Today i want to think the witnesses for their ongoing cooperation. You and your staff have been excellent partners in this oversight and doctor, i want to thank you for your work preparing for the census. I learned from my district staff earlier this month that you toured langley park in maryland. These are diverse high density area with a high concentration of immigrants and i appreciate you coming out in my district director met with your staff and was encouraged by the preparation so i want to thank you and your staff for your hard work. That is ongoing and we have a lot to accomplish and we spent a lot of the last year embattled in the Citizenship Question now that the administration has been forced to stand down the bureau must devote all available resources to repairing the damage of this effort in getting us back on track and completing an accurate account in 2020. The move to pose the question has been rejected by the courts is arbitrary and i fear it could be and they do not receive their fair share of Government Resources and everything from medicaid and headstart. The consequences reverberate for decade. Shows the distrust of the government imperils a good count of communities of color, 41 of Asian Americans and 32 of hispanics are concerned about this since is being used against them and 39 you are not the most efficient and 34 of those born outside the United States are afraid to respond. There is a lot of fear in our community we have to strive to overcome. The Citizenship Question and the threatened raise all strike fear in the hearts of many of the communities that are already mistrustful even though the question there there is a test where 240,000 families are being asked the question, why is that . This decision to pose this question seems hard to reconcile with the reality of the Supreme Court decision and the unbroken defeat of the question. Now we face the threat of prolonged confusion. The bureau must outline steps to increase outreach to the communities and specifically the bureau must reassure everyone of the confidentiality and reaffirmed their commitment that it will not be used for Law Enforcement and must clarify the act of the executive order on the confidentiality and must identify specific actions it will take to differentiate itself from Law Enforcement. Think the bureau should increase outreach to certain communities. Earlier they told congress they plan to carry over money instead of spending this year. I fail to see a compelling reason for the delay. Lifelong Partnership Specialists and it is two months behind we cant afford this delay. Stoppers will be knocking on doors and it shouldnt be bureau been using the leftover funds or existing funds to clear this backlog. House appropriations report ordered to improve the communication strategy and open Questionnaire Centers to reach communities missed and it would provide reliable locations where people could get faceto face assistance. I wasnt the bureau using carryover funds. It has been underfunded and refusing to spend it outreach should be fully funded. The bureau should improve processes for tracking and implementing security implementations to safeguard data. I am alarmed to hear the Inspector General found the it systems contain fundamental security to efficiencies indicating the bureau is behind schedule for 2020. They are behind on vulnerability and no schedule for implementing recommendations. The girl is home to one of the largest databases and recommendations to get back on track and hearing the plan for that today and now i happily yield to the Ranking Member of the committee. Stuck i think you and think you for calling this hearing. This is not the first hearing we have sat on the census. It is something that we have had under this administration and the Previous Administration where we had time wisely been working on i do want to offer, this is his ninth hearing as we look at this. This is of critical importance. My fear had been and continues to be are we going to do those Cyber Security issues to make sure that we can count on not only in the prophecy, but the integrity of the system. I will also offer a little bit of a counter area we have spent way too much time on Citizenship Question. Is time we get serious about implementing this and any direction that we continue to maintain as it relates to the question is problematic. I know there is a strong outreach to what i would say more rural the funds that are out there i happen to agree we need to roll those into next year because i dont know about any of you, but if there is of a most americans are thinking about today if there is a top 20 list the census does not make the top 20 list. It will make it starting in march and april of next year, we will start to see that outreach seems to really be dedicated, but we need to have systems in place so i would say identifying those making sure they are there, making sure that the way we collect the data, i know this is going to be a groundbreaking way, we tried that in 2010 and that didnt work. The last thing we want is to have egg on her face when it comes to counting every individual. It is imperative that we count everybody and we do that so we can allocate the resources the six 50 billion that we do it in a fair and accurate way. I have a longer written statement we have staff that is paying attention. We appreciate that and your thoughtful remark we will release you to the uncertain fortunes of the article to branch. Think you for coming. Please write if you would and raise your right hand and the testimony youre about to give is the truth altered so you got. This is an important time the clock is ticking and we are increasingly ready and we thank you for your support. Regarding the executive order we are reviewing. We will share updates, preparations continue unabated and exit duchenne is near. Will begin in remote alaska in less than six months. The nationwide account commences in nine months. It is my opinion months. With the professionals that we have an outstanding plan built upon best practices and important innovation. We have teams in place. The teams are entering a High Performance phase and safety and accountability are progressing. We are on boarding tens of thousands of addressed blisters and we appreciate helping them. The welldesigned it system and integrated operation are working. We test for functionality, scalability and Cyber Security. Data is encrypted and we are working closely with government and industry expert. Oversight, accountability and support our value. We appreciate the work of the Government Accountability office of Inspector General and we agree the census is high risk given the scope. We have an integrated Research BasedOutreach Campaign that messages for diverse community. I often repeat the message the 2020 census is easy, safe and important. A member of the congressional is on a caucus recommended i reverse that is important, it is important increases daily. Phone support education, Transportation Health and Human Services and it is used by governments, businesses and families. Congress passed laws in violation. Was take a lifetime to protect our data. The bureau sets the highest standard and maintains a culture and practice of protecting data. Is not shared with anyone or any agency. It is easy, this is due to improvement and technology. The fringe joins research and is having no love. Yes his friend are you sure you lost that you and the friend said no i dropped it down the block your because the light is better. We can no longer rely on collecting data in the usual way with internet and phone options to go into the less visible hard to count areas and collect the data. In new york city mobile devices can count in the Street Market among the students in Queens College and in detroitin maryland you can deploy the tools and Community Centers in baltimore i met partners with great ideas and initiative. On the light side with the opening of the aquarium was delayed that mayor publicly fulfilled his that on the opening day by jumping with cameras rolling into the steel pool. I made that pledge last week. If the response ratei would love to jump into celebrate. I expect to lose that belt. Was released on friday Citizen Partnership and exciting innovations. They can conduct the best census everone that is complete and accurate. I look forward to answering your questions. Spoke thank you very much. They are pleased to be here today to discuss the Census Bureau readiness for the 2020 headcount. We have come up with concerns about thein february 2017 we added the 2020 census to the list of high risk government programs. My remarks will focus on challenges. My colleague will discuss the challenge the bureau faces when he and securing it systems. The bottom line is we are inspired pretty not out. Key it systems and operations will function as planned, however, planning budgetary uncertainties the bureau scaled back test in 2017 and 2018. Without sufficient testing across the range of geographic locationsthey were waiting to have their background checks. They expect that all 1500 on board by september 1. Additional steps are needed and the course of 16 operational deliveries. The next few months will he testing and production deadlines or many additional systems. The ongoing work atto assist with counting the population. The bureau needs to closely monitor the rest make sure the systems are delivered on time. Is working hard to assess security controls, needed action for final to make sure is ready for operation. Large majority have an initial acceptance and the work remains. According to the bureau systems will need to have their dirty control reassess to account for Additional Development work prior to the 2020 census. I would like to note that we have been encouraged that they are coordinating and they provided this assistance and information sharing and through conducting true instant management and assessment through other. All of these internal and external including the recent evaluation performed by the Commerce Department office of and hector general are vital especially since the system will support 2020 operation contains identifiable information. And in summary we are running short on time before the operation begins. Moving forward it will be critical for the bureau to devote enough attention and effort to complete the System Development activity and implement Cyber Security improvement in a timely and prioritized way this concludes my statement. Think you and to the witnesses. We will begin our questioning according to the five minute rule. I recognize myself for 5 minutes. I want to focus on the confusion is currently in the field and despite the abandonment of the Citizenship Question in the wake of this decision hundreds of thousands of households are still being asked to answer it in mid june while the case was pending and a bureau pushed a lastminute field test of 480,000 households and half of which got the question and half of which did not. The result has been confusion. People heard it would be asked and yet they received a form from the census that precisely they had rejected. Last week we got a phone call from a citizen wanted to know why she had received a census form with the Citizenship Question. I was asked about a town hall meeting over the weekend. According to the Washington Post one received the form that was receiving the test questionnaire that feels like a scare tactic. Dr. Dillingham, everyone knew the Supreme Court had to rule on the Citizenship Question at the very latest by the end of june. Why did the bureau wait until the end of the month to hear what the decision was before launching this . Mr. Chairman, that is an excellent question. Let me provide some context. The planning, this is a test 2019 was designed for operational consequences. If the question was going to be in the census we wanted to know what would be the impact of devoting resources. The planning for it began last calendar year and it occurred i think in april and it followed as perfectly as possible this same type of schedule we would have with the census and that is the staggered mailing response date and it was to replicate as closely as possible the 2020 census. The form itself on each paid has this is a test and the introduction it has this is a test to help us prepare for the 2020 census. Anyone that reads the information, it should be shown that this is a test. If it says to get ready it implies that the question will indeed be on it. It implies it is a possibility. Have one without the question and have one with the question and our desire was to see what is the differential impact. We follow the schedule and i think, i will double check only one of these staggered mailings that stressed about six weeks the same as with the census and it was for five of those were already in the mail and the last went out the beginning or earlier this week. Spoke whose decision was that. Would we have found a similar test in 2009 . No and and i dont, you can argue this is important strategy. It will take a lot of effort to get the word out on what was this and even though it says this on every page it could strike some concern. Is still going on . It does recite that you are supposed to reply to it. In context of a test we do all sorts of testing. My time has expired and i recognize Mister Keller for 5 minute. I want to make sure i understand. We talked about the importance of making sure we count everybody accurately so that money gets appropriated properly. Another concern is the fact when they transmit information to the government that that is secure. The question i have goes to the it system we are putting in place. Are they Government Employees or do we contract have we vetted them to make sure the information will remain secure and there is no possible way for anyone to hack into it . I would defer to dr. Dillingham. We have very elaborate protections as you are well aware title 13 requires by law that we protect this information the collection during the 2020 census we are using the new devices and we have the latest stateoftheart software and devices and encrypts that when he goes into the device and when it is sent i understand that. The company is sure there is nothing build into that anyone can gain access . But i can assure you that for the contractors and we work with them sound monitor and it goes into the normal safeguarding system. We do apply the state and we have the best minds both in the private sector and the Public Sector working with dhs and the intelligence agencies and the major hightech companies and i can assure you that we have identified no major issue you have identified none, i have a question regarding a 61 million printing and mailing contract issued by the government in october 2017. And it is my understanding they have filed for bankruptcy after . That does predate me. My understanding is and i think the record is clear publicly that a contract was let out at the Government Printing office and the firm it was given to have financial problems and, in fact, it resulted and in a settlement and having to go with another contract. If we of the federal government could even that a company as far as Financial Stability and to make a payment to them i think we should have some concerns that we would be able to make sure the Company Building the software that american citizens are going to be using to transmit their information. I hope you can understand the concern that i have and maybe you can speak to the process. Have processes been put in place to make sure . Yes and im certain. We had another federal agency and i do know that in our agency as well is that Agency Reforms were made to guard against that in the future. Another question. I understand and the company was sold and the contract or the subsidiary that was doing that. Do we approved that if a company is offered a contract were awarded a contract and they sell that subsidiary or whatever i think i better get back and maybe with particulars as to what the acquisition requirements are. The points i want to make is in securing the information to provide to the government should be paramount to all of us and we see a lot about the Citizenship Question and that question should not be controversial, it is not new what the committee should do is when we acquire them to transmit information that this committee focused on making sure that that information is secure. Time is expired and i recognize the gentleman friend from missouri. Think you for conducting this hearing as we know the census is such an essential part of our government and let me start with dr. Dillingham. The marketing ad agency are they considered the marketing prime contractor . Not to my knowledge. The one we have we call it ynr. And that that i will call it the prime contract and those that specialize with hard to count populations. Can you tell me what entity or entities are responsible for the africanamerican media bias . Congressman, we have that information people sitting behind me have that and i will be happy to talk with you. Could you provide that to the committee . Absolutely. When purchasing ads most contractors pay media a