WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers say Congress will be working in the dark on big issues such as Social Security and Medicaid if the Census Bureau eliminates a unique survey of poverty and income. The Bush administration has proposed cutting the Survey of Income and Program Participation. It is the government’s only survey that repeatedly questions thousands of people over time about how income changes affect their poverty status, health coverage and use of government services. Democrats are trying to save the program, which will cost $32 million this year, while some Republicans are looking to cut the agency’s spending. A House committee is scheduled to take up the Census Bureau’s 2007 budget next week. A dozen Democrats in Congress wrote Bush’s budget director on Wednesday questioning the elimination of the survey. Supporters say the 22-year-old survey has been crucial for measuring the effects of welfare changes, unemployment insurance, food stamps and other services. They argue it could be an important tool to evaluate how older people will be affected by the new Medicare drug plan. Every four months, the same people are asked the same survey questions. The sample sizes have ranged from 14,000 to […]