Why It Matters
The House Appropriations Committee's version of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which passed committee on May 13 by a 32-28 vote, provides only $1.490 billion for the Census Bureau, $521 million less than the Trump administration's request. According to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report titled "Overview of FY2027 Budget Request for the Census Bureau," the Trump administration is requesting $2.012 billion for the Census Bureau in fiscal year 2027, a substantial increase that reflects mounting costs for the 2030 decennial census.
The Big Picture
The Census Bureau, a Department of Commerce agency, receives its annual funding through the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The FY2027 budget request divides Census Bureau funding between two accounts: Current Surveys and Programs, and Periodic Censuses and Programs.
The Trump administration sought $289 million for Current Surveys and Programs, a $30 million reduction from the FY2026 enacted level of $319 million. Within that account, Current Economic Statistics would receive $216 million, down $10 million from FY2026, while Current Demographic Statistics would receive $73 million, down $20 million. The House committee bill matched the administration's request for Current Surveys and Programs at $289 million.
The larger request came for Periodic Censuses and Programs, where the Trump administration sought $1.723 billion, a $551 million increase from the FY2026 enacted level of $1.172 billion. The 2030 census alone received a $1.07 billion request, up $516 million from the prior year's $556 million. That buildup is intended to support system design updates, assessment of a 2026 census test, preparation for a 2028 dress rehearsal, scaling of IT infrastructure and cloud platforms, and contract awards for the rehearsal and 2030 census itself.
The House committee bill provided $1.202 billion for Periodic Censuses and Programs, leaving a gap of $521 million below the administration's request across both accounts combined.
One notable provision appeared in the House bill: a prohibition on using Census Bureau funds to include aliens unlawfully present in the United States when rendering apportionment determinations in subsequent decennial censuses. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick attended a House Appropriations Committee budget hearing on April 23 but fielded no questions specifically about the Census Bureau during that session. He did indicate potential benefits of using the U.S. Postal Service to help conduct the census.
The Bottom Line
The $521 million shortfall threatens the Census Bureau's ability to complete critical preparatory phases for the 2030 decennial census, including the 2028 dress rehearsal and full-scale IT infrastructure development. The Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to advance its version of the bill, leaving the final funding level uncertain as the agency faces mounting pressure to stay on schedule for the nation's most consequential demographic survey.
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