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To urge the Congress of the United States to take | 1 |
action towards admitting the Commonwealth of | 2 |
Puerto Rico to the Union as a state. | 3 |
WHEREAS, The United States of America was founded on the | 4 |
ideal, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, that | 5 |
government derives its powers from the consent of the governed; | 6 |
and | 7 |
WHEREAS, Every resident of the Estado Libre Asociado de | 8 |
Puerto Rico, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a United | 9 |
States citizen, having gained citizenship through the federal | 10 |
Jones-Shafroth Act of March 2, 1917; and | 11 |
WHEREAS, The United States citizens residing in Puerto Rico | 12 |
pledge allegiance to the United States' flag; and | 13 |
WHEREAS, Many United States citizens residing in Puerto Rico | 14 |
have served, and continue to serve, our country in the United | 15 |
States military, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to | 16 |
maintain our freedom; and | 17 |
WHEREAS, The United States citizens residing in Puerto Rico, | 18 |
through a referendum held on November 6, 2012, have withdrawn | 19 |
their consent to be governed as an unincorporated territory of the | 20 |
United States; and | 21 |
WHEREAS, The United States citizens residing in Puerto Rico, | 22 |
through the same referendum, voiced their collective will and | 23 |
desire to be admitted into the Union as a state, including all | 24 |
rights and responsibilities thereto; now therefore be it | 25 |
RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly | 26 |
of the State of Ohio, respect the rights of self-governance | 27 |
through consent of the governed of our fellow United States | 28 |
citizens residing in Puerto Rico; and be it further | 29 |
RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly | 30 |
of the State of Ohio, strongly urge, on behalf of our fellow | 31 |
citizens, that the United States Congress take swift action in | 32 |
response to the vote of the United States citizens residing in | 33 |
Puerto Rico and their call for a change in status and request for | 34 |
admission into the Union as a state; and be it further | 35 |
RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the House of Representatives | 36 |
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the | 37 |
Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of | 38 |
Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United | 39 |
States Senate, the Members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, | 40 |
and the news media of Ohio. | 41 |