re: #117 subsailor68

Neither have I. Here’s a site that discusses some of this, but it does look like the census falls under the Legislative branch, and the House specifically (under Article 1, Section 2). But, does that mean that they shouldn’t have turned it over to the Administrative branch (under Commerce) because of the way it’s written? I don’t know - maybe someone here knows more than I. (Well, there are a lot of folks who fit that, but you know what I mean.)

U.S. Constitution - Article 1 Section 2

The relevant sentence is this one: The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct

Congress has already “directed” that the Census Bureau be a part of the Commerce Department. If Congress wants to pass a new law directing that the judges from American Idol be in charge of it, they can do so.

But they haven’t. Nor have they passed a law putting the White House Chief of Staff in charge.