U.S. Census ‘Urgently’ Needs Another $3.3 Billion, Wilbur Ross Says
- Commerce Secretary seeks ‘full, fair and accurate’ count
- Project has struggled with broken promises, lack of funds
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross
Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The 2020 U.S. Census will require $15.6 billion -- $3.3 billion more than estimated in 2015 -- after a government review found that technological upgrades would be tougher to implement and save less money than previously thought, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told lawmakers on Thursday.
The Census Bureau, housed within the Commerce Department, hopes the additional funding will bring the project back on track after years of missed deadlines, incomplete projects and underfunding, Ross said. The new budget would include $1.2 billion for contingencies.