South Lake Today

Florida Congressman Daniel Webster, R-Clermont, has voted in favor of H.R. 7109, the Equal Representation Act. This legislation mandates the inclusion of a citizenship question in the census and stipulates that only United States citizens will be considered for apportionment.

Rep. Webster stated, “It’s commonsense, illegal immigrants and non-citizens should not be counted towards the representation of Americans in Congress.” He further explained that by including a citizenship question on the census, this bill ensures fair Congressional apportionment based on equal representation of U.S. citizens.

Article I of the Constitution necessitates a decennial population census. The data collected is then used to determine the apportionment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and presidential electors for each state. H.R. 7109 proposes amendments to Title 13, U.S. Code, to include a citizenship question in the census and exclude noncitizens from the apportionment base.