Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia

Not analysed yet

A requested analysis is usually ready within half an hour; come back to this page or reload it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the closing of the Chicago and California branches of the National Archives and the relocation of the records. The leadership at the National Archives and Records Administration argues that the transition to digital recordkeeping has resulted in a growing volume of extra space at both branches. However, there has not been a full plan for this transition shared with employees, stakeholders, or the public. People from across our region and Nation visit the facility in Chicago to obtain census and naturalization records to prove citizenship status, to find information about Great Lakes vessels on which they serve, to find information about exam records to identify their ancestors, or to study major historical events like the 1894 Pullman Strike and the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. In a recent visit to the Chicago National Archives branch, I was able to find my father's naturalization application. This is an important piece of family history. The work of agencies, museums, scholars, teachers, and the public continues to depend on access to these records, which are vital to our history and NARA's mission. NARA must immediately halt the relocation, provide Congress with the necessary information about the agency's plans, and reverse this decision to move the more than 140,000 cubic feet of historical records. History must be protected.