Republican lawmakers urge Trump to appoint Census Bureau director

A coalition of more than 140 Republican state lawmakers has issued a letter to President Trump urging the immediate appointment of a Senate-confirmed director for the U.S. Census Bureau. The agency has operated without a confirmed leader since early 2025.

The lawmakers, organized by the State Freedom Caucus Network, argue that the bureau has “drifted from its constitutional mission” regarding the upcoming 2030 Census. They expressed specific concerns over the use of statistical adjustments, differential privacy, and other methodologies, claiming these practices distort actual citizen enumeration and erode public trust.

The group cited a 2022 Census Bureau report which acknowledged inaccuracies in the 2020 count, noting that five of six Republican-led states were undercounted while six of eight Democrat-led states were overcounted. Lawmakers contend these inaccuracies impact congressional apportionment and federal funding distribution. They also highlighted the importance of the citizenship question to ensure an accurate count of the nation's citizens for redistricting purposes.