[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 16, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H1086-H1089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF LUIS A. FERRE
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 433) honoring the life and legacy
of Luis A. Ferre.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 433
Whereas Luis A. Ferre was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on
February 17, 1904, soon after Spain ceded control of Puerto
Rico to the United States in 1898;
Whereas in 1917, when Luis Ferre was 13 years old, the
people of Puerto Rico were granted United States citizenship;
Whereas Luis Ferre's respect for the United States was
fostered by his years as a college student at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge,
Massachusetts;
Whereas Luis Ferre returned to Puerto Rico with a degree in
engineering and a firm belief in Puerto Rican statehood;
Whereas Luis Ferre built his father's business, Puerto Rico
Iron Works, into a hugely successful industrial enterprise;
Whereas Luis Ferre, who entered politics at a propitious
time in the island's history, was a delegate to the
Constitutional Convention in 1951 and was elected to the
Puerto Rican House of Representatives in 1953;
[[Page H1087]]
Whereas Luis Ferre saw the opportunity to advocate Puerto
Rican statehood in 1967, the year of the first political
status plebiscite on the island;
Whereas, although Puerto Rico remained a commonwealth after
the 1967 plebiscite, Luis Ferre utilized the plebiscite to
mobilize statehood forces and to establish a new political
entity, the New Progressive Party;
Whereas in 1968 Luis Ferre ran for Governor of Puerto Rico
as the New Progressive Party candidate and won a close race;
Whereas Luis Ferre served as Governor for one term, from
1969 to 1973;
Whereas, as Governor, Luis Ferre ordered the liberation of
all political prisoners incarcerated in Puerto Rican prisons
as an act of national reconciliation;
Whereas when Luis Ferre was elected Governor he launched an
effort to address what he called ``the inequalities of Puerto
Rican society'', with initiatives to grant property titles to
people living on public lands and to build multiple housing
structures in rural and urban areas of Puerto Rico to provide
homes for low-income families;
Whereas, during his term as Governor, Luis Ferre signed
into law several pieces of social legislation that
contributed to the betterment of Puerto Rican workers,
including pay increases for teachers and policemen as well as
other public employees and ``Christmas bonuses'', whereby
workers received a check for at least 4 percent of their
annual salary during the holiday season;
Whereas, as Governor, Luis Ferre appointed the first woman
to a cabinet-level position, selecting Julita Rivera de
Vicenty as Secretary of Labor of Puerto Rico;
Whereas Luis Ferre made great contributions to Puerto Rican
cultural life, founding the Ponce Museum of Arts and giving
scholarships to artists to further their studies in
disciplines such as painting, visual arts, and music;
Whereas, throughout his life over the past century, Luis
Ferre became an honored elder statesman and philanthropist;
Whereas Luis Ferre is one of four Puerto Ricans who have
received the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and
Whereas Luis Ferre passed away on October 21, 2003, at the
age of 99: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors Luis A. Ferre for his outstanding political
leadership, business savvy, advocacy for social justice, and
great love and support of the arts; and
(2) expresses condolences on his passing to his wife, Tiody
de Jesus, and his two children, Antonio Luis and Rosario, and
grandchildren.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. Miller) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms.
Slaughter) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan. (Mrs. Miller).
General Leave
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution
under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, House Resolution 433 honors Luis A. Ferre, perhaps the
greatest political figure in Puerto Rico during the last half century.
Luis Ferre passed away in San Juan at the age of 99 on October 21,
2003, and this resolution recognizes his lifelong devotion to the
United States, and to social justice in his native Puerto Rico.
Luis Ferre spent his life as a successful businessman and a human
rights advocate for people on the small Caribbean island. He was
elected to terms as Governor and to Representative in Puerto Rico.
Madam Speaker, Luis Ferre loved the United States and his greatest
hope was to see his native Puerto Rico become an American State. In
1917, at the age of 13 years old, Ferre and the Puerto Rican population
were granted United States citizenship. In the year of 2000, Ferre once
recounted that he could not distinctly remember the event but, he said,
``Ever since I have been very proud of that day. I feel it is a great
privilege and a great honor to be a citizen of the greatest republic
that we have had in the history of the world.''
In 1951, Ferre was elected delegate to the Puerto Rican
Constitutional Convention and he was able to directly contribute to the
island becoming an official United States Commonwealth in 1952.
In 1968, Ferre was elected Governor and he continued to work towards
Puerto Rican Statehood. He remained active in politics up to his death,
most notably as the chairman of the Republican Party in Puerto Rico.
To recognize Luis Ferre's life of public service, former President
George H.W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the
highest government award a civilian can receive, in 1991. Ferre is one
of four Puerto Ricans to ever receive this Presidential honor.
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for his efforts to
bring House Resolution 433 to the floor today, and I urge its adoption.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, the term ``renaissance man'' is tossed around far too
casually because people do not truly understand what it means. The
artist and scholars in the Italian Renaissance venerated people who
were accomplished in many different fields. Present diversification
rather than specialization, was the ideal of the time. As a term of
admiration, ``renaissance man'' has few peers. It is a term that was
often used to refer to Luis A. Ferre, the former Governor of Puerto
Rico, who passed away in October of 2003.
Mr. Ferre, in addition to being the Governor, was a successful
businessman and a philanthropist and engineer, a classically trained
musician, a political pioneer, and a patron of the arts: a renaissance
man indeed.
Luis A. Ferre was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on February 17, 1904,
the son of an engineer of French descent. After spending his early
childhood in Ponce, he attended high school in Morristown, New Jersey,
before enrolling at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he
received degrees in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.
In addition, he studied at the New England Conservatory of Music where
he became an accomplished classical pianist.
Mr. Ferre is perhaps best remembered as an advocate for Puerto Rico
statehood. After running for Governor twice on the ticket of the
Republican Statehood Party, he formed his own party, the New
Progressive Party, on whose ticket he was elected Governor of Puerto
Rico in 1968. He served for one term, from 1969 to 1973, during which
time he established his legacy of positive progress for Puerto Rico. He
granted property titles to those living on public lands, built housing
for low-income families, and made a positive step forward for gender
equality in Puerto Rico by appointing the Commonwealth's first female
Cabinet Secretary.
After leaving office, Mr. Ferre continued his advocacy of Puerto
Rican statehood. He was passionately dedicated to the principle that
not only should Puerto Rico be made more fully a part of the United
States, but the United States should be aware of how important Puerto
Rico was to it. During one of his many appearances before Congress, Mr.
Ferre reminded the Members of how much Puerto Rico is engrained in the
American experience. ``Not only are Puerto Ricans citizens by birth,''
Mr. Ferre said, ``but one would be hard-pressed to find a Puerto Rican
without a sister in New York, a son in Chicago, a cousin in Orlando, or
a daughter in Honolulu or Oklahoma City.'' A statement such as this
from a man born just 6 years after Puerto Rico was taken from Spain as
a prize of war shows just how far Puerto Rico came in his lifetime.
Mr. Ferre's dedication to the arts defined him almost as much as his
political accomplishments. Realizing that culture was as important to
the future of Puerto Rico as prosperity, he founded and endowed the
Ponce Museum of Art and the city library in Ponce. He saved the local
newspaper from folding, and El Nuevo Dia, now based in San Juan, is the
island's biggest newspaper.
Luis A. Ferre, one of the finest and most prominent Puerto Ricans of
the past century, liked to describe himself as a revolutionary in his
ideas, liberal in his objectives, and conservative in his methods. He
was a friend to Presidents and a titan to Puerto Rican politics. He was
an honorable protector of Puerto Rico's past and its future. And, with
the condolences of the House, he
[[Page H1088]]
is deserving and worthy of this resolution in his honor.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers at
this time, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano).
(Mr. SERRANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. SERRANO. Madam Speaker, I thank both Members for bringing this
resolution to the floor.
When I introduced this resolution, I did it with the full
understanding that we would be honoring the legacy of Luis A. Ferre, a
true Puerto Rican visionary who wanted so much to continue to be part
of this great Nation of ours. As many of my colleagues know, Luis lived
99-plus years and, during that time, he dedicated most of his life to
public service. We usually do not like to talk about people's personal
financial situations, but it is no secret that he was an extremely
wealthy man who could have very easily just sat back and enjoyed
spending money and living the life of someone who was very well off.
Instead, he chose both to move forward what he felt was his vision of
what the Puerto Rican society should look like and be like and act like
and, at the same time, his deep belief to make Puerto Rico the 51st
State of the Union. In fact, when he started this movement, it probably
would have been the 48th or the 49th or the 50th State of the Union. He
did that with the full understanding that the Puerto Rican community
had a lot to offer to the United States and that the United States had
a lot to offer through statehood to Puerto Rico.
At the same time that Luis pushed for statehood and advocated for
what he believed was the proper route for Puerto Rico to take, he went
about building the island's economy and building the island's cultural
institutions. Museums, concert halls, television work and radio work
all were part of his vision, and he pushed this to the very, very end
of his life.
Every time he would visit Congress or come to Washington, he would
visit my office. I was always taken by the fact that this man was such
a gentleman, such a soft-spoken yet strong believer in everything that
he stood for.
One of the things that he stood for was his belief that the poor had
to have a better way in Puerto Rico. In fact, he gets credit for
building the statehood movement amongst the poor by making sure that he
expressed to them that statehood was not for the wealthy, but that
statehood was for the poor. Before he came along, it was always seen as
simply a Republican, wealthy kind of a situation.
{time} 1445
He took it and brought it to everybody. I think it is important to
note that in Puerto Rico the political structure is based on
Commonwealth, statehood, or independence. But in those parties there
are people who associate nationally with either the Republican or the
Democratic Party. Within the statehood party there are people who are
Democrats, there are people who are Republicans. It will please my
colleagues to know that he was a staunch Republican who was very close
to the Bush family and very close to Republican leaders throughout the
country. It is for that reason that he received so many accolades from
our government. In fact, in 1991, former President George H.W. Bush
awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
I remember once I was talking, and I will be very brief, but I was
talking to a member of the Independence Party, the people who are
totally opposed to statehood. And I think the greatest compliment that
you hear for someone like Luis Ferre came from this member of the
Independence Party. We were talking about him and he said, ``This man
is a true patriot.'' I said, ``Wait a minute. You are calling a person
who pushes statehood a patriot and yet you are for independence?'' He
said, ``Yes. He is a patriot because everything Luis Ferre has ever
done is in Puerto Rico's best interest and mine. And that is what
signifies who is a patriot and who is not.'' And I will always remember
that there is no greater tribute from someone who is totally opposed to
your philosophy to say that you are for the good of the people.
He never saw his dream come true of Puerto Rico becoming the 51st
State. But he did see Puerto Rico grow from a poor economy to a vibrant
economy, from an island considered by many to be somewhere in the
Caribbean to an island that became very much a part of the American
family, and an island that became very much a part of the Caribbean
family.
He is truly one of the greatest Puerto Ricans and certainly one of
the greatest Americans to have ever lived. And he will be missed. I
will miss him as a friend, I will miss him for the gentleman that he
was, I will miss him as a leader. And today we honor that legacy
through this resolution.
I want to thank all of our colleagues for honoring the life and
legacy of Luis A. Ferre.
Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res.
433, honoring the life and legacy of Luis A. Ferre. Luis A. Ferre was a
crucial figure in the history of Puerto Rico who led a life of service
to his people. He was an accomplished businessman, skilled politician,
and compassionate philanthropist.
Born on February 17, 1904, in Ponce, PR, he went on to study at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, where he earned a degree in engineering. Upon his return
to Puerto Rico, he worked in his father's business, Puerto Rico Iron
Works, and later became involved in politics as a delegate to the
Constitutional Convention, a member of the Puerto Rico House of
Representatives, and, in 1968, was elected Governor.
Ferre was a believer in Puerto Rican statehood, and his convictions
led him to create the New Progressive Party, which to this day remains
one of the leading political parties in Puerto Rico.
He dedicated his life to serving the people of Puerto Rico and
working to improve their lives and futures. During his term as
Governor, he created multiple government agencies and public projects
to enhance the quality of life of Puerto Ricans, and launched several
housing and labor initiatives of great importance.
In addition to his political achievements, Luis A. Ferre is also
remembered in Puerto Rico as a great philanthropist and advocate of
Puerto Rican culture. Among his biggest contributions to Puerto Rico's
cultural life were the Ponce Museum of Arts, which began with a
donation from his personal collection, scholarship programs for art and
music students, and the largest-circulation newspaper in Puerto Rico.
Ferre's contributions to the development of Puerto Rico and the
improvement of its society will be forever remembered and appreciated.
Regrdless of one's position on the issue of Puerto Rico's status, Ferre
was an able statesman who dedicated his life to his beloved island.
This is why today I encourage you to support this resolution to honor
the life of this respected and revered Puerto Rican. I thank my
colleague from New York, Mr. Serrano, for introducing this measure. I
also have introduced a bill to immortalize Ferre, H.R. 3742, which
would designate the United States Courthouse and Post Office Building
located at 93 Antocha Street in Ferre's hometown of Ponce as the Luis
A. Ferre United States Courthouse and Post Office Building. It is my
hope that we can further remember the legacy of Ferre by bringing this
bill up at a later date.
Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I rise in my capacity as the ranking
Democrat of the Resources Committee to join in honoring Luis A. Ferre.
In 1967, a young man named Luis Ferre set out an agenda for his home
island which has transformed the political landscape of Puerto Rico.
The modern day pro-Puerto Rico statehood movement began with Luis Ferre
and his efforts in forming the New Progressive Party.
Today we take the opportunity to honor the life on Don Luis Ferre, a
veneration bestowed by the people of Puerto Rico.
Don Luis died at the age of 99. Having been an engineer, businessman,
politician, pianist, and philanthropist, it is no wonder that he has
been described as a renaissance man.
Born shortly after the United States gained possession of Puerto Rico
from Spain, he was raised both in Puerto Rico and the United States
mainland. After receiving his high school degree in Morristown, NJ, he
pursued undergraduate studies in engineering at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT). Before leaving MIT, Don Luis would earn
a master's degree in electrical engineering. He returned to Puerto Rico
thereafter to help build up the family business.
In 1937, Don Luis founded the Ponce Public Library. His love for
education and the arts continued to mark major accomplishments in
[[Page H1089]]
his life when in 1950 he established a foundation in his own name. The
Luis A. Ferre Foundation would result in the creation of the Ponce
Museum of Art, regarded as a world-class repository for the classics
and for Puerto Rican culture.
In 1967, following a political status plebiscite where the choice of
``statehood'' received 39 percent of votes cast, Don Luis, an ardent
and impassioned believer in Puerto Rico becoming the fifty-first State
of the Union, established the New Progressive Party.
The following year, running on a platform promoting statehood, Don
Luis was elected Governor of Puerto Rico.
After serving one-term, Don Luis worked to strengthen his party and
Puerto Rico. He continued to advocate statehood and promoted American
democracy in the region. His words and actions inspired many Puerto
Rican leaders of today. Former Governor Pedro Rosello and our former
colleague Carlos Romero-Barcelo are but two of the notables who
benefited from the path which Don Luis blazed.
In 1991, his life's work, as a visionary and public servant, was
awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Don Luis Ferre was a stateman in the highest regard. His ideas and
leadership were respected by all political parties and their leaders.
His passing brought about mourning throughout Puerto Rico and for the
tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans living in the United States
mainland.
Don Luis Ferre was a lover of American democracy. He was a believer
in making lives better, especially those in those in his home of Puerto
Rico. In my view, Congress has an obligation to provide an opportunity
for the 3.9 million people of Puerto Rico to achieve Don Luis's dream
of membership in our Union if they so desire it.
It is an honor for me to honor him.
I encourage all my colleagues to support H. Res. 433, and I thank my
colleague Mr. Serrano for his effort to have this considered on the
floor.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I urge Members to support the
adoption of House Resolution 433, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Emerson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 433.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
____________________