The Constitution requires that every citizen in the United States be counted in the Census, and these data are, according to Think Progress, used;
"to apportion the seats in the House of Representatives; 'distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year'; define local school districts; and make many other urban planning decisions including 'where to provide services for the elderly, where to build new roads and schools, or where to locate job training centers.'"
However, planning for the next count is being hampered by the claims of a number of right-wing pundits and politicians -- most notably Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) -- to the effect that the federal government will use the information to "round up" Americans.
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Whither GOP?
With members like Michele Bachmann, rational Republicans must be at the cusp of splitting off from what one might think has become the New World branch of the Monster Raving Loony Party....
...but that unfair association would besmirch the USEFUL work accomplished by the Loonies:
http://www.omrlp.com/