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Trump admin seeks swift Supreme Court ruling on census citizenship question

U.S. Supreme Court building. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

The Trump administration said Tuesday it will file a petition for the Supreme Court to take up and review whether it can add a controversial citizenship question to the 2020 census, which has been the subject of numerous lawsuits playing out in federal courts.

Why it matters: This comes a week after a federal judge in New York blocked the Commerce Department from asking the citizenship question. The ruling was a significant legal victory for critics who accused the administration of trying to use the census to reduce the political power of Democratic states with large immigrant communities during the next round of redistricting in 2021.

The big picture: This is yet another aggressive Justice Department effort to bypass the usual appellate process. The agency would have appealed last week’s ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, but Solicitor General Noel Francisco said the timing of a ruling would give the government insufficient time to prepare a final appeal to the high court.

"The government must finalize the census questionnaire by the end of June 2019 to enable it to be printed on time. It is exceedingly unlikely that there is sufficient time for review in both the court of appeals and in this Court by that deadline."
— Noel Francisco

Go deeper: New York federal judge blocks Trump on the 2020 census

Go deeper

Alayna Treene, author of Sneak Peek
33 mins ago - Politics & Policy

McConnell drops filibuster demand, paving way for power-sharing deal

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (R) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell attend a joint session of Congress. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has abandoned his demand that Democrats state, in writing, that they would not abandon the legislative filibuster.

Between the lines: McConnell was never going to agree to a 50-50 power sharing deal without putting up a fight over keeping the 60-vote threshold. But the minority leader ultimately caved after it became clear that delaying the organizing resolution was no longer feasible.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Ashley Gold
2 hours ago - Technology

Scoop: Google won't donate to members of Congress who voted against election results

Sen. Ted Cruz led the group of Republicans who opposed certifying the results. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Google will not make contributions from its political action committee this cycle to any member of Congress who voted against certifying the results of the presidential election, following the deadly Capitol riot.

Why it matters: Several major businesses paused or pulled political donations following the events of Jan. 6, when pro-Trump rioters, riled up by former President Trump, stormed the Capitol on the day it was to certify the election results.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Alayna Treene, author of Sneak Peek
3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Minority Mitch still setting Senate agenda

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Chuck Schumer may be majority leader, yet in many ways, Mitch McConnell is still running the Senate show — and his counterpart is about done with it.

Why it matters: McConnell rolled over Democrats unapologetically, and kept tight control over his fellow Republicans, while in the majority. But he's showing equal skill as minority leader, using political jiujitsu to convert a perceived weakness into strength.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow