The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“JUNETEENTH” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S4619 on June 17.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
JUNETEENTH
Mr. CARDIN. Madam President. I rise today to recognize the annual commemoration of Juneteenth, the date on which the news of the end of slavery reached the enslaved peoples in the Southwestern States. On June 19, 1865, MG Gordon Granger and Union soldiers communicated the news of liberation to one of the last remaining confederate outposts in Galveston, TX. Over 2 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, the enslaved individuals there had yet to hear the good news.
Over the years, African-American communities nationwide and in Maryland have developed rich traditions around this historically significant date. For all Americans, Juneteenth offers an opportunity to reflect upon and to educate ourselves further about the terrible history of slavery and its enduring legacy. The story of Juneteenth also reminds me of the gap between the values and principles that we espouse and the realities of life for everyday Americans, in particular the most vulnerable.
I have long supported legislation to add Juneteenth National Independence Day to the list of legal Federal public holidays. After many years, I am pleased that the Senate has finally passed it and hope that the House will act swiftly to send this bill to President Biden's desk.
In commemoration of this year's holiday, I want to take the opportunity to reflect in more depth on a couple of ways that we continue to see the clear impact of slavery today. One of the most apparent legacies is access--or should I say lack of access--to the ballot box. Study after study and the lived experiences of so many individuals tell us that Black Americans still experience greater barriers to voting than White Americans. One of the most important tenets of our comprehensive legislation to protect democracy, the For the People Act, S. 1, is enacting a Federal floor when it comes to voting rights standards.
Spreading false or misleading information intended to suppress voting and intimidate the electorate remains one of the most effective methods used to keep individuals, particularly Black Americans and other racial minorities, from voting. Advancements in our means of communication, including the rise of social media platforms, have made it easier for bad actors to use these strategies. During the 2020 election cycle, robocalls targeting communities of color in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and New York contained false information about how the recipients' data would be shared if they voted by mail. I have introduced legislation, along with Senator Klobuchar, to address these problems by prohibiting individuals from knowingly deceiving others about the time, place, eligibility, or procedures of participating in a Federal election. Our bill to ban deceptive practices, S. 1840, would also prohibit individuals from intentionally hindering, interfering with, or preventing another person from voting, registering to vote, or aiding another person to vote or register to vote in a Federal election.
In 2020, more than 5 million individuals and as many as one in five African Americans in some States were disenfranchised because of voter suppression laws.
Many voter disenfranchisement laws today come from post-Civil War efforts to stifle the 14th and 15th Amendments. Between 1865 and 1880, at least 13 States enacted or expanded their felony disenfranchisement laws. One of the primary goals of these laws was to prevent Black Americans from voting. At least 11 of those States still bar individuals on felony probation or parole from voting. Under our Constitution, there is no legitimate justification for denying people from having a voice in our democracy. Disenfranchising citizens who are living and working in the community serves no compelling State interest and hinders their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. My Democracy Restoration Act, S. 481, would restore Federal voting rights for all individuals immediately upon release from incarceration.
I am proud that both my Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Act and my Democracy Restoration Act are included within the For the People Act.
Finally, I want to end by commending my home State of Maryland for bipartisan restorative justice work over the past several years. The Maryland General Assembly voted nearly unanimously in 2019 to investigate the more than 40 documented racial terror lynchings that took place in Maryland between 1854 and 1933, to hold public hearings in communities where racial terror lynchings occurred, and to develop recommendations that are rooted in restorative justice for addressing, engaging, and reconciling those communities. The commission the State established has received supplemental funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations Program for its efforts. Because of this work, Governor Hogan issued posthumous pardons last month for 34 victims of racial lynchings in Maryland.
This Juneteenth, I encourage all Americans to recognize Juneteenth as an opportunity to reflect upon our Nation's shared history, to recognize the enduring effects of slavery on our society, and to commit to being involved in the redemptive work toward a more just and perfect Union.
____________________
