Proposed deal could end fight over 2020 census documents
A House oversight committee and the Commerce Department have reached an understanding that could resolve a lawsuit filed after the Trump administration ignored subpoenas for records on 2020 census operations
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A House oversight committee and the Commerce Department have reached an understanding that could lead to a settlement of a lawsuit filed by the legislative panel after the Trump administration ignored subpoenas for records on how the 2020 census was conducted.
Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and their staffers will be able to review the documents in person and take notes, but won't be able to make copies, under the proposed deal filed in court Monday.
The House committee had been working with the Commerce Department toward an agreement since January when President Joe Biden took office.
The House committee originally sued Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in November 2019, while President Donald Trump was in office, for refusing to produce documents related to a decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The Supreme Court stopped the question from being added to the census form.
A year later, the House committee requested documents about anomalies found in the census data that may have caused delays in releasing the numbers used for determining how many congressional seats each state gets and for drawing congressional and legislative districts.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP