[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11026]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 11026]]

PRESIDENT'S DECISION ON VIEQUES WILL BE SHOWN TO BE WISE AND INSIGHTFUL

  (Mr. WICKER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)



  Mr. WICKER. Madam Speaker, please put me down as one of a substantial 
number of Republicans who applaud the decision of President Bush to 
discontinue our Naval training on the island of Vieques.
  As Secretary England pointed out last week, this decision is the best 
way to decompress a highly charged situation which was clouding other 
issues between Puerto Rico and the mainland. The Bush administration 
has made it clear that, while providing effective training for Naval 
forces is our first priority, alternative sites already exist and other 
ranges can and will be found. I hope this can be done before May 2003.
  To those who decry the ``political'' nature of this action, I invite 
them to go to Puerto Rico, listen to the people and gauge the depth of 
their intensity and ask this: Does anyone realistically believe it is 
in our national interest to disregard, year after year, the 
overwhelming popular will of our United States citizens on Puerto Rico? 
The President's decision will be shown to be wise and insightful.

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