[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6287]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 2499, THE PUERTO RICO DEMOCRACY ACT

  (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. Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, the House will 
consider H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act. I am proud to 
support this bipartisan bill which would allow the residents of Puerto 
Rico the opportunity to voice their opinions on the status of the 
island's relationship to the mainland, to the United States, through a 
federally sanctioned plebiscite.
  Nearly 4 million U.S. citizens currently reside in Puerto Rico and my 
congressional district in South Florida is home to nearly 20,000 
American citizens of Puerto Rican descent.
  Although Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory for more than 100 
years, Congress has never asked those American citizens residing in 
Puerto Rico to express their opinion on the territory's political 
status. This bill does not exclude any viable status option nor does it 
provide for a change in status to be automatically implemented. 
Instead, the bill initiates a long overdue process of consultation with 
the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Puerto Rico 
Democracy Act when it comes to a vote later this week.

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