TPMDC has been tracking the progress of Sen. David Vitter's proposed amendment that would require Census workers to ask immigration status during the 2010 count.
The Obama administration helped dodge a first vote on this earlier this month, but a few centrists Democrats we've talked to this week say they may be interested in the amendment as well.
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) sent a terse letter to Vitter (R-LA) outlining the problems she sees in his amendment, including its potential taxpayer cost of $1 billion to reprint Census forms already ready for use.
Her office called the amendment "deeply flawed."
"If you are ever interested in setting aside political gamesmanship and working together with me on a serious initiative to reform the laws that govern illegal immigration and Congressional apportionment, I would welcome your support," she wrote.
No one has addressed the larger issue, however - some Democrats like the idea and the best argument opponents have against it is that the 2010 forms are already a done deal. Expect a potential 2020 change to be a discussion topic when Congress finally tackles immigration.

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slb
October 30, 2009 12:24 AM
So the Republican position is that we cannot spend $1 billion to improve the health insurance system, because that would break the bank, but we can spend $1 billion to reprint the census forms to add a completely unnecessary feel-good question???? I mean, good Lord, do they really expect illegal immigrants to pipe up and say, "Yes, I am here illegally, Mr. Government Census Worker."
But I guess their real objective is to scare illegals away from being counted at all. And if they do that, then that puts them on the totem pole below where even slaves were before the Civil War. Slaves at least got to be counted as 3/5 of a person.
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dick_data
October 30, 2009 12:51 AM
Uh, slb it's a TRILLION dollars (over 10 years) for health care reform. But your point is still valid. It's all part of a Republican plan to make sure that the only people who vote Republican are whites and tokens.
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Brittanicus
October 31, 2009 3:52 PM
Sen. David Vitter R-LA-Bennett R-UT have been offering an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill that would require the U.S. Census Bureau to add questions regarding immigration & citizenship status of 20 to 30 million plus illegal immigrants and families in the 2010 decennial census. If these questions are not asked it is certain that--ALL--these illegal aliens will be counted in the census and states will lose billions of dollars in federal funds to states infamously designated as SANCTUARY STATES such as CALIFORNIA and gain Congressional seats (and electoral college votes) due to this counting of illegal aliens.DEMAND FROM YOUR SENATORS THAT SEN. VITTERS’ AMENDMENT BE INCLUDED. Only citizens and permanent residents should be counted. Just may be citizens and legal residents should--abstain--from being counted in the 2010, if the Democrats insist in illegal immigrants who broke our sovereignty laws.
Vitter stated," If the current census plan goes ahead, the inclusion of non-citizens toward apportionment will artificially increase the population count in certain states, and that will likely result in the loss of congressional seats for nine other states, including Louisiana,” CALL YOUR SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE AT 202-224-3121 AND DEMAND NO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SHOULD BE ENUMERATED IN THE 2010 CENSUS
Sen. Harry Reid D-NV, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi D-CA, once again is trying to weaken or table illegal immigrant amendments, that included E-Verify, County police training program 287 G. Reid and his co-conspirators are well versed in the act of undermining any immigration enforcement laws already on the books, or that have been prepared for the Senate chambers. Both these states are heavily populated with millions of illegal aliens, with their treasuries wrecked by incompetence as Democratic leaders and many other politicians pander to the financial demands of foreign nationals
Why do US citizens and permanent residents have to keep on repeating the same mantra, until their blue in the face? THIS IS NOT ABOUT BIGOTRY OR RACISM, as the Democratic-Marxists-Socialists like people to think?
This not about a persons indigenous population, their religion or anything else. For years Americans have been picking up the progressive tab for the impoverished people from across the globe. IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE PEOPLE FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SOUTHERN BORDER. What it is about is the "Rule of LAW." That you don't just steal into a sovereign country and expect to be welcomed. Nor expect to be respected for demanding rights that doesn't exist for illegal immigrants. Personally some of my family members from Europe spent years trying to get a entry visa. So why should foreign nationals just slip by the US Border Patrol, or equally as insidious over-stay there tourist visa, knowing full well there here to stay. That's why I joined NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIAL WATCH to be aware what's happening behind closed doors in Washington?
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