Rand Paul, Ted Poe Seek Census Religion Law That Already Exists

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/15/rand-paul-census_n_2885823.html

Michael McAuliff
Posted: 03/15/2013 5:39 pm EDT | Updated: 03/15/2013 6:18 pm EDT

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Sen. Rand Paul wants to make a key Census survey optional. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)732

WASHINGTON -- A group of Republicans in Congress who want to dramatically restrict information gathering by the U.S. Census Bureau is trying to pass a measure that was already passed and signed into law more than 36 years ago.

Led by Rep. Ted Poe of Texas and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the group offered bills Thursday to make responding to the American Community Survey (ACS) optional. The legislation includes one provision that was previously enacted on Oct. 17, 1976.

The measure would, again, make it illegal for the Census Bureau to demand answers from people about religion.

The text of the proposed legislation reads:

(c)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision under this title-- '(A) no person may be compelled to disclose information relative to the person's religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body;

The 1976 law reads:

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no person shall be compelled to disclose information relative to his religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body.

more at link

[zbdent]

1. Proof that they NEVER check with reality

before making a statement ...

[cbayer]

2. I think that they presume that every idea they have is original, lol.

The height of arrogance.

[goldent]

3. This might be an example of lawyering...

It seems like that 1976 link refers to a bill for a mid-decade census, whereas the new law is for an annual survey. Now, you might assume that if the census can't force you provide religious information on one census/survey, they can't on any other. But if you are familiar with lawyers and legal documents, you know that they like to be ridiculously tedious and pedantic (unless it would be to their advantage to be vague ) and they would rather not be dependent on a court making a common sense judgement.

So while this is probably showmanship, there could be some legal justification - and if there is the least bit question, I think people should just say "doubt this is necessary, but it does no harm, so fine, ok."

[cbayer]

4. You could be quite right about that.

I am currently involved in some court issues and the system is frighteningly complex and tedious. Things which should be simple get mired down in technicalities.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. The next step is to eliminate the IRS and Social Security Administration...

because they are far more invasive than any Census survey could be. There are also far more real penalties for not answering their questions.

Could this be the plan?

[cbayer]

6. Good luck with that. They would like that, though, I bet.