Participate now to ensure future resources

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how important federal resources are for our community during times of crisis as well as their role in helping to build and maintain a healthy economy and social system. Federal programs benefiting our community include unemployment insurance, support for Small Business Development Centers, job training programs and hundreds of programs for education, food and nutrition, housing, health services, public transportation, highways and bridges.

How do we increase the federal distribution to our state and local governments for years to come? Participation in the census.

Many federal programs are funded with a formula that is based on population numbers from the U.S. census. In fiscal year 2015, census data were used to determine the allocation of $675 billion for 132 programs, including the top highest-funded programs: Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicare Part B, Highway Planning and Construction, the Federal Pell Grant program and the National School Lunch Program. Census data feeds into the U.S. Department of Education’s two biggest elementary and secondary programs to fund school districts state by state.

Read more at The Journal Record