[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 194 (Monday, December 10, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9781-H9782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     URGING SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO RECOGNIZE THE HISTORICAL 
           SIGNIFICANCE OF ROBERTO CLEMENTE'S PLACE OF DEATH

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 792) urging the Secretary of the 
Interior to recognize the historical significance of Roberto Clemente's 
place of death near Pinones in Loiza, Puerto Rico, by adding it to the 
National Register of Historic Places, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 792

       Whereas Roberto Clemente was an American baseball legend 
     who embodied the values of a model citizen;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente won two Major League Baseball 
     World Series Championships, was named World Series Most 
     Valuable Player, and was an All-Star for 12 seasons;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente served this Nation as a United 
     States Marine Corps Reservist;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente was the first Puerto Rican 
     inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente was inducted into the Marine Corps 
     Sports Hall of Fame;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente was committed to caring and 
     helping those in need, regardless of their location;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente selflessly chose to travel to an 
     earthquake-ridden Nicaragua to provide humanitarian aid;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente's plane crashed shortly after 
     taking off from Isla Verde International Airport/Aeropuerto 
     Internacional de Isla Verde on December 31, 1972;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente was only 38 years old when he 
     tragically passed away;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente's passion and advocacy 
     demonstrated the positive influence that professional 
     athletes could have in improving the lives of others;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente challenged the stereotypes that 
     had marginalized native Spanish speakers in this Nation and 
     remains an icon to many Puerto Ricans and Latinos in the 
     United States and Latin America;
       Whereas Major League Baseball presents an annual Roberto 
     Clemente Award to the player that best embodies Roberto 
     Clemente's value of service to others and represents the game 
     of baseball through extraordinary character, community 
     involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both 
     on and off the field;
       Whereas Roberto Clemente was posthumously awarded the 
     Presidential Medal of Freedom, Presidential Citizens Medal, 
     and the Congressional Gold Medal for his civic and charitable 
     contributions; and
       Whereas the crash site in the adjacent area to Playa 
     Aviones in the municipality of Loiza, Puerto Rico, was the 
     last place where Roberto Clemente graced this world: Now, 
     therefore be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives requests that 
     the Secretary of the Interior recognize the crash site of 
     Roberto Clemente's airplane and the adjacent land by adding 
     such site to the National Register of Historic Places.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1615

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this has been, for me, an exciting day, as we have 
talked about bills that provide for the history of this country and 
move it forward; as we talked about energy, which I find significant, 
especially for my State, which has so much Federal land and energy 
available to it; and now you are coming into one of the heroes of my 
childhood with Roberto Clemente.
  Mr. Clemente won 12 Gold Gloves; 4 National League batting titles; 12 
All-Star Game selections; 2 World Series Championships--although the 
1961 still pains me to no end, but he still had two championships--and 
reached the 3,000-hit milestone. He was the first player born in Latin 
America to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and was 
posthumously awarded both the Congressional Gold Medal and the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
  I still have his baseball cards, and I cherish them. He was a special 
person not necessarily on the field--he was unique and wonderful--but 
even off the field he was an even greater individual. His 
accomplishments off the field speak to the quality of man Roberto 
Clemente was.
  He spent his time in the off-season involved in charity work. He also 
spent his time in the off-season helping the game of baseball in his 
home in Puerto Rico. He made people's lives better. He ended his life, 
once again, trying to head a relief effort for Nicaragua. He gave his 
life in defense of other people. He is definitely someone who is worthy 
of being remembered in what he did on the ball field, which was 
spectacular, but what he did at home with real people, which was even 
better than what he did on the ball field.
  I am proud to be here and wish to add my support to this resolution 
to recognize a great, great American hero.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano).
  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member for 
bringing this resolution to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to support H. Res. 
792, which would urge the Secretary of the Interior to recognize the 
historical significance of Roberto Clemente's place of death near 
Pinones in Loiza, Puerto Rico, by adding it to the National Register of 
Historic Places.
  Formalizing the site of his untimely death will create a place for 
our Nation to honor Roberto Clemente's career and legacy. He was a 
trailblazer in baseball and in his life of service outside of baseball.
  Born in 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Roberto Enrique Clemente 
Walker's pride and humanitarian ways won

[[Page H9782]]

him universal admiration. Some said that he had a very unorthodox way 
of hitting the ball, yet he had four batting titles and 3,000 hits 
exactly on the last day of the season--the last season he played before 
he passed. He won four batting titles.
  He had one of the most incredible arms in right field you ever saw. I 
still remember a day in New York when he threw a ball from the right 
field fence to third base without a bounce. For a person of my age, who 
cannot throw the ball but 100 feet, perhaps, that was quite a sight to 
see.
  But there was another person in Clemente: the person who was always 
trying to build up people of color; who was always trying to build up a 
relationship with Latin America, knowing how important baseball was to 
Latin America and how important baseball was to Latin Americans and 
people in the territory of Puerto Rico. He played a role in being that 
ambassador, to the point where, when Nicaragua suffered a hurricane 
that killed about 7,000 people and thousands of people were without 
food or water, he decided to lead a couple of planeloads of relief 
efforts to Nicaragua.
  But as times had it in those days--and perhaps even these days, too--
some, if not all of the supplies he was sending of food and water to 
Nicaragua were being stolen and sold on the black market. So he decided 
he was going to go himself on the next trip. He was so revered and 
respected in Nicaragua, nobody would dare touch anything if he was on 
the ground. So he left on a plane on December 31, 1972. After taking 
off, the plane went into the water. Roberto's body was never found.
  I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist, but I so believe that we 
Puerto Ricans, whether we are from New York, New Jersey, or Puerto 
Rico, born or not born in Puerto Rico, still hold a certain need to 
have found him and to have given him the proper burial. But that never 
happened.
  When we do what we do today, hopefully, we continue to honor this man 
who was not only the first Latino in the Hall of Fame, who not only 
batted 317 in his lifetime, which is not an easy accomplishment, and 
who not only had 3,000 hits and had a rifle for an arm, who was--
although people would say it was only two World Series--the only player 
to get a hit in every single World Series game he played--14 of them--
he was just exceptional. To this day, I can tell you that there are 
more Puerto Ricans who use the number 21, although it has nothing to do 
with them, on their email, than any other number. There are more kids 
in Puerto Rico and throughout the States and the other territories who, 
when joining a team, ask for number 21 on their uniform, for Roberto.
  That is what he means to us, that is what he means to the country, 
and as the people in Pittsburgh will tell you, it is not just Puerto 
Ricans. It is Americans in general. This is a great thing we are doing. 
I applaud and support the efforts of the chairman and the ranking 
member.
  Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume 
to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon).
  Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman 
for allowing me to speak on behalf of this resolution.

  Mr. Speaker, I really believe this is important. Puerto Ricans feel 
very proud of the legacy of Roberto Clemente. He was not just a local 
hero, but a national hero, both in the arena and in his life. Actually, 
that is the reason, when Puerto Rico becomes a State, it will be the 
recommendation for one of his statues to be sent to the capital. He is 
a figure that united Puerto Rico.
  I rise today to express my strongest support for H. Res. 792, 
introduced by my good friend and colleague, Jose Serrano. This 
resolution will urge the Secretary of the Interior to recognize the 
significance of the place of death of Puerto Rican baseball star 
Roberto Clemente, located near Pinones in Loiza, Puerto Rico, by adding 
it to the National Register of Historic Places.
  Roberto Clemente, as I said, was a hero and role model in Puerto Rico 
and across the nation. Throughout his distinguished career, he won two 
Major League Baseball World Series Championships, was named Most 
Valuable Player, and was an All-Star for 12 seasons. Clemente also 
served this Nation as a United States Marine Corps Reservist.
  Roberto Clemente was committed to caring and helping those in need. 
In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in 1972, he decided to 
travel to Nicaragua to provide humanitarian aid. His plane crashed 
shortly after departing Puerto Rico, and he tragically passed at the 
age of 38.
  That is the reason his family, still in Puerto Rico, started a 
foundation. Many schools have his name on it, but he also has the 
legacy of supporting young people to play baseball and commit to their 
communities and be better in society. Clemente was that role model.
  He was a great humanitarian and great athlete. He was the embodiment 
of a baseball legend who contributed to the betterment of society. I am 
glad that this House is honoring his legacy by considering H. Res. 792.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I 
thank Congressman Serrano for allowing this recognition that unites 
hundreds of people not only in Puerto Rico, but for sports all over. I 
also thank Chairman Bishop for supporting this, although I was 
expecting him to have the numbers of his baseball career.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, this is a good piece of legislation. 
I just wish that when the Dodgers left him vulnerable in 1966, the 
Cubbies had picked him up, instead of the Pirates.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 792, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. 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, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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