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.
“STATEHOOD FOR PUERTO RICO” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H5004 on June 21, 2017.
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:
STATEHOOD FOR PUERTO RICO
(Mrs. MURPHY of Florida asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)
Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, 10 days ago, Puerto Rico held a vote on its future political status. Although the ballot was not preapproved by the U.S. Department of Justice as envisioned by a 2014 Federal law, the ballot was fair. It included Puerto Rico's three valid options: statehood, nationhood, and the current territory status. Each option was accurately described.
In our democracy, only those who cast ballots are counted, and those who voted in Puerto Rico overwhelmingly chose statehood. It is now up to Puerto Rico's elected officials, especially its Governor and Delegate in Congress, to determine how best to move forward. They can count on my full support.
As I see it, in the wake of this vote, the question is not whether but, rather, when Puerto Rico will become a State. After 119 years, it is well past time for the U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico to have the same rights and responsibilities as their fellow citizens living in Florida and in other States.
Puerto Rico has made countless contributions to this Nation for generations. It has earned its own star on the American flag.
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