[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 157 (Monday, September 13, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6460-S6461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 356--RECOGNIZING THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
             FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

  Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself and Mr. Rubio) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources:

                              S. Res. 356

       Whereas, since 1898, after the Spanish-American War and 
     with the ratification of the Treaty of Paris, Puerto Rico has 
     been a territory of the United States;
       Whereas the city of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, 
     is the oldest continuously inhabited city established by 
     Europeans within United States territory;
       Whereas, as reference, the city of Saint Augustine, in the 
     State of Florida, was established in 1565, which makes the 
     city of San Juan about 44 years older;
       Whereas San Juan is also the third-oldest capital city 
     established by Europeans in the Americas, after Santo 
     Domingo, Dominican Republic (1496), and Panama City, Panama 
     (1519);
       Whereas San Juan is home to the second-oldest church in the 
     Americas, Iglesia San Jose, which started construction in 
     1532 and has just reopened its doors after more than 2 
     decades of restoration work;
       Whereas the Palacio de Santa Catalina, also known as La 
     Fortaleza, initially constructed between 1533 and 1540, also 
     located in San Juan, is the oldest executive mansion in 
     continuous use in the Americas;
       Whereas, on March 4, 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon, Puerto 
     Rico's first Governor and conquistador, departed from Puerto 
     Rico to lead the first known expedition to what is now the 
     State of Florida;
       Whereas Juan Ponce de Leon was interred in San Juan in 1521 
     and his tomb is now located in the Cathedral of San Juan 
     Bautista;
       Whereas the architectural and cultural heritage of San Juan 
     has been recognized by the United Nations as a World Heritage 
     Site and by the United States National Park Service with the 
     establishment of the San Juan National Historic Site;
       Whereas the architectural and cultural heritage of San Juan 
     includes the fortifications built between the 1500s and 1700s 
     to protect San Juan against invading forces, including 
     Castillo San Felipe del Morro, most of the city walls, the 
     San Juan Gate, Fort San Juan de la Cruz, and Fort San 
     Cristobal, considered the largest fortress built in the 
     Americas;
       Whereas these fortifications remained active defenses of 
     the United States Armed Forces until World War II;
       Whereas, on March 21, 1915, Lieutenant Teofilo Marxuach, 
     officer at El Morro Castle, ordered fire upon the German 
     armed supply ship Odenwald trying to force its way out of San 
     Juan Bay to deliver supplies to German submarines in the 
     Atlantic Ocean, in what is considered to be the first shot 
     fired by the regular Armed Forces of the United States 
     against any ship flying the colors of the Central Powers of 
     World War I;
       Whereas, in 1946, Felisa Rincon de Gautier was appointed 
     mayor of San Juan, making her the first woman mayor of a 
     capital city in the Americas;
       Whereas, in 1959, San Juan was awarded the All-America City 
     Award, an award given by the National Civic League, which 
     recognizes communities that leverage civic engagement, 
     collaboration, inclusiveness, and innovation to successfully 
     address local issues;
       Whereas the ``Escuelas Maternales'', established in San 
     Juan by mayor Rincon de Gautier would eventually become the 
     model for the Head Start programs in the United States;
       Whereas San Juan has hosted several major sporting events, 
     including the--
       (1) 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games;
       (2) 1979 Pan American Games;
       (3) Baseball Winter League Caribbean World Series in 1950, 
     1954, 1958, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1984, 1995, 1999, 2015, and 
     2020;
       (4) World Baseball Classic in 2006, 2009, and 2013;
       (5) 1974 FIBA World Championship;

[[Page S6461]]

       (6) FIBA Americas Championship in 1980, 1993, 1999, 2003, 
     and 2009; and
       (7) 2010 Latin American Regional Special Olympics;

       Whereas the city of San Juan is now a main center of 
     industry, commerce, and culture and a touchstone of the 
     culture of the Puerto Rican community across the United 
     States and the world; and
       Whereas the city of San Juan will celebrate the 
     quincentennial anniversary of the city from September 2021 to 
     May 2022: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the 500th anniversary of the founding of the 
     city of San Juan, Puerto Rico;
       (2) honors the history of the city of San Juan, Puerto 
     Rico; and
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     and recognize the quincentennial anniversary of the city of 
     San Juan.

                          ____________________