madam president, i rise today with concern regarding the nomination of mr. robert groves director of the census. that my colleague from louisiana has.

3:36:00 to 3:42:15( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Richard Shelby

3:36:18 to 3:36:38( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: conducting the census is a vital constitutional obligation, madam president. under the country conducts a census every 10 years to determine article 1, section 2, of the constitution mandates -- -- "innumeration to determine

3:36:39 to 3:37:00( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: the allocation of seats forach state in the u.s. house of representatives." by extension, madam president, the census composition of the electoral college which chooses the president of the united states. the information clected from the census has a significant impact on the distribution of

3:37:01 to 3:37:23( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: political pow in this country. the results of this process are a major factor in congressional district lines are drawn within each state. through redistricting, political parties can maximize their own party's complot while minimizing the opposition -- clout while minimizing the opposition's.

3:37:24 to 3:37:44( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: the party in control could arguably perpetuate its hold polical pow. madam president, the results of the census are also enormously important in another way: the allocation of federal funds. theoretically, i the census were to become politicized, the political party controlling the census process could

3:37:45 to 3:38:07( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: disproportionately steer federal funding to areas dominated by its own members through a skewing of census numbers. ma shift billions of federal dollars for roads, schools, and hospitals over the next 10 years from some parts of the count to others because of the population-driven financing

3:38:08 to 3:38:31( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: formula. madam president, the census is vastly important and must proceed in -- as a reliable and accurate manner as possible. on march 20 of this year, i wreiwrote to president obama

3:38:32 to 3:38:53( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: regarding that acorn - had signed as a national partner with the u.s. census bureau to assist with recruiting temporary census workers. i want to say this it was on marchhe 20th, i wrote to president obama regarding reports that the association of community organizations for

3:38:54 to 3:39:14( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: reform -- acorn -- had signed as a national partner with the u.s. census bureau to assist the temporary census workers. that letter remains unanswered. nomination of mr. groves when the administration he

3:39:15 to 3:39:35( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: would partner with question a questionable organization as acorn. furkts i'm dismayed that mr. -- further, i'm dismayed that mr. groves, the nominee to head the u.s. not denounce acorn's role in the census. let me tell you a little about

3:39:36 to 3:39:56( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: acorn, and i -- as i understand it. acorn has had numerous allegations fraud which would raise great concerns of the accuracy it would provide to the census, for example. washington state filed felony charges in 2007 against seral paid acorn employees and

3:39:57 to 3:40:17( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: supervisors for falsifying 1,700 fraud vent voter registration card. an acorn worker in the state of pennsylvania was sentenced in 2008 for falsified voter registration forms. in ohio in 2004, a worker for one affiliate of acorn was

3:40:18 to 3:40:39( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: crack cocaine in exchange for fraudulent registrations that included underaged dead voters. acorn has been implicated in summer voter registration schemes arnd the country and its activities were frequently questioned throughout the 2008 presidential election. madam president, i believe the

3:40:40 to 3:41:00( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: census must be nonpartisan. it must be totally above reproach. it must be honest. we cannot allow, i believe, a biased, politically active organization to take any type of official role in the process, let alone recruit workers for

3:41:01 to 3:41:22( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: the census. overcounting here and undercounting there, manipulation can take place solely for political gain. using acorn to mobilize hundreds of thousands of temporary workers can surely lead to abuses for those who want to gain political advantage. just as we saw with the voter registration issues in past elections.

3:41:23 to 3:41:44( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: madam president, the laws that governor voter fraud were nolt enoug-- were not enough to dissuade those in the past. it is doubtful that the laws governing fraud in the census will be any more effecti against such deceitful intentsz. the people of this nation deserve a census that is conducted in a fair and accurate manner, using the best methods

3:41:45 to 3:42:07( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: to determine the outcome and that is free from political tampering. given acorn's history and political connections, the u.s. census bureau should not partner with an organization that is had a accuracicy and legitimacy. while i cannot support mr. groves' nomination, madam president, i hope he will

3:42:08 to 3:42:16( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Shelby: carefully review this issue and terminate acorns role in the 2010 census. it would be a big first step for him.