[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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