# George M. Cook The Department of Commerce official performing the duties of the Director of the [[Census Bureau]]. He holds the title of Deputy Under Secretary in the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs' own office — that is, he is not a Bureau official, and he is not the Director. The distinction matters structurally. 13 U.S.C. § 21 creates exactly one officer at the Bureau, gives that seat Senate confirmation, a five-year term and removal only on sixty days' written notice to both Houses of Congress. The seat has been vacant since February 2025, with no nominee, and the current statutory term expires on 31 December 2026. Everything the Bureau has done in the run-up to the 2030 census — including the 2026 Census Test and the content decisions mapped in [[How a Census Question Is Added or Removed]] — has been done under duties performed rather than an office held. He is the author of the Bureau's 17 August 2026 statement on disclosure avoidance under [[Disclosure Avoidance for Statistical Products]], and the named addressee of congressional oversight correspondence on the 2026 test and the 2030 design. ## See also - [[Census Bureau]] · [[Census Bureau Org Chart]] · [[Robert Santos]] · [[Ron Jarmin]] - [[2030 Census]] · [[Howard Lutnick]]