The Senate on Monday approved the nomination of Robert Groves, a veteran survey researcher at the University of Michigan as director of the United States Census Bureau, ending weeks of opposition from two Republicans over Groves's role in next year's high-stakes count. More than a dozen states stand to gain or lose seats in the House after 2010. Senators Richard C. Shelby (R-Alabama) and David Vitter (R-Louisiana) had blocked a full confirmation vote, saying they wanted assurance from the White House that sampling would not be used.
