Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Census Subcommittee, released the following statement on the Commerce Department's announcement today, that they have put in place a new rule returning to the Census Bureau the ability to decide whether or not to issue corrected Census data for the 2000 Census.

" Secretary Mineta should be commended for returning the decision making power on Census to the Census.

"If you stopped anyone on the street and asked them who should be making decisions on the Census, politicians or scientists, they would tell you scientists. That is what Secretary Mineta said today, loud and clear.

"It should be scientists not politicians who decide whether we can correct the historic undercount of Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and American Indians in the Census.

"This decision has the bipartisan support of four former Census directors, three of whom served Republican Administrations, Vincent Barabba, Director of the Bureau from 1973-76 and 1979-81; John G. Keane, Director from 1984-89; Barbara Everitt Bryant, Director from 1989-1993; and Martha Farnsworth Riche, Director from 1994-1998."

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