Department of Commerce v. United States House of Representatives

Summary

The Court held that the Census Act prohibits using statistical sampling to determine population for congressional apportionment, and therefore affirmed the injunction entered in the Virginia action. It also dismissed the House's appeal because resolution of the statutory issue eliminated any substantial federal question in that case. The Court held that individual appellees established Article III standing through evidence that sampling would likely dilute their votes, while finding it unnecessary to reach the constitutional challenge. Justice Stevens, joined in relevant parts by other Justices, would have upheld the sampling plan and reversed both judgments; the other separate opinions addressed the statutory interpretation, standing, and constitutional issues differently.