[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6173]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  92ND ANNIVERSARY OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP

  (Mr. PIERLUISI asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. PIERLUISI. Mr. Speaker, 92 years ago, President Wilson signed a 
bill and the people of Puerto Rico became U.S. citizens.
  Puerto Rico's relationship with the United States is as close as it 
is complex. In some instances, promises of equal treatment took too 
long to redeem, and there are aspects of the relationship that should 
trouble men and women of conscience.
  But like so many American stories, this is a chronicle of progress 
and a determined march towards a more perfect union. For me, as for 
millions of my constituents, the pride we feel in being Puerto Rican is 
matched by the pride we feel in being American citizens. To those who 
express concern that any further strengthening of the bond between 
Puerto Rico and the U.S. will result in a weakening of Puerto Rico's 
identity, I submit that history and experience demonstrate otherwise.
  The people of Puerto Rico have been fighting for our country ever 
since they became citizens. American soldiers from Puerto Rico, 
fiercely proud of their country and their island roots, provide 
powerful testimony that these feelings complement, rather than 
contradict, one another.
  Mr. Speaker, on this anniversary, I salute the 4 million U.S. 
citizens of Puerto Rico.

                          ____________________