Graves: Census Shouldn't Count Illegals

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Sam Graves believes that the United States census should not count illegal aliens during the once-a-decade federal count. He has signed onto a Constitutional Amendment, H. J. Resolution 6, which would require that only United States' citizens be counted in the census. Currently all residents, including illegal aliens, are counted during the census.

"Our forefathers never considered the possibility that we would allow millions of illegal immigrants to stay in this country and be counted by the census," said Graves. "The census should count legal citizens only."

The census is used to determine federal funding for some programs and the number of Congressional representatives apportioned to each state. Each of the eight states that gained a seat in the last census had a high illegal immigrant population. The next census will be in 2010 and some observers believe that Missouri will lose a Congressional seat, in part, because of an influx of illegal immigrants into other states.

"Missourians are being cheated out of representation," said Graves. "Once again the federal government is extending benefits to illegal aliens that they do not deserve."

H.J. Res 6 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. As a constitutional amendment it will require a two-thirds vote of each house and ratification by three-fourths of the states within seven years.

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