WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) have introduced the Equal Representation Act, a bill that would require the U.S. Census Bureau to include a citizenship question on all future censuses and prevent non-citizens, including undocumented immigrants, from being counted in the apportionment of congressional districts and Electoral College votes.
The proposed legislation is backed by Republican Senators Tim Sheehy (R-MT), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mike Lee (R-UT), and James Lankford (R-OK). Supporters of the bill argue that current census practices unfairly inflate political representation for states with large undocumented immigrant populations, such as California, at the expense of other states like Florida.
“Illegal aliens shouldn’t be allowed to break the law and be rewarded with taxpayer-funded benefits, and states that shelter them shouldn’t gain increased influence in Washington as a result,” said Senator Scott. “This bill ensures that states like California don’t gain an unfair advantage over states like Florida, and that every citizen’s vote carries equal weight.”
Senator Hagerty echoed those concerns, claiming that counting non-citizens in the census leads to distorted congressional representation. “It is unconscionable that illegal immigrants and non-citizens are counted toward congressional district apportionment and our electoral map for the presidency,” Hagerty said. “This legislation will ensure that only citizens are counted in congressional redistricting.”
The bill reflects an ongoing Republican push to change how the federal government conducts the decennial census, a process that determines the distribution of congressional seats and federal funding. The inclusion of a citizenship question has been a point of contention in recent years, with opponents arguing that it could discourage participation and result in undercounts of certain populations.
