E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 105 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 144 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1998 No. 19 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was right to vote for the President and the citizens through the democratic exer- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- right to voting representation in the cise of self-determination. pore (Mr. SNOWBARGER). House and in the Senate. The right to self-determination has f Since we began our work in Congress been earned by the U.S. citizens of in 1993, everyone here has been aware Puerto Rico as a result of their faithful DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO of my struggle for political equality commitment to the Nation. Over TEMPORE and my frustrations as a nonvoting 340,000 Puerto Ricans have served in The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- Member of the U.S. House of Rep- the Armed Forces, many giving their fore the House the following commu- resentatives in trying to achieve equal lives in defense of American democracy nication from the Speaker: rights for the 3.8 million U.S. citizens wherever they were needed in the WASHINGTON, DC, of the Territory of Puerto Rico. world. March 3, 1998. The Children's Health Care Initiative If the Congress refuses to grant this I hereby designate the Honorable VINCE is a perfect example of this struggle. As right to their own disenfranchised citi- SNOWBARGER to act as Speaker pro tempore finally passed, the children in Puerto zens, our Nation's image as the symbol on this day. Rico, all of whom are U.S. citizens, will of liberty and democracy in the world NEWT GINGRICH, receive one-seventh of what they would would be severely tarnished. Speaker of the House of Representatives. receive if they had been treated as chil- There are some people, however, in- f dren in a State. It is a matter of seri- terested in derailing this bill by refer- MORNING HOUR DEBATES ous concern that the health of the ring to it as a statehood bill and American children of Puerto Rico was spreading fear on what they believe are The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- not considered of equal value within the negative consequences of state- ant to the order of the House of Janu- the Nation. Modifications are now hood. I want to set the record straight. ary 21, 1997, the Chair will now recog- being proposed, but we encounter simi- The bill provides the people of Puerto nize Members from lists submitted by lar struggles every day that confirm Rico the right to express their political the majority and minority leaders for that Puerto Ricans are disenfranchised choice by selecting between the three morning hour debates. The Chair will second-class U.S. citizens. status options. H.R. 856 is not an ena- alternate recognition between the par- Yet, Puerto Ricans have been model bling act that offers the territory in- ties, with each party limited to 30 min- U.S. citizens. Our men and women have stant admission as a State, as some are utes, and each Member, except the ma- valiantly and willingly served in every trying to portray. jority leader, the minority leader, or one of our Nation's armed conflicts These messengers of ignorance con- the minority whip, limited to 5 min- since World War I to defend American tend that statehood will be the fatal utes. democratic values. for the Federal budget due to the addi- The Chair recognizes the gentleman It is now time for Congress to take tional funding that would be required, from Puerto Rico (Mr. ROMERO- action to bring to these 3.8 million citi- yet fail to mention the positive effect BARCELOÂ ) for 5 minutes. zens political, economic, and social that taxes paid by individuals and com- f equality. The mechanism to achieve panies in Puerto Rico would have in this is within our reach. H.R. 856, also that same budget. SUPPORT H.R. 856, THE UNITED known as the United States-Puerto If we were a State now, we would pay STATES-PUERTO RICO POLITICAL Rico Political Status Act, represents $4.5 billion in taxes, and the additional STATUS ACT this mechanism to grant the people of benefits to Puerto Rico would be $3.1 Mr. ROMERO-BARCELOÂ . Mr. Speak- Puerto Rico one of their basic rights, billion; in other words, a net revenue of er, yesterday, March 2, was a the right to self-determination. $1.4 billion to the U.S. Treasury. celebratory date for all Americans. The This bill provides for the celebration In a similarly intimidating fashion Jones Act, introduced by the gen- of the first-ever congressionally sanc- they try to raise havoc with the lin- tleman from Virginia, was enacted on tioned referendum in this century, al- guistic issue by arguing that there is that date in the year 1917, and Puerto lowing Puerto Ricans to choose be- no room for a Spanish-speaking State, Ricans were granted statutory citizen- tween two decolonizing formulas, sepa- failing to mention, once again, that the ship of the United States. For 81 years, rate sovereignty and statehood, or to official languages of the Government of the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico have remain in the current territorial sta- Puerto Rico and the languages of in- been denied the most fundamental tus. It is an opportunity to end the co- struction in school are both Spanish rights of American citizenship, the lonial status of 3.8 million of our U.S. and English. You need to consider that b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H693 H694 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE March 3, 1998 these are merely excuses to prevent the and across the country extremely My colleagues have suggested that Congress from doing the right thing. proud. We owe all our Olympic athletes there has been no public involvement Congress is facing an unprecedented a hearty well done and congratula- in designing the census. Again, I would opportunity to end the inequality and tions. like to have the facts speak for them- disenfranchisement of the U.S. citizens f selves. In 1992 the Secretary of Com- of Puerto Rico by enabling them the merce established an Advisory Com- exercise of the most fundamental right 2000 CENSUS mittee on the 2000 Census made up of of all democracies, self-determination, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under nearly 50 organizations. I would like to a right that the United States has de- the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- put a list of those organizations into fended as a Nation throughout the uary 21, 1997, the gentlewoman from the RECORD. world. It would, indeed, be a national New York (Mrs. MALONEY) is recog- The list referred to follows: shame if this right were not extended nized during morning hour debates for The National Governors Association, the to its own citizens. 5 minutes. American Association of State Highway and We must reject the ignorant, fear-in- Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Transportation Officials, the American Sta- spired movement to stop the demo- Speaker, last week one of my col- tistical Association, the Association of State leagues came to the House floor and and Territorial Health Officials, the Business cratic process and deny self-determina- Roundtable, the Council of Chief State tion to Puerto Rico. As the world's said that the planning for the 2000 cen- School Officers, the Federation for American leader, one of the main objectives of sus was done in secret. I am here today Immigration Reform, the National Associa- U.S. foreign policy has been to promote to put the facts on the table so that the tion of Counties, the National Association of and defend democracy and self-deter- American people can decide for them- Secretaries of State, the National Associa- mination around the world. It might be selves. Designing the 2000 census has tion of Towns and Townships, and the U.S. a good idea to begin applying our poli- been one of the most public processes Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Speaker, these organizations met cies to our own citizens seeking this in the history of the census. over 20 times since 1992 and each meet- right. Dr. Barbara Bryant, the director of the Census Bureau for President ing has been open to the public. I am asking for your support when The activities of public involvement George Bush, began the process in 1991 H.R. 856 reaches the House floor. The were not just here in Washington. The shortly after the conclusion of the 1990 U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico and every director of the Census Bureau and the census. She took over the Census Bu- American committed to freedom, de- Under Secretary for Economic Statis- reau less than 4 months before the 1990 mocracy, and justice will be grateful. tics at the Department of Commerce census began, and she knew that it It is the right thing to do. have gone to scores of cities and held could be improved. The results from f town meetings to get public involve- the 1990 census reinforced that deci- ment. At each of these town meetings CONGRATULATIONS TO TARA sion. they have solicited public input on the LIPINSKY, OLYMPIC GOLD In partnership with Congress, Dr.