National Census Day of Action Press Briefing
4/1/2019 9:45 AM

State Rep. Pedro Marin (D - Duluth) will host a press conference
with the Center for Pan Asian Community Services and others
to highlight the importance of having every US resident counted.
The 2020 Census will determine a fair and proportionate representation in Congress and
the annual allocation of nearly $900 billion in federal funds.
An inaccurate count will jeopardize state funds and compromise crucial support for marginalized communities
especially among hard-to-count populations.
Date: Mon Apr 1, 2019
Time: 9:45am-10:30am
Venue: South Wing steps of the State Capitol, 206 Washington St. SW, Atlanta, GA
Contact: 404-656-0314
Why is the Census Important?
Education: Census data influences the distribution of billions of dollars—almost $16 billion for Title I grants that help local educational agencies serve more than 24 million students in low-income families and communities, more than $12 billion for special education grants to states, along with funds for the national school lunch program, Head Start, and grants for improving teacher quality.
Community Resources: Information collected in the census influences the way public officials distribute more than $800 billion in federal funds every year for services like schools, fire departments, hospitals and community health centers.
Health Care: In 2016, Community Health Centers served more than 25 million patients in urban and rural locations. Community Health Centers are often the only source of care available to low-income patients, and are playing an increasingly important role in providing treatment for people caught up in the opioid epidemic.
Jobs: Company executives use census data to identify communities where they might build a factory or office building, or open new stores. Census numbers also guide the distribution of billions of dollars in community development block grants.
Political Representation: If states and communities are not fully counted, that could cost them a lot of political influence and power as well as money and other resources. Your state could lose or gain a member of Congress. Giving up political power could mean losing out on access to all kinds of resources—without a chance to fix the problem for 10 years.