The House of Representatives is expected to soon vote on H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act. This bill would provide for a two-step vote process in Puerto Rico on their future political status, including the option of becoming the nation’s 51st state. Puerto Rico is able to conduct its own local plebiscite or referendum, as they have done three times in the past, yet this bill… Read more »

HASTINGS: Backdoor approach to statehood April 27, 2010 Washington Times Rep. Doc Hastings When the Democratic majority was working to push through a government takeover of health care, Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared, "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it." Unfortunately, that same kind of backward logic is being used as Congress prepares to vote on the… Read more »

The Puerto Rico Democracy Act would authorize a federally-sanctioned plebiscite (vote) of the people of Puerto Rico regarding their political future. Currently, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory with Commonwealth status. Puerto Rico residents are U.S. citizens, but do not pay federal incomes taxes and are represented in Congress by a non-voting Resident Delegate. H.R. 2499… Read more »

Answers Needed Before Another Star is Added to U.S. Flag April 23, 2010 By Rep. Doc Hastings Next week the House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act, which gives the people of Puerto Rico the opportunity to vote on their political future including the possibility of becoming America’s 51st state.  Officially, the bill would create a… Read more »

Ranking Republican Doc Hastings (R-WA) Next week the House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act, which gives the people of Puerto Rico the opportunity to vote on their political future including the possibility of becoming America’s 51st state.  Officially, the… Read more »

Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act.  This bill would authorize a federally sanctioned plebiscite (vote) of the Puerto Rican people regarding their political future. The bill mandates a two-step voting process.  The first vote would allow the people of Puerto Rico to choose between selecting a “different political… Read more »

Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requesting that, in light of this year’s low water supplies, endangered juvenile salmon should be transported past dams rather than flushed downstream by… Read more »

Today, the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife will hold a joint oversight hearing with the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands to examine non-native constrictor snakes as invasive species in the Florida Everglades. The hearing follows Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar’s announcement to list nine non-native snakes (non-venomous… Read more »

Today, the House will consider The Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act (H.R. 3644), which would authorize funding for two programs within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): the Environmental Literacy Grant Program and the Bay-Watershed Education and Training Regional Program (B-WET). However, this legislation includes a significant spending increase that… Read more »

Following a request from House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services announced today that it would extend the public comment period on its draft proposal to revise the critical habitat designation for bull trout until April 5, 2010. “I appreciate Fish and Wildlife Service’s willingness to allow more time for public comment,”… Read more »