Senate Confirms Thompson as U.S. Census Director
WASHINGTON— Today, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statements after the full Senate confirmed the nomination of John H. Thompson as the next U.S. Census Bureau Director.
“The Census Bureau has been without a Senate-confirmed Director for nearly a year, when then-Director Bob Groves departed last August to be the Provost of Georgetown University. I am therefore very pleased that my Senate colleagues quickly approved Mr. Thompson. Mr. Thompson has a strong background in statistics and issues related to the census and if confirmed, he will bring a wealth of experience and service to his new role as Director of the Census Bureau. He spent several years working in management positions at the Bureau and his previous tenure there means he is familiar with the agency’s unique culture and mission and he understands the important link between a well-run agency and a successful enumeration. The cost of the 2010 Census totaled $14 billion, making it the most expensive census history. At a time when the federal government is facing an unprecedented budget deficit, it is critical that we do what all that we can to ensure an accurate and cost-effective decennial census. I appreciate Mr. Thompson’s willingness to tackle this challenge. I look forward to working with him as he leads the Bureau in its planning a more cost-efficient 2020 Census.”
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