Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has proposed that United States Postal Service (USPS) workers take on the responsibility of conducting the national census.
Why It Matters
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has overseen sweeping reforms to the federal government. He said earlier this month that Lutnick was going to look at the USPS, and has previously expressed interest in privatizing the agency.
What To Know
Lutnick has suggested that USPS workers take on some of the responsibility for conducting the census, including going to houses across America to “count the people.” At present, the census, which is taken every 10 years and is next due in 2030, is conducted by the dedicated U.S. Census Bureau. It sends invitations to every household to complete the census by phone, online, or by mail.
“We spend $40 billion every 10 years doing the census. And that means we hire 625,000 people. And they go, and they rent cars and gas, and you pay them food … They go to every household and count the people,” Lutnick said in an interview with Fox Business on Wednesday, February 26.
