Government watchdog: Census Bureau running short on time

A watchdog agency says the U.S. Census Bureau is running short on time to complete key parts of its planning for the once-a-decade head count of every U.S. resident.

U.S. Government Accountability Office officials on Wednesday told a House subcommittee that the bureau is at risk of falling behind on hiring, implementing systems for online responses to the questionnaire and some cybersecurity matters.

The GAO also says the bureau has hired about 900 of the 1,500 specialists it had hoped to have by now for outreach in minority communities for the 2020 census next spring.

Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham told lawmakers he is confident there will be a complete and accurate count.

The testimony came about two weeks after President Donald Trump’s administration ended its bid to add a citizenship question.