[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 19 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H693-H694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SUPPORT H.R. 856, THE UNITED STATES-PUERTO RICO POLITICAL STATUS ACT

  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, March 2, was a 
celebratory date for all Americans. The Jones Act, introduced by the 
gentleman from Virginia, was enacted on that date in the year 1917, and 
Puerto Ricans were granted statutory citizenship of the United States. 
For 81 years, the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico have been denied the 
most fundamental rights of American citizenship, the right to vote for 
the President and the right to voting representation in the House and 
in the Senate.
  Since we began our work in Congress in 1993, everyone here has been 
aware of my struggle for political equality and my frustrations as a 
nonvoting Member of the U.S. House of Representatives in trying to 
achieve equal rights for the 3.8 million U.S. citizens of the Territory 
of Puerto Rico.
  The Children's Health Care Initiative is a perfect example of this 
struggle. As finally passed, the children in Puerto Rico, all of whom 
are U.S. citizens, will receive one-seventh of what they would receive 
if they had been treated as children in a State. It is a matter of 
serious concern that the health of the American children of Puerto Rico 
was not considered of equal value within the Nation. Modifications are 
now being proposed, but we encounter similar struggles every day that 
confirm that Puerto Ricans are disenfranchised second-class U.S. 
citizens.
  Yet, Puerto Ricans have been model U.S. citizens. Our men and women 
have valiantly and willingly served in every one of our Nation's armed 
conflicts since World War I to defend American democratic values.
  It is now time for Congress to take action to bring to these 3.8 
million citizens political, economic, and social equality. The 
mechanism to achieve this is within our reach. H.R. 856, also known as 
the United States-Puerto Rico Political Status Act, represents this 
mechanism to grant the people of Puerto Rico one of their basic rights, 
the right to self-determination.
  This bill provides for the celebration of the first-ever 
congressionally sanctioned referendum in this century, allowing Puerto 
Ricans to choose between two decolonizing formulas, separate 
sovereignty and statehood, or to remain in the current territorial 
status. It is an opportunity to end the colonial status of 3.8 million 
of our U.S. citizens through the democratic exercise of self-
determination.
  The right to self-determination has been earned by the U.S. citizens 
of Puerto Rico as a result of their faithful commitment to the Nation. 
Over 340,000 Puerto Ricans have served in the Armed Forces, many giving 
their lives in defense of American democracy wherever they were needed 
in the world.
  If the Congress refuses to grant this right to their own 
disenfranchised citizens, our Nation's image as the symbol of liberty 
and democracy in the world would be severely tarnished.
  There are some people, however, interested in derailing this bill by 
referring to it as a statehood bill and spreading fear on what they 
believe are the negative consequences of statehood. I want to set the 
record straight.
  The bill provides the people of Puerto Rico the right to express 
their political choice by selecting between the three status options. 
H.R. 856 is not an enabling act that offers the territory instant 
admission as a State, as some are trying to portray.
  These messengers of ignorance contend that statehood will be the 
fatal for the Federal budget due to the additional funding that would 
be required, yet fail to mention the positive effect that taxes paid by 
individuals and companies in Puerto Rico would have in that same 
budget.
  If we were a State now, we would pay $4.5 billion in taxes, and the 
additional benefits to Puerto Rico would be $3.1 billion; in other 
words, a net revenue of $1.4 billion to the U.S. Treasury.
  In a similarly intimidating fashion they try to raise havoc with the 
linguistic issue by arguing that there is no room for a Spanish-
speaking State, failing to mention, once again, that the official 
languages of the Government of Puerto Rico and the languages of 
instruction in school are both Spanish and English. You need to 
consider that

[[Page H694]]

these are merely excuses to prevent the Congress from doing the right 
thing.
  Congress is facing an unprecedented opportunity to end the inequality 
and disenfranchisement of the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico by enabling 
them the exercise of the most fundamental right of all democracies, 
self-determination, a right that the United States has defended as a 
Nation throughout the world. It would, indeed, be a national shame if 
this right were not extended to its own citizens.
  We must reject the ignorant, fear-inspired movement to stop the 
democratic process and deny self-determination to Puerto Rico. As the 
world's leader, one of the main objectives of U.S. foreign policy has 
been to promote and defend democracy and self-determination around the 
world. It might be a good idea to begin applying our policies to our 
own citizens seeking this right.
  I am asking for your support when H.R. 856 reaches the House floor. 
The U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico and every American committed to 
freedom, democracy, and justice will be grateful. It is the right thing 
to do.

                          ____________________