Justice Appeals Census Ruling To U.S. Supreme Court
By Terry Frieden/CNN
WASHINGTON (Aug. 26) -- The Justice Department Wednesday announced it is
appealing directly to the U.S. Supreme Court Monday's politically-charged ruling against statistical sampling in the census.
The Justice Department announced the solicitor general will formally ask
the high court within 30 days to overturn the ruling by a three-judge federal district court panel.
If the justices agree to hear the case, the court likely would issue a
ruling in early 1999.
Upon learning of Monday's appeals court ruling, Commerce Secretary William Daley, who oversees the Census Bureau, vowed the decision would be appealed.
The unanimous ruling by the lower court panel represented a major setback for the Clinton Administration, which planned to use statistical sampling in the 2000 census.
The administration and its supporters insist sampling is required to
correct the undercounting of minorities. Census experts believe as many as four million, mostly inner city citizens, may have been uncounted in the 1990 census.
Congressional Republicans have harshly attacked the statistical sampling
plan, charging it is designed simply to boost Democrats' political fortunes.
The GOP wants to maintain the current system of one-on-one interviews and questionnaires.
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