Senate kills divisive Vitter Amendment seeking to wreck Census

Today, the Senate voted and achieved cloture with a 60-39 vote to cut-off further debate on the Commerce-Justice-Science Spending Bill killing the Vitter Amendment that sought to use the 2010 Census for anti-immigrant politicking.

In response to the Senate's action, the Service Employees International Union Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina issued the following statement.

"Today U.S. Senators put working families ahead of the politics of division and hatred. Joining a chorus of former U.S. Census Directors and advocacy leaders , the Senate voted down Senators Vitter and Bennett's misguided attempt to undercut 2010 enumeration efforts and mar this critical process with hateful, anti-immigrant politics.

"The Senate's move to protect the 2010 Census will help ensure we achieve an accurate count of our nation's diverse population-protecting billions of dollars in federal funding for local communities and ensuring reapportionment is based on a factual representation of who we are as a nation.

"As we approach the March, 2010 launch of the U.S. Census, SEIU will continue our efforts to support an accurate, timely count of Latinos and other traditionally undercounted communities. When entire communities are left out of decisions about allocation of federal funds, all working people suffer. When Latino and immigrant communities are left out of political redistricting conversations, our democracy suffers."

SEIU was partnered with AAJC, CAP, Demos, HNBA, LCCR, LDF, LULAC, MALDEF, NALEO, NDN, PFAW in the Don't Wreck the Census campaign. Since launching, the campaign helped drive thousands of letters and calls to the Senate, urging them to block the divisive Vitter-Bennett amendment

Posted in: 2010 Census,SEIU,U.S. Senate,Vitter Amendment