Legislative Hearings Committee on Natural
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
H.R. 900, PUERTO RICO DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2007; AND H.R. 1230, PUERTO RICO SELF-DETERMINATION ACT OF 2007 LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON INSULAR AFFAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION March 22, 2007 and April 25, 2007 Serial No. 110-8 Printed for the use of the Committee on Natural Resources ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/index.html or Committee address: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 34-236 PDF WASHINGTON : 2007 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:13 Jul 18, 2007 Jkt 098700 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 L:\DOCS\34236.TXT Hresour1 PsN: KATHY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia, Chairman DON YOUNG, Alaska, Ranking Republican Member Dale E. Kildee, Michigan Jim Saxton, New Jersey Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa Elton Gallegly, California Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey Ken Calvert, California Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Islands Chris Cannon, Utah Grace F. Napolitano, California Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado Rush D. Holt, New Jersey Jeff Flake, Arizona Rau´ l M. Grijalva, Arizona Rick Renzi, Arizona Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam Stevan Pearce, New Mexico Jim Costa, California Henry E. Brown, Jr., South Carolina Dan Boren, Oklahoma Luis G. Fortun˜ o, Puerto Rico John P. Sarbanes, Maryland Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington George Miller, California Bobby Jindal, Louisiana Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts Louie Gohmert, Texas Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon Tom Cole, Oklahoma Maurice D. Hinchey, New York Rob Bishop, Utah Patrick J. Kennedy, Rhode Island Bill Shuster, Pennsylvania Ron Kind, Wisconsin Dean Heller, Nevada Lois Capps, California Bill Sali, Idaho Jay Inslee, Washington Doug Lamborn, Colorado Mark Udall, Colorado Joe Baca, California Hilda L. Solis, California Stephanie Herseth, South Dakota Heath Shuler, North Carolina James H. Zoia, Chief of Staff Jeffrey P. Petrich, Chief Counsel Lloyd Jones, Republican Staff Director Lisa Pittman, Republican Chief Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON INSULAR AFFAIRS DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN, Virgin Islands, Chairwoman LUIS G. FORTUN˜ O, Puerto Rico, Ranking Republican Member Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa Elton Gallegly, California Rau´ l M. Grijalva, Arizona Jeff Flake, Arizona Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam Don Young, Alaska, ex officio Nick J. Rahall II, West Virginia, ex officio (II) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:13 Jul 18, 2007 Jkt 098700 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 L:\DOCS\34236.TXT Hresour1 PsN: KATHY CONTENTS Page Hearing held on March 22, 2007 ............................................................................ 1 Statement of Members: Christensen, Hon. Donna M., a Delegate in Congress from the Virgin Islands ............................................................................................................ 2 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 3 Fortun˜ o, Luis G., the Resident Commissioner in Congress from Puerto Rico ................................................................................................................. 5 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 7 Rahall, Hon. Nick J., II, a Representative in Congress from the State of West Virginia ............................................................................................ 9 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 10 Serrano, Hon. Jose´, a Representative in Congress from the State of New York ....................................................................................................... 13 Vela´zquez, Hon. Nydia M., a Representative in Congress from the State of New York ................................................................................................... 16 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 18 Weller, Hon. Jerry, a Representative in Congress from the State of Illinois ............................................................................................................ 15 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 15 Young, Hon. Don, a Representative in Congress from the State of Alaska . 12 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 12 Statement of Witnesses: Baquero, Enrique, President, Puerto Rico Foundation for Democratic Action ............................................................................................................. 76 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 78 Dı´az, Aida, President, Puerto Rico Teachers Association ............................. 110 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 111 Fernandez, Jose´ Luis, President, Inter-American Entrepreneurs Association ..................................................................................................... 79 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 81 Ferraiuoli, Veronica, President, Puerto Rico Chapter of the Federal Bar Association ..................................................................................................... 101 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 103 Goldstein, Thomas C., Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP .. 45 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 46 Gorrı´n-Peralta, Carlos I., Professor, Puerto Rico’s Inter-American University School of Law ............................................................................. 27 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 28 Mejı´a, Manuel A., Chairman of the Board, Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce ...................................................................................................... 69 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 71 Nieves, Ramon Luis, Executive Director, Movimiento Autonomista Socialdemocrata ............................................................................................ 32 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 34 Pedroza, Jorge E., President, Vietnam Veterans of America, Council of Puerto Rico .................................................................................................... 95 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 97 Pildes, Richard H., Professor, New York University School of Law ............ 38 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 40 Romany-Siaca, Celina, President, Puerto Rico Bar Association ................... 107 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 109 (III) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:13 Jul 18, 2007 Jkt 098700 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 L:\DOCS\34236.TXT Hresour1 PsN: KATHY IV Page Statement of Witnesses—Continued Thomas, Kenneth R., Legislative Attorney, American Law Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress ............................... 19 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 21 Vales, Luis E. Gonza´lez, Official Historian of Puerto Rico ........................... 98 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 99 Additional materials supplied: List of individuals and organizations submitting information for the record ............................................................................................................. 19 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:13 Jul 18, 2007 Jkt 098700 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 L:\DOCS\34236.TXT Hresour1 PsN: KATHY CONTENTS Page Hearing held on Wednesday, April 25, 2007 ......................................................... 125 Statement of Members: Christensen, Hon. Donna M., a Delegate in Congress from the Virgin Islands ............................................................................................................ 126 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 127 Fortun˜ o, Luis G., the Resident Commissioner in Congress from Puerto Rico ................................................................................................................. 139 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 141 Vela´zquez, Hon. Nydia M., a Representative in Congress from the State of New York, Statement submitted for the record ..................................... 235 Young, Hon. Don, a Representative in Congress from the State of Alaska, Statement