Axios reports:
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross defended his decision to add a citizenship question to the 2o20 census, telling lawmakers on Thursday that he acted solely at the request of the Justice Department to enhance the Voting Rights Act, denying it was intended to influence the allocation of congressional seats across the country.
His testimony before the House Oversight Committee comes after 2 federal judges blocked his move to add the question, ruling it lacks a factual basis for necessity and would unconstitutionally suppress responses from non-citizens.
The Supreme Court is set to hold a hearing next month — with a ruling expected by June — on the consequential blockbuster case that would inform and shape public policy for the next decade.
so i just figured out (i think) why AOC is good in these hearings. she’s doing a columbo thing. “i just have one more question, just a clarification…” and thats when she lowers the boom. pic.twitter.com/O8ixRVzoGK
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) March 14, 2019
.@aoc v. Wilbur Ross. It does not go well (for him). pic.twitter.com/HijDk9toVX
— Alexander Nazaryan (@alexnazaryan) March 14, 2019
.@AOC notes Kris Kobach wrote to Wilbur Ross & wanted citizenship question added to census to exclude non citizens from counting toward Congressional apportionment. “It had nothing to do with Voting Rights Act,” she said. “It is about immigrants & Congressional apportionment”
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) March 14, 2019
The one where @AOC plays @MarkMeadows for the fool he is. Oh and Wilbur Ross too. ?
— Brandon Wolf (@bjoewolf) March 14, 2019
Wilbur Ross tried to run out the clock on @AOC. It didn’t go so well for him or Republicans who professed confusion on her question.https://t.co/Prq1Q7XxNp
— Michael McAuliff (@mmcauliff) March 14, 2019
We made serious cracks in the citizenship question case, which seriously threatens the Census.
You know the questioning is good when the GOP tries to challenge you into stopping, are unsuccessful, and an army of lawyers starts freaking out.
Chair @RepCummings saved the day. https://t.co/1OPDbyusRI
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 14, 2019