[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 135]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     CITIZENSHIP FOR ELIAN GONZALEZ

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the bill 
that was introduced on Monday which would bestow citizenship upon Elian 
Gonzalez, a 6-year-old Cuban boy who was miraculously rescued off of 
Florida's shores on Thanksgiving Day.
  This citizenship bill does not advocate for a particular outcome. It 
merely ensures due process. It ensures that a court of law will be 
afforded the opportunity to hear and evaluate all facts and arguments 
in the case; that it will hear testimony from Elian himself, who says 
he wants to stay here and who says he wants to be a citizen; that it 
will evaluate the statements of a child psychologist and other experts 
who present a comprehensive assessment of what is in Elian's best 
interest.
  Mr. Speaker, in essence, this bill merely ensures that Elian's rights 
under the law are upheld and that his rights do not continue to be 
violated and circumvented by bureaucrats at INS.
  Citizenship would also protect Elian in the event that he is required 
to return to Cuba against his wishes and one day seeks to return to our 
United States.
  Mr. Speaker, for Elian's welfare and for the sake of justice, 
fairness and equality, I ask our colleagues to support the citizenship 
bill.

                          ____________________