The 2020 census will form the basis for redistricting and shape politics for the following 10 years. An inaccurate census, especially one that undercounts "certain" residents (nod, nod, wink, wink), guarantees bad (worse) redistricting and will invite legal challenges (how come district X got 10,000 votes more than it has eligible voters? FRAUD!). And the appointee (Thomas Brunell) the Current Occupant wants to install to head the up the census no kidding wrote a book called "Redistricting and Representation: Why Competitive Elections Are Bad for America." This guy advocates partisan gerrymandering and WROTE A BOOK on how to do it. And he'll be in charge of the census.
He’s making this a Deputy Director post which is an appointed job, not Senate confirmed. They want it to fly under the radar because hearings would generate controversy even though he’d be confirmed by party-above-country votes anyway.
Republicans don't care what anyone thinks, even their base. They only want compliance with whatever fetid plan their corporate masters dream up. They're already well on their way to a system where it’s impossible to vote them out of office. The census will be designed to make it even easier to push this project along.
It is vital to elect Democrats in 2018 (governors that will oversee the redistricting, state legislators who approve the plans, and legislators at the national level who can stop actions outside the Executive branch) and again in 2020 (continue the work of 2018 and reverse whatever we can of the Executive branch demolition that will have occurred by then).