Washington, D.C. — Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) has helped introduce the Equal Representation Act.
The bill would require the Census Bureau include a citizenship question on any future census to provide a greater understanding of the U.S. population and delineate between citizens and non-citizens for apportionment purposes.
The bill also prohibits non-citizens from being counted for purposes of congressional and Electoral College apportionment and requires that the Census Bureau publicly report on certain demographic data.
The bill was led by Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and was also sponsored by: Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), John Thune (R-SD), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and J.D. Vance (R-OH).
The bill comes after Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke called for more illegal immigration to her New York congressional district because “I need more people in my district just for redistricting purposes.”
Under current law, illegal immigrants are counted for congressional district apportionment and Electoral College votes.
Sen. Budd said in a statement:
“The basic function of the census is to determine an accurate makeup of our country. To ignore the fundamental distinction between legal citizens and illegal aliens produces not only inaccurate data, but creates an incentive for policies that encourage illegal immigration. We are already facing the worst border crisis in American history. Now is the time to reverse the failed policies of the past. That’s why I am glad to join Senator Hagerty on this bill and thank him for leading it.”
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