Black, Latino Groups Raise Concerns About Gregg and 2010 Census

By Jonathan Allen  |  CQ Politics  |  Link to article
February 03, 2009

The head of the Congressional Black Caucus and a group representing Latino government officials raised questions about Sen. Judd Gregg ’s fitness to lead the Commerce Department on the day President Obama nominated him for the post.

Black Caucus Chairwoman Barbara Lee , D-Calif., issued a statement Tuesday taking issue with the New Hampshire Republican’s 1995 votes for a GOP budget that assumed the elimination of the Commerce Department and subsequent efforts to hold down spending for the 2000 census.

“Sen. Gregg’s record of previously voting to abolish the Commerce Department and his attempts to block President Bill Clinton’s efforts to secure adequate funding for the 2000 census raise troubling concerns regarding his commitment to the department’s core missions,” Lee said. “As the Census Bureau prepares for another count in 2010, it is important to ensure the census is fully funded to guarantee a thorough and fair counting of all Americans.”

While Lee does not have a vote on the nomination — only the Senate has a say on that — the Black Caucus serves as the strongest voice in Congress for issues affecting African-Americans.

“I trust that Sen. Gregg’s confirmation process will allow for the detailed examination of his past record and future commitment to the mission of the Commerce Department,” she said.

There is only one African-American senator, newly appointed Illinois Democrat Roland W. Burris , who is second-to-last in seniority.

Later, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials weighed in.

“Secretary of Commerce-Designate Judd Gregg ’s record raises serious questions about his willingness to ensure that the 2010 Census produces the most accurate possible count of the nation’s population,” the group said in a news release.

“Policymakers and planners at all levels of government rely on these data to make important decisions about their services, such as the number of teachers that will be needed in their classrooms, the best places to build new roads, or the best way to provide job training.”

Sen. Carl Levin , D-Mich., defended Gregg, saying, “He’ll follow the administration’s policy.”

A spokeswoman for Gregg said the senator “has a strong record of working aggressively to preserve the policies of Commerce.”

“Over the course of his tenure as either chairman or ranking member, Senator Gregg helped boost overall funding levels for the Commerce Department by nearly 74%,” said spokeswoman Andrea Wuebker. “His leadership helped elevate the department’s status and its agencies such as NOAA, and he continues to be a strong advocate for the Commerce Department’s mission.”

In committee and on the Senate floor, Gregg voted for a non-binding Republican budget resolution that envisioned the abolition of the Commerce Department, a favorite target of conservatives who seek to pare the federal government.

In 1999, Gregg battled President Clinton over a White House request for “emergency” spending to fund the decennial head count — required by the Constitution — after a Supreme Court ruling forcing the bureau to use both sampling and a traditional head count.