[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 300 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 300

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the commonwealth option 
     presented in the Puerto Rican plebiscite of November 14, 1993.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 30, 1994

  Mr. Young of Alaska submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the commonwealth option 
     presented in the Puerto Rican plebiscite of November 14, 1993.

Whereas the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico enacted legislation to 
        allow the people of Puerto Rico to express, through a plebiscite, their 
        preference regarding the nature of the future relationship between 
        Puerto Rico and the United States;
Whereas the plebiscite ballot contained the status options of statehood, 
        commonwealth, and independence, as defined by the three principal 
        political parties of Puerto Rico;
Whereas, in the plebiscite of November 14, 1993, 48.6 percent of the people of 
        Puerto Rico voted for commonwealth status, 46.3 percent voted for 
        statehood status, and 4.4 percent voted for independence;
Whereas the commonwealth status option presented to the Puerto Rican electorate 
        on November 14, 1993, proposed significant changes to the current 
        relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States, including--
            (1) the execution of a bilateral pact between Puerto Rico and the 
        United States that would be unalterable, except by mutual consent;
            (2) permanent union between Puerto Rico and the United States;
            (3) the extension of supplemental security income (SSI) under title 
        XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.)) to citizens of 
        Puerto Rico; and
            (4) equality between Puerto Rico and the States regarding food stamp 
        allocations under the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);
Whereas the commonwealth status option presented to the Puerto Rican electorate 
        on November 14, 1993, stated that commonwealth status would guarantee--
            (1) irrevocable United States citizenship;
            (2) Puerto Rican fiscal autonomy; and
            (3) a common market, common currency, and common defense with the 
        United States;
Whereas the legislature of Puerto Rico passed a concurrent resolution asking 
        that the Congress make a statement concerning the viability of the 
        commonwealth ballot formula presented to the people of Puerto Rico in 
        the plebiscite of November 14, 1993;
Whereas the Congress holds great respect for Puerto Ricans as citizens of the 
        United States; and
Whereas it is incumbent upon the Congress to express the sense of the Congress 
        concerning the viability of the elements of the commonwealth formula 
        proposed in the November 14, 1993, plebiscite: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the changes to the political relationship between 
        Puerto Rico and the United States that are described in the 
        option of the Puerto Rico plebiscite of November 14, 1993, 
        known as the commonwealth option would provide to United States 
        citizens who are residents of Puerto Rico the Federal benefits 
        of United States citizens living in the States without the 
        concomitant responsibilities;
            (2) the commonwealth formula presented in the Puerto Rican 
        plebiscite of November 14, 1993, is not an economically or 
        politically viable alternative to the current self-governing, 
        unincorporated territorial status of the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico; and
            (3) the unalterable bilateral pact that such commonwealth 
        formula proposes as the vehicle for the permanent union of 
        Puerto Rico with the United States is not a constitutionally 
        viable alternative to the current self-governing, 
        unincorporated territorial status of the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico.
                                 <all>