69–006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 110–674 

THOMAS JEFFERSON CENSUS BUREAU HEADQUARTERS 

BUILDING 

JUNE 3, 2008.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. OBERSTAR, from the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 5599] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 

was referred the bill (H.R. 5599) to designate the Federal building 

located at 4600 Silver Hill Road in Suitland, Maryland, as the 

‘‘Thomas Jefferson Census Bureau Headquarters Building’’, having 

considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment 

and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

H.R. 5599 designates the Federal building located at 4600 Silver 

Hill Road in Suitland, Maryland, as the ‘‘Thomas Jefferson Census 

Bureau Headquarters Building’’. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The United States census takes place every ten years and is an 

important tool used by the Federal Government to allocate resources across the United States. Article 1, section 2 of the U.S. 

Constitution requires the enumeration of citizens. It also requires 

that, after the initial census, the census takes place every ten years 

thereafter. 

Today, the results of the census are used to determine the size 

of Congressional districts, the allocation of seats allotted to each 

state in the U.S. House of Representatives, as a factor in the allocation of federal resources, and as a research tool to track economic 

and population trends in the United States. In 1790, Secretary of 

State Thomas Jefferson supervised the very first U.S. census. He 

was responsible for overseeing the collection of data and certifying 


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the local census results that were collected by judicial-district marshals on horseback. Although Thomas Jefferson is perhaps best remembered as the third president of the United States and as the 

author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson is also considered by some to be the first director of the U.S. Census. Although 

the practice of performing a census has been in practice for thousands of years, the U.S. census is considered to be the first modern 

periodic census. Several European countries adopted similar census 

requirements in the early 19th century. 

The U.S. Census Bureau continued to operate as a temporary 

agency until 1902. In 1902, after the 1900 census, the U.S. Census 

Bureau was made a permanent agency. Today the U.S. Census Bureau employs thousands of federal workers and is currently preparing for the next census in 2010. In the 2000 census, the Government Accountability Office estimated that the U.S. Census Bureau 

would need 860,000 workers at its peak field operations to meet its 

goal of completing a census of the United States population. As the 

census has grown more complex in its almost 220-year history, the 

need for a permanent headquarters has consistently been a challenge. At various times, the U.S. Census Bureau has been headquartered in New York, New York, Washington, DC, and Suitland, 

Maryland. 

Since 1941, the U.S. Census has been headquartered in Suitland, 

Maryland. In 2007, the General Services Administration completed 

construction of a state-of-the-art U.S. Census Bureau headquarters 

building. Given the role played by Thomas Jefferson in overseeing 

the first U.S. census and his contribution to the history of the 

United States, it is fitting and proper to designate the Federal 

building located at 4600 Silver Hill Road in Suitland, Maryland, as 

the ‘‘Thomas Jefferson Census Bureau Headquarters Building’’. 

SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Findings 

Section 1 contains Congressional findings on the United States 

Census and the role of Thomas Jefferson in the United States Census. 

Section 2. Designation 

Section 2 designates the Federal building located at 4600 Silver 

Hill Road in Suitland, Maryland, as the ‘‘Thomas Jefferson Census 

Bureau Headquarters Building’’. 

Section 3. References 

Section 3 indicates that any reference in a law, map, regulation, 

document, paper, or other record of the United States to the Federal building referred to in section 2 shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘‘Thomas Jefferson Census Bureau Headquarters 

Building’’. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On March 12, 2008, Representative Carolyn Maloney introduced 

H.R. 5599. 


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On May 15, 2008, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met in open session and ordered H.R. 5599 reported favorably to the House by voice vote with a quorum present. 

RECORD VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires each committee report to include the total number of 

votes cast for and against on each record vote on a motion to report 

and on any amendment offered to the measure or matter, and the 

names of those members voting for and against. There were no recorded votes taken in connection with ordering H.R. 5599 reported. 

A motion to order H.R. 5599 reported favorably to the House was 

agreed to by voice vote with a quorum present. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee’s oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in this report. 

COST OF LEGISLATION

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 has been timely 

submitted prior to the filing of the report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is included in this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and clause 308(a) of 

the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee references 

the report of the Congressional Budget Office included in the report. 

2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the performance goals 

and objective of this legislation are to designate the Federal building located at 4600 Silver Hill Road in Suitland, Maryland, as the 

‘‘Thomas Jefferson Census Bureau Headquarters Building’’. 

3. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the 

enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5599 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, May 16, 2008. 

Hon. JAMES L. OBERSTAR, 

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed H.R. 5599, a bill to designate the federal building located 

at 4600 Silver Hill Road in Suitland, Maryland, as the ‘‘Thomas 

Jefferson Census Bureau Headquarters Building,’’ as ordered reVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:04 Jun 04, 2008 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR674.XXX HR674

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ported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on May 15, 2008. 

CBO estimates that enactment of this legislation would have no 

significant impact on the federal budget and would not affect direct 

spending or revenues. The bill contains no intergovernmental or 

private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 

pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew 

Pickford. 

Sincerely, 

ROBERT A. SUNSHINE

(For Peter R. Orszag, Director). 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI

Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives, H.R. 5599 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 

clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, committee reports on a bill or joint resolution 

of a public character shall include a statement citing the specific 

powers granted to the Congress in the Constitution to enact the 

measure. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

finds that Congress has the authority to enact this measure pursuant to its powers granted under article I, section 8 of the Constitution. 

FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 

pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

(Public Law 104–4). 

PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the 

report of any Committee on a bill or joint resolution to include a 

statement on the extent to which the bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local, or tribal law. The Committee states 

that H.R. 5599 does not preempt any state, local, or tribal law. 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this legislation. 

APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to the 

terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or 

accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 104–1). 


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CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

H.R. 5599 makes no changes in existing law. 

fi 


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