Census director Steve Murdock told Congress that the bureau needs $3 billion as part of its fiscal 2009 budget or the 2010 census could suffer, according to Federal News Radio.

Murdock, speaking during a hearing held by the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on Information Policy, said the money is needed to hire staff to begin collecting addresses prior to the head count.

If the Congress does not pass a 2009 budget on time, and funding is frozen at 2008 levels, the bureau will not have adequate time to gather that data, Murdock said. "If you do not have good address canvassing, then likely will you will not have a good Census."