oppose the vitter amendment

Received this action alert from OCA the other day, calling on you to contact your Senators and urge them to oppose the Vitter amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill for 2010. Read on for more information about the amendment:

ACTION ALERT: OPPOSE THE VITTER AMENDMENT

OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) asks all to please contact your Senators and urge them to oppose the Vitter amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill for 2010.

The Vitter Amendment would add an extra question to the 2010 Census asking about legal immigration status, which will prevent the Census Bureau from completing the census by its deadlines and waste billions of dollars in research and planning. More importantly, as mandated by the Constitution, the Census is designed to count each and every person residing in the United States. While Census Bureau employees are held to strict standards of confidentiality under threat of criminal penalty, many immigrants regardless of status may be reluctant to participate if this amendment is passed. This question will intimidate many immigrant households, including legal immigrants, and native-born citizens with immigrant family members.

OCA is a Census Information Center and official 2010 Census partner and we are committed to ensuring that everyone is counted.

There are many reasons why this amendment would be a stupendously bad idea. The most obvious reason being that it would completely halt the 2010 census and delay it for who knows how long. More on why the amendent is "the height of irresponsible and misinformed legislating" here: Let's NOT Take A Census!