The Trump administration’s decision to add a question about citizenship in the 2020 Census was met with fierce pushback from critics Tuesday, launching a legal and political battle with enormous stakes in a fight that pits the administration against many Democratic states. The confrontation becomes another key factor hanging in the balance in the upcoming midterm elections, with Democrats gaining considerable leverage to scrap the census decision should they win control of either chamber. “Counting the number of U.S. citizens in the country should be a high priority of the census,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) The commerce secretary, however, said he kept an open mind, carefully studying the issue before coming to his decision. The sample survey being tested in Rhode Island has no citizenship question.

Source: Washington Post March 27, 2018 23:44 UTC