The United States Census Bureau is responsible for conducting the nationwide Census, which is done every ten years. The information collected and compiled by the Census Bureau helps determine which communities will receive federal funding for public works and other projects and in what amounts. The population data is also used to determine whether Congressional districts need to be adjusted to ensure evenly-distributed representation in the House.

Skirmishes continue in Congress over the 2010 Census, even as the April 1 census date draws near. In early October, Republican Sens. David Vitter (Louisiana) and Robert Bennett (Utah) put forward an amendment that would require the Census forms to ask people (for the first time) whether they were in the country legally or illegally. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2009-10-13-census_N.htm Following an uproar from the Census Bureau and many Democrats and supporting groups http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/10/19/daily11.html?ed=2009-10-19&ana=e_du_pub, the Republicans withdrew that proposal. Instead, Vitter is trying to exclude non-citizens from the count for purposes of reapportionment, a proposal Republicans have raised before past censuses. http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2009/10/republican-senator-presses-plan-to-exclude-noncitizens-from-the-census.html According to The Census Project, a consortium of census stakeholders, the Justice Department has consistently (in Republican and Democratic Administrations) found that the United States Constitution requires that all inhabitants be counted regardless of their immigration status. http://www.thecensusproject.org/newsbriefs/cnb79-18oct2009.html

In March 2009, DC lawmakers introduced a bill that would make the Census Department its own independent agency in 2012. Republicans were concerned that the Obama Administration would take advantage of the Bureau being part of the executive branch. As of October 2009, the bill (HR1254) is in committee. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d111:3:./temp/~bdlNPe::|/bss/111search.html|

In early February of 2009, President Barack Obama nominated New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) as commerce secretary, meaning that the Census Bureau would fall under his direction. This appointment caused concern among some Democrats, as Gregg had previously attempted to reduce funding to the Census Bureau. Leaders of minority groups also expressed concern that under Gregg's direction, the 2010 Census may not accurately count minorities and the disadvantaged.

In response to these concerns, President Obama stated that The White House would take a more active role in directing the Census. This, in turn, caused concern among some Republicans that the Census would become politicized and its impartiality could be compromised. On February 12, 2009 Gregg announced that he was withdrawing his name from consideration for the position of commerce secretary, citing "irresolvable conflicts...on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census."Politico: In census, leave no one behind (February 12, 2009) CNN: Redrawing the lines - almost 200 years of gerrymandering (February 12, 2009) Breitbart: GOP leaders criticize White House role in census (February 12, 2009) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/politics/13gregg.html(February 12, 2009)

In what could be a brutal reminder of how nasty anti-government sentiment is running, a 51-year old man who had been doing field work for the U.S. Census Bureau since 2003 was hanged. Authorities have confirmed that the word "Fed" was written on the victim's chest. http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/09/feds_probe_us_census_worker_hanging_in_kentucky.php?ref=fpb

UPDATE (9/29/09): The person who found the body of the census worker says it was definitely not suicide. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090926/ap_on_re_us/us_census_worker_hanged

UPDATE (10/6/09): Mr. Sparkman's body was released by investigators yesterday, to be cremated. However, no further details about the investigation have been released. http://blog.taragana.com/n/hanged-ky-census-workers-body-released-police-still-not-saying-if-death-was-homicide-188448/October 6, 2009

UPDATE (10/30/09): The State Police say they are making progress in the investigation and that they anticipate a some resolution "in a matter of weeks not months." Officials are confirming that Mr. Sparkman died of asphyxiation and died at the tree where he was found. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jbzG_BlkG2Hfc818EPRRn1bBlP6gD9BKDIAG0October 29, 2009

UPDATE (11/6/09): The Associated Press is reporting that anonymous law enforcement officials have stated that investigators "increasingly doubt" that Sparkman was hanged because he was a U.S. Census Bureau worker, and are pursuing the possibility that he committed suicide. http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/11/ap_sources_suicide_eyed_in_ky_census_worker_case_1.php November 6, 2009 What the article seems to gloss over (in favor of the two more interesting theories) is the possibility that it was a homicide for reasons unrelated to his Census job; a state police Captain (on the record) did deny that there is a new focus in the investigation - but the article quickly returns to the anti-government hanging and the suicide possibilities.

UPDATE (12/4/09): Kentucky State Police have now announced their conclusion that Mr. Sparkman committed suicide, and was not hanged. http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/police_sparkman_committed_suicide_made_it_look_lik.php Census Worker Hanged