The Insights Association recently discussed the proposed changes to the 2026 Census Test and its negative impact on preparations for the 2030 Census.
Howard Fienberg, Senior VP Advocacy for the Insights Association, joined “The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton” on February 19, 2026 to discuss how it appears that the Census Bureau is shortchanging necessary testing in the areas, methods and technology “where we had a lot of issues with inaccurate counting in the 2020 Census.”
Fienberg stressed on the show that, "testing is a key to figuring out how you’re going to be able to deal with unexpected circumstances."
As he commented, the Census Bureau is “on a similar trajectory as the last decade,” with regular funding interruptions, which “means that a lot of preparations and research gets… punted ahead because the Bureau never is entirely certain how much money they will have available.” In the 2010s, that “was the primary driver for the elimination of almost all the tests,” with none in “rural areas, remote areas, native populations, tribal areas,” leading “to some of the inaccuracies that came out in the 2020 Census.”
This time around, Fienberg continued, “the 2026 Census Test was scheduled with six different sites” -- Colorado Springs; tribal areas in Arizona; western North Carolina; western Texas; Spartanburg, SC; and Huntsville, AL -- which were “very different splotches of the country designed to really get that diversity of populations and different kinds of areas” and included both group quarters and individual households. The new Administration plan is to reduce that “to only two sites in Spartanburg, South Carolina and Huntsville, Alabama.”
The market research, insights and analytics industry has been focused, he said, on keeping the Census Bureau “on task, instead of experimenting with attempts to compete with private industry,” as they have done with the Census Household Panel.
The Insights Association wants the Bureau putting all of the agency’s resources and attention on preparing “for this massive count of the population, because they… only get one shot at it every decade.” The fallout from an inaccurate 2030 Census will be felt in “all other research that’s done in the country, including all the other research by the federal government.”
About the Author
Based in Washington, DC, Howard is the Insights Association's lobbyist for the marketing research and data analytics industry, focusing primarily on consumer privacy and data security, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), tort reform, and the funding and integrity of the decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS).
Howard has more than two decades of public policy experience. Before the Insights Association, he worked in Congress as senior legislative staffer for then-Representatives Christopher Cox (CA-48) and Cliff Stearns (FL-06). He also served more than four years with a science policy think tank, working to improve the understanding of scientific and social research and methodology among journalists and policymakers.
Howard is also co-director of The Census Project, a 900+ member coalition in support of a fair and accurate Census and ACS.
He has also served previously on the Board of Directors for the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics and and the Association of Government Relations Professionals.
Howard has an MA International Relations from the University of Essex in England and a BA Honors Political Studies from Trent University in Canada, and has obtained the Certified Association Executive (CAE), Professional Lobbying Certificate (PLC) and the Public Policy Certificate (PPC).
When not running advocacy for the Insights Association, Howard enjoys hockey, NFL football, sci-fi and horror movies, playing with his dog, and spending time with family and friends.