Michele Bachmann will refuse to answer census questions
June 19, 2009 – 11:10 amThe honorable representative Michele Bachmann has publicly stated that she will refuse to answer most questions on the upcoming 2010 census.(Dinan 2009)
Michelle Bachmann is reported to have stated:
I know for my family the only question we will be answering is how many people are in our home. We won’t be answering any information beyond that, because the Constitution doesn’t require any information beyond that
According to the Washington Times, U.S. Census Bureau spokesperson Shelly Lowe indicated that, as paraphrased by a possibly sloppy Washington Times journalist, that “…a portion of the U.S. legal code that says anyone over 18 years of age who refuses to answer ‘any of the questions’ on the census can be fined up to $5,000.”
U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann
However, section 221 of Title 13, chapter 7, subchapter II states:
(a) Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or
willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any
other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce
or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the
Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his
knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in
connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I,
II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to
the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or
farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not
more than $100.
(b) Whoever, when answering questions described in subsection (a)
of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances
described in such subsection, willfully gives any answer that is
false, shall be fined not more than $500.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no person
shall be compelled to disclose information relative to his
religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body.
However, the law is complex. It would be interesting and better quality journalism if Stephen Dinan had bothered to cite the portion of U.S. code sent to him by Shelly Lowe of the U.S. Census Bureau.
According to this press release, Shelly Lowe can be contacted at :
Shelly Lowe
Public Information Office
301-763-3691
e-mail: pio [at] cen[remove]sus.gov
Sources
- Dinan, Stephen (June 17, 2009) Minn. lawmaker vows not to complete Census Washington Times
See also
- Paul, Rep. Ron , MD (July 13, 2004) None of Your Business!