[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 19 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         PUERTO RICAN STATEHOOD

  (Mr. GUTIERREZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, today there will be a rule taken up on 
the Young bill, a bill that is supposed to deal with the self-
determination of the people of Puerto Rico. It is really a statehood 
bill. It is a bill that will guarantee statehood.
  In 1993, as many of my colleagues remember, the people of Puerto Rico 
had a plebescite, independence, Commonwealth and statehood. We all 
remember the headlines, the headlines read blaring across our Nation, 
Puerto Rico rejects statehood. Now we are going to come back 5 years 
later, and since they lost it that time, we are going to write a 
statehood bill to make sure that that is the option. It is wrong. I am 
going to give everybody one example.
  My father did not see me until I was 1 year old. The reason was 
because he was serving in the Armed Forces of this Nation. He was born 
on the island of Puerto Rico. He served in the Armed Forces of this 
Nation. Under the bill we are going to consider tomorrow, we are going 
to state that my father's citizenship is statutory. Now, when my father 
goes and votes, and he likes the Commonwealth, he disagrees with his 
son about a lot of things, and that is one thing we disagree about, he 
is going to want to vote for a Commonwealth. He served in the Armed 
Forces of this Nation, an American citizen. When he goes to vote, Mr. 
Speaker, the only thing that is going to guarantee him his American 
citizenship is statehood. You want an election that is going to 
guarantee a false vote, that is going to be tomorrow. Let the people of 
Puerto Rico decide.

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