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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House approved a controversial measure on Wednesday adding a citizenship question to the decennial U.S. census and changing the way House seats and presidential electors are apportioned.
But that hardly means the measure's passage is a done deal.
HR7109, the Equal Representation Act, passed 206-202 along partisan lines, with Utah's four House members — Reps. Blake Moore, John Curtis, Burgess Owens and Celeste Maloy — joining their Republican colleagues in voting for the measure. Democrats hold sway in the U.S. Senate, though, so the bill's prospects are questionable.
Even so, the resurgence of the push underscores the focus among many lawmakers on issues related to immigration and undocumented immigrants. Former President Donald Trump unsuccessfully pushed for the sort of change outlined in HR7109 while in office
The measure would add a question to the U.S. Census Bureau headcount, next scheduled for 2030, asking respondents if they are U.S. citizens. Proponents say the question would aid in getting a better handle on the characteristics of the U.S. population. Critics say the question would discourage some immigrants from responding to the census, though they wouldn't have to spell out their migratory status.
The measure would also apportion U.S. House seats and presidential electors based on the number of U.S. citizens in a given jurisdictional area, not the overall population, immigrants and all.
Proponents of the change say the current way of apportioning creates an imbalance in representation, benefitting states with large immigrant populations. Foes say the proposed change would run afoul of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Moreover, they argue, even immigrants deserve to be represented as taxpayers in the country.
