Date: 2010-04-29
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. Id like to. first of all. thank my friend. the gentleman from Colorado . for the time. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. The underlying legislation. H.R. 2499. the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009. is a fair and appropriate way for the people of Puerto Rico to express themselves at the ballot box regarding the critical issue of their permanent status. The legislation would allow a plebiscite whereby the people of Puerto Rico will decide whether to maintain their current political status or have a different status. If a majority favors a different status. the Government of Puerto Rico would be authorized to conduct a second plebiscite among three nonterritorial status options recognized under United States and international law: independence. United States statehood. or sovereignty in association with the United States. They would. obviously. have to be worked out between sovereign Puerto Rico and sovereign United States. The legislation does not dictate an outcome for the people of Puerto Rico. Congress will not take sides by voting for this legislation. Congress will only be asking the Puerto Rican people to vote on the issue of their permanent status. This process is absolutely respectful of the Puerto Rican peoples right to decide their future status. I wish to commend Resident Commissioner PIERLUISI and my dear friend and former colleague. Governor Luis Fortuno. for extraordinary leadership on this issue. Both of them have earned the admiration of both sides of the aisle in the United States Congress and deserve commendation for their leadership. Mr. Speaker. I understand that some Members of Congress have concerns that the results of the election would be automatically implemented. I was discussing with my colleague. Ms. RosLEHTINEN. some falsehoods that are being said on radio and other media that the vote today is one that would set up a process that would automatically be implemented. That is not the case. The results of the plebiscites are nonbinding on Congress. So in order for the results to be put into effect. whatever the results of the referendum would be. Congress would need to debate again and. again. pass legislation. In other words. new legislation. My position with regard to the status of Puerto Rico is that the people of Puerto Rico have the right to decide the political and legal status of their wonderful island through a fair. neutral. as well as federally recognized. plebiscite. I have ultimate admiration for the people of Puerto Rico. They are a wonderful people. If the people of Puerto Rico ultimately vote to request admission to the United States of America as a State of the American Union. there will be no stronger defender of their right to be the 51st American State than me. If they vote to remain in their current status. there will be no stronger defender of their decision than me. And if they vote for independence. there will be no stronger defender of their decision than me. This legislation is a selfdetermination vehicle. and I support selfdetermination. I support democracy everywhere. The Puerto Rican people should be able to decide their permanent status themselves. The House last addressed this issue in 1998. I remember. Mr. Speaker. that I had the honor of chairing that debate in the House when H.R. 856. the United StatesPuerto Rico Political Status Act. after much leadership and advocacy by Resident Commissioner RomeroBarcelo. was brought to the floor under a Republican majority. I was a member of the Rules Committee at that time. and I am proud to say that our majority. the Republican majority. allowed that bill to proceed under an open rule. a rule that allows Members from both parties to have their amendments to the legislation debated on the House floor without having to get approval from the Rules Committee. This is an important issue. and if theres ever been legislation that deserves an open debate process. its this legislation. I remind the House of the process that we used when we were the majority because today the current majority has decided to restrict debate on this issue. on this very same issue that we allowed an open debate process on in 1998. And not only on this legislation. but on every piece of legislation brought before this Congress. This majority has not allowed any open rules. any open debate process in over 21/2 years. Since they regained the majority. they have allowed only one open rule. apart from appropriations bills. And even on appropriations bills. they have restricted debate. Now I disagree with some of the amendments that were presented before the Rules Committee yesterday. and if. by chance. the majority would have allowed their consideration by the full Congress. I would have voted against those amendments. I may have even debated against those amendments. But just because I disagree with amendments that were brought before the Rules Committee. asking the Rules Committee to allow consideration by the full House does not mean that I believe that those Members of the House do not deserve the right to be heard. I believe the House should be allowed to work its will. Now. unlike the current majority. I believe in open debate. Let amendments stand or fall on their merits. Just about every week I have the honor to come to the floor of this House to help manage rules debates on behalf of my party. and pretty much every time I come to the floor. I criticize the current majority for systematically blocking open debate with ruthless efficiency on every bill that we consider. Even on appropriations bills. which have long been brought to the floor under a tradition of open rules. they blocked debate. Today they could have easily upheld the tradition set by the Republican majority to allow an open debate on the extremely important issue of Puerto Ricos political status. yet the current majority. they cant bear to do something so abhorrent to them. to permit an open debate process. They cling. Mr. Speaker. they cling to their modus operandi. restricting debate. restricting debate. So theyve done so again today. Now. that doesnt negate the historic nature of what the Congress of the United States is doing today. Today whatever the outcome of this legislation. Congress will send its greeting. its support and admiration for the wonderful people of "La Isla del Encanto." Puerto Rico. I reserve the balance of my time.