39–006 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 113–548 

HONORARY CITIZENSHIP FOR 

BERNARDO DE GA ́ LVEZ Y MADRID 

JULY 22, 2014.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. GOODLATTE, from the Committee on the Judiciary, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H. J. Res. 105] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the joint 

resolution (H. J. Res. 105) conferring honorary citizenship of the 

United States on Bernardo de Ga ́lvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Ga ́lvez, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the joint 

resolution do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 1 

Background and Need for the Legislation ............................................................. 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 3 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 3 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 4 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 4 

Duplication of Federal Programs ............................................................................ 5 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings ..................................................................... 5 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 5 

Advisory on Earmarks ............................................................................................. 5 

Section-by-Section Analysis .................................................................................... 5 

Purpose and Summary 

The joint resolution confers honorary citizenship of the United 

States on Bernardo de Ga ́lvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and 

Count of Ga ́lvez. 


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Background and Need for the Legislation 

The purpose of H. J. Res. 105 is to confer honorary United States 

citizenship upon Bernardo de Ga ́lvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Ga ́lvez, in recognition of his many contributions to, and sacrifices for, the cause of American independence. 

American citizenship is the highest honor that our country can 

confer upon a person who is a citizen of another land. The granting 

of honorary citizenship is the admission and welcoming of that person into our national family. As stated by this Committee in the 

past, any decision to grant honorary citizenship is unique and cannot be treated as a precedent. It should also be noted that ‘‘honorary citizenship’’ is a symbolic gesture. It does not grant any additional legal rights in the United States or in international law. It 

also does not impose additional duties or responsibilities, in the 

United States or internationally, on the honoree. 

Honorary citizenship is and should always be an extraordinary 

honor not lightly conferred and rarely given. Congress has granted 

honorary citizenship on six occasions to seven individuals. Of the 

seven recipients of the honor, five received it posthumously (Mother 

Theresa and Winston Churchill received it during their lifetimes). 

The last two individuals were also heroes of the Revolutionary 

War: 

Casimir Pulaski P.L. 111–94 2009

The Marquis de Lafayette P.L. 107–209 2002

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu P.L. 104–218 1996

[Mother Teresa] 

William and Hannah Callowhill P.L. 98–516 1984

Penn 

Raoul Wallenberg P.L. 97–54 1981

Winston Churchill P.L. 86–6 1963

As they are described in H. J. Res. 105, General Ga ́lvez’s contributions compare very favorably with the previous two recipients 

of honorary citizenship who were heroes of the Revolutionary War. 

In summarizing General Ga ́lvez’s aid to the American colonies, 

H. J. Res. 105 states that Ga ́lvez ‘‘provided supplies, intelligence, 

and strong military support to the war effort’’. Indeed, the historical 

record indicates that, due to the British blockade of seaports on the 

Eastern Seaboard, then-Governor Ga ́lvez’s secretly-coordinated 

smuggling operation, and efforts to clear the Mississippi River of 

British influence, helped ensure that George Washington’s Continental Army received necessary weapons and other provisions. 

H. J. Res. 105 states that ‘‘Ga ́lvez recruited an army of 7,500 men 

made up of Spanish, French, African-American, Mexican, Cuban, 

and Anglo-American forces and led the effort of Spain to aid the 

United States’ colonists. . . . [He] and his troops seized the Port of 

New Orleans and successfully defeated the British at battles in 

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Natchez, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama.’’ Commentators and historians have uniformly lauded General Ga ́lvez’s bravery, tenacity, and tactical military skill in rapidly 

assembling and leading a diverse, multi-ethnic regiment. Ga ́lvez’s 

forces were victorious in every battle into which he led them. 

H. J. Res. 105 states that Ga ́lvez ‘‘led the successful 2-month 

Siege of Pensacola, Florida, where his troops captured the capital 


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of British West Florida and left the British with no naval bases in 

the Gulf of Mexico.’’ The historical narrative surrounding Ga ́lvez’s 

actions leading up to and throughout the 2-month-long Battle of 

Pensacola underscores his heroism and leadership in pursuit of the 

objective of pinning down the British forces and driving them from 

the Gulf of Mexico. There is no question that keeping the British 

occupied on a second front during the war was critical to the success of General Washington’s campaign. Some historians have 

noted that the length and timing of the battle of Pensacola, in particular (the British surrendered in May 1781), impacted the number of forces and ships the British could commit to the battle of 

Yorktown, the final campaign of the Revolutionary War. 

H. J. Res. 105 states that ‘‘Galvez’s victories against the British 

were recognized by George Washington as a deciding factor in the 

outcome of the Revolutionary War.’’ Despite his decisive contributions to the Continental Army’s success in the American Revolution, General Ga ́lvez has not, to date, received the same level of 

recognition as have other figures, such as Pulaski and Lafayette. 

As noted in H. J. Res. 105, the State of Florida awarded General 

Ga ́lvez the designation of Great Floridian. Also, the city of Galveston, Texas bears his name. And in 1976, a statue of Ga ́lvez was 

dedicated along with the Statues of the Liberators, located near the 

Department of State in Washington, DC. The inscription on the 

statue reads, in part: 

Bernardo de Ga ́lvez the great Spanish soldier carried out 

a courageous campaign in lands bordering the lower Mississippi. This masterpiece of military strategy heightened 

the pressure of the English in the war against the American settlers who were fighting for their independence. 

Hearings 

The Committee on the Judiciary held no hearings on H. J. Res. 

105. 

Committee Consideration 

On July 10, 2014, the Committee met in open session and ordered the joint resolution H. J. Res. 105 favorably reported without 

amendment, by voice vote, a quorum being present. 

Committee Votes 

In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there were 

no recorded votes during the Committee’s consideration of H. J. 

Res. 105. 

Committee Oversight Findings 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the findings 

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report. 


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New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures 

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does not provide new 

budgetary authority or increased tax expenditures. 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with respect to 

the joint resolution, H. J. Res. 105, the following estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, July 11, 2014. 

Hon. BOB GOODLATTE, CHAIRMAN, 

Committee on the Judiciary, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H. J. Res. 105, a joint resolution conferring honorary citizenship of the United States on 

Bernardo de Ga ́lvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of 

Ga ́lvez. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz, who 

can be reached at 226-2860. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF, 

DIRECTOR. 

Enclosure 

cc: Honorable John Conyers, Jr. 

Ranking Member 

H. J. Res. 105—A joint resolution conferring honorary citizenship of the United States on Bernardo de Ga ́lvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Ga ́lvez. 

As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary 

on July 10, 2014. 

The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed H. J. Res. 105, a 

joint resolution conferring honorary citizenship of the United 

States posthumously on Bernardo de Ga ́lvez y Madrid, Viscount of 

Galveston and Count of Ga ́lvez. CBO estimates that enacting H. J. 

Res. 105 would result in no significant cost to the Federal Government and would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, 

pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

H. J. Res 105 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 

mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 

would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 


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The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. The 

estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

Duplication of Federal Programs 

No provision of H. J. Res. 105 establishes or reauthorizes a program of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another Federal program, a program that was included in any report 

from the Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to 

section 21 of Public Law 111–139, or a program related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings 

The Committee estimates that H. J. Res. 105 specifically directs 

to be completed no specific rule makings within the meaning of 5 

U.S.C. 551. 

Performance Goals and Objectives 

The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, H. J. Res. 105 confers 

honorary citizenship of the United States on Bernardo de Ga ́lvez 

y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Ga ́lvez. 

Advisory on Earmarks 

In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H. J. Res. 105 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as 

defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI. 

Section-by-Section Analysis 

After describing his exploits on behalf of American independence, 

this joint resolution proclaims Bernardo de Ga ́lvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Ga ́lvez posthumously to be an 

honorary citizen of the United States. 

Æ 


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