Top 2 Census Officials Resign

One Hill staff member with knowledge of census operations said the resignations anticipated the release in coming weeks of a congressional report on lost laptop computers at the agency. The Census Bureau is part of the Commerce Department, which revealed several weeks ago that the Census Bureau has lost 672 laptop computers since 2001. One-third of the computers contained personal data, though no evidence has emerged that the information has been misused.

"I don't think the laptop situation was a determining factor" in the resignations, Kincannon said. "We've had some problems and we've taken steps to address that problem."

The Census Bureau has also repeatedly run into budget problems on the Hill.

Kincannon said the agency had $50 million trimmed from its 2007 budget request of $878 million. The budget is not final, but without the money, "We can wind up limited in our ability to achieve the automation required to carry out the census in 2010 at lower cost."

Neither Commerce nor the Census Bureau issued statements on the departures. While Kincannon's letter was released, neither agency would confirm that Habermann, who is not required to write a resignation letter, issued one.

Commerce spokesman Dan Nelson refused to comment on the unusual timing of the departures. "They've both done a great job," he said. "The 2010 census is on track and on schedule."

Some members of Congress weren't so sure. "Changing management at a time like this is very dangerous," said Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (N.Y.), a member of the Government Reform Committee and former ranking Democrat on the census subcommittee, said in a statement. "It's disturbing that two world-class statisticians who have worked for years to make sure we will have an accurate count in 2010 left on the same day so soon before the beginning of the census.

"At this point, without knowing who's taking over, it fair to say that the accuracy of the 2010 census is absolutely in jeopardy."