House Votes to Add Citizenship Question to U.S. Census, Sparking Nationwide Debate

In a move that has reignited a nationwide debate on immigration and representation, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to reintroduce a citizenship question to the 2030 U.S. Census. The legislation, known as the Equal Representation Act, narrowly passed with a vote of 206 to 202, reflecting a stark partisan divide. This decision marks a significant shift in the approach to census-taking, aiming to exclude noncitizens from the count used for House apportionment and Electoral College calculations. The bill's passage in the House sends it to the Senate, where it faces uncertain prospects amidst strong opposition from civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers. Critics argue that adding a citizenship question could lead to undercounts in diverse communities, affecting federal funding and political representation for the next decade. Proponents, however, argue that the measure is necessary to ensure electoral fairness and to accurately reflect the citizen population in congressional representation. The debate over the citizenship question has been a contentious issue in U.S. politics, previously sparking legal battles and public outcry during the Trump administration. As the bill moves to the Senate, the nation watches closely, understanding that the outcome could have profound implications for the political landscape and the principle of equal representation in the United States.