The Pain Of Rejection

This thread is a work in progress, as I have yet to provide the links as evidence to my arguments; feel free to read.

This week was one of the most unexpected, interesting and emotional that I have had in weeks, if not years.  I kept making the analogy of this week as my wedding day.  And I wasn’t even that nervous!  The rollercoaster of emotions hit me when Glenn Beck, on FOX News, hinted at the end of his show that there was a bill in the Senate that had the goal of making Puerto Rico the 51st State of the Union.  That shocked me, took me completely by surprise (as his audience too).  What I did not expect, was how America was not welcoming this idea of including Americans to the Union.  What’s worse, somehow Glenn made the weird connection of Puerto Rico’s status to Obama, to Communism and Van Jones.  Absolutely mindblowing.  Why was I surprised?  Because any bill that deals with Puerto Rico’s final status, dies at some point in the process.  It’s called “stillbirth”.

The backlash was intense, the fight against this bill of merely eight pages that was very simple for any kid to read.  I was even more surprised that the feeling amongst Republicans was that this bill was crafted on purpose, skewing the bill only towards statehood for Puerto Rico in order and with the sole purpose of gaining more Democrat seats, nevertheless the two seats and the six seats that four million additional Americans need to be represented.  The reaction amongst Representatives was, as one of them put it, frightening.  Why a US Representative have any feeling of frightness of any bill coming their way?  The least I expect from any leader, either at state level or at DC level, is to grow a pair because after all, that’s the reason why people elected them.  Or at least they thought they had a pair; they just left them home or something.

The real frightening thing about all this, is how skewed this whole situation was crafted as the underlying purpose of this situation:  To mix up the illegal immigrants coming from Mexico that seek amnesty demanding American citizenship, with an island that has four million American citizens that are not admitted to the Union due to many different reasons that date back to more than 100 years.  This debate continues on a daily basis on the island to a level where reading the comments online on each thread, on each news article of their daily papers gets to be relaxing, and even funny.  People try to do their very best to make light of any situation; turning a difficult problem, a trial, even a crisis into funny remarks and jokes.  That’s how we help ourselves to get through difficulties and deal with it.

The “pain of rejection” title came unexpectedly, inspired to me by perhaps the tears I shed to DC’s office, the tears I shed in front of my children, the anxiety I needed to deal with this difficult situation.  As an American Catholic conservative, proud of this country, that lives in this country that embraces all and has such a rich diversity of hard-working Americans I was knocked down, and knocked down really hard.  I felt “Palinized”.  I started asking myself these questions: Why do Americans reject other Americans?  Why do Americans reject Americans that have troops overseas, right now, fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, way back to WW1?  Why these lives have no meaning to other Americans anymore?  And, worse of all, why so many Americans feel superior than other Americans?

Deaths of more than 100,000 of our troops was not enough.  Blood, tears and sacrifices was not good enough.  The “American Dream” was not good enough.  The wits, brains, talents and energy put to work to make sure that they achieve progress and success was not enough.  I thought long and hard to not wrap around my head the idea of racism.  Because, after all, Republicans are not the racists ones, the Democrats are the ones playing the “race card”, with Obama’s fundamental transformation of America.  I did not want to accept that thought.  Not here, not now, not from this country to an island.  Patriots defend patriots, patriots stand up and defend patriots.  One nation, under God.  That’s all that mattered to me, along with my faith on God, my family and friends.

After a long day of watching C-SPAN and blogging information away, feeding it to Facebook, to the folks in Puerto Rico under the news media and to Twitter I found out who was who on this battle.  Which politician can be trusted with doing their job of reading a bill, coming to their own conclusion that it will not affect their political careers, contrary to Obamacare and about 3,000 pages of that law.  At the same time, I was slightly monitoring what Americans posted in a couple of blogs, and I became angry.  Angry at the lack of proper information, education and of course, of not reading the stupid bill; just what was spoonfed to them, or so I thought.  The Tea Party movement jumped in, raised hell of it and urged everybody to stop this bill from becoming law.  I consider(ed) myself a Tea Partier, attented two local tea parties, because I believe(d) in their cause.  And I still refuse to use the “race card”.  That is not the way America works for me, that’s not the American way.

The bill passed the Senate.  The reaction from both ends has been even worse.  I took three minutes of my time, from finding the bill with the final amendments, printed it, and read it.  Had my significant other read it too.  I wanted to find the “skewed” part.  How could I miss that in just eight pages?  We noticed the amendments in the bill, but two heads put together could not find any legalese, any language, any quotes to any other bill.  Puerto Rico’s reaction has been very diverse, and the majority that I read felt disheartened and disappointed that the “status quo”, the Commonwealth, the “Colony of the United States”, was left on the second part of the referendum.  That does not solve anything.  That brings everything back to Square 1, which they well know, it was designed by the Senate to not deal with the problem (Puerto Rico), and leave everything as is.  This is really, US Congress’ bailout.

The Pain Of Rejection

This thread is a work in progress, as I have yet to provide the links as evidence to my arguments; feel free to read.

This week was one of the most unexpected, interesting and emotional that I have had in weeks, if not years.  I kept making the analogy of this week as my wedding day.  And I wasn’t even that nervous!  The rollercoaster of emotions hit me when Glenn Beck, on FOX News, hinted at the end of his show that there was a bill in the Senate that had the goal of making Puerto Rico the 51st State of the Union.  That shocked me, took me completely by surprise (as his audience too).  What I did not expect, was how America was not welcoming this idea of including Americans to the Union.  What’s worse, somehow Glenn made the weird connection of Puerto Rico’s status to Obama, to Communism and Van Jones.  Absolutely mindblowing.  Why was I surprised?  Because any bill that deals with Puerto Rico’s final status, dies at some point in the process.  It’s called “stillbirth”.

The backlash was intense, the fight against this bill of merely eight pages that was very simple for any kid to read.  I was even more surprised that the feeling amongst Republicans was that this bill was crafted on purpose, skewing the bill only towards statehood for Puerto Rico in order and with the sole purpose of gaining more Democrat seats, nevertheless the two seats and the six seats that four million additional Americans need to be represented.  The reaction amongst Representatives was, as one of them put it, frightening.  Why a US Representative have any feeling of frightness of any bill coming their way?  The least I expect from any leader, either at state level or at DC level, is to grow a pair because after all, that’s the reason why people elected them.  Or at least they thought they had a pair; they just left them home or something.

The real frightening thing about all this, is how skewed this whole situation was crafted as the underlying purpose of this situation:  To mix up the illegal immigrants coming from Mexico that seek amnesty demanding American citizenship, with an island that has four million American citizens that are not admitted to the Union due to many different reasons that date back to more than 100 years.  This debate continues on a daily basis on the island to a level where reading the comments online on each thread, on each news article of their daily papers gets to be relaxing, and even funny.  People try to do their very best to make light of any situation; turning a difficult problem, a trial, even a crisis into funny remarks and jokes.  That’s how we help ourselves to get through difficulties and deal with it.

The “pain of rejection” title came unexpectedly, inspired to me by perhaps the tears I shed to DC’s office, the tears I shed in front of my children, the anxiety I needed to deal with this difficult situation.  As an American Catholic conservative, proud of this country, that lives in this country that embraces all and has such a rich diversity of hard-working Americans I was knocked down, and knocked down really hard.  I felt “Palinized”.  I started asking myself these questions: Why do Americans reject other Americans?  Why do Americans reject Americans that have troops overseas, right now, fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, way back to WW1?  Why these lives have no meaning to other Americans anymore?  And, worse of all, why so many Americans feel superior than other Americans?

Deaths of more than 100,000 of our troops was not enough.  Blood, tears and sacrifices was not good enough.  The “American Dream” was not good enough.  The wits, brains, talents and energy put to work to make sure that they achieve progress and success was not enough.  I thought long and hard to not wrap around my head the idea of racism.  Because, after all, Republicans are not the racists ones, the Democrats are the ones playing the “race card”, with Obama’s fundamental transformation of America.  I did not want to accept that thought.  Not here, not now, not from this country to an island.  Patriots defend patriots, patriots stand up and defend patriots.  One nation, under God.  That’s all that mattered to me, along with my faith on God, my family and friends.

After a long day of watching C-SPAN and blogging information away, feeding it to Facebook, to the folks in Puerto Rico under the news media and to Twitter I found out who was who on this battle.  Which politician can be trusted with doing their job of reading a bill, coming to their own conclusion that it will not affect their political careers, contrary to Obamacare and about 3,000 pages of that law.  At the same time, I was slightly monitoring what Americans posted in a couple of blogs, and I became angry.  Angry at the lack of proper information, education and of course, of not reading the stupid bill; just what was spoonfed to them, or so I thought.  The Tea Party movement jumped in, raised hell of it and urged everybody to stop this bill from becoming law.  I consider(ed) myself a Tea Partier, attented two local tea parties, because I believe(d) in their cause.  And I still refuse to use the “race card”.  That is not the way America works for me, that’s not the American way.

The bill passed the Senate.  The reaction from both ends has been even worse.  I took three minutes of my time, from finding the bill with the final amendments, printed it, and read it.  Had my significant other read it too.  I wanted to find the “skewed” part.  How could I miss that in just eight pages?  We noticed the amendments in the bill, but two heads put together could not find any legalese, any language, any quotes to any other bill.  Puerto Rico’s reaction has been very diverse, and the majority that I read felt disheartened and disappointed that the “status quo”, the Commonwealth, the “Colony of the United States”, was left on the second part of the referendum.  That does not solve anything.  That brings everything back to Square 1, which they well know, it was designed by the Senate to not deal with the problem (Puerto Rico), and leave everything as is.  This is really, US Congress’ bailout.

Votes Final, Bill Passes 223-169

UPDATE:  I am adding the YouTube video of Serrano, reading the final vote and used the gavel.  Cheers followed.

This information is in Spanish is on Primera Hora online newspaper, updated 11 minutes ago. 

The US House of Representatives approved 223-169 today, Thursday, the project establishing a mechanism in two parts so that Puerto Ricans can choose if they want to change their political status.

In the first stage would choose if they want Puerto Rico to remain a Commonwealth or take a different path. If you prefer to change that status, would have a second consultation with four options: Become US 51st. State, independence, acquire sovereignty but maintaining a partnership with the United States or keep their current relationship.

“I feel honoured to belong to a legislative body which has seen justice in listening to my people,” said the Resident Commissioner of the United States, Pedro Pierluisi, after the vote.  The Puerto Rico Democracy Act (H.R. 2499) project was presented by Pierluisi and sponsored by a bipartisan vote of 180 members of Congress.

Governor Fortuno expressed today that Puerto Rico begins a new era.  The project is now moving to the Senate.  “Are 112 years of essentially be citizens, receiving approximately half of the profits, receiving half of our dignity as American citizens…what we want is the opportunity - endorsed by Congress – so that our people can express themselves in its political status,” said Fortuno.

Pierluisi thanked the leadership the Democratic majority in the US House Of Representatives, Steny Hoyer, for having supported this effort.

He also thanked the Democratic congressmen Jose Serrano (D-NY), George Miller (CA), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL) and Nick Rahall (WV).  Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Republicans under the leadership of Mike Pence (IN), Dan Burton (IN), and Don Young (AK).

“We now move to the Senate with the confidence that the next body will oversee this project under the same foundation of justice and democratic rights: the consent of the governed,” he added.

Votes Final, Bill Passes 223-169

UPDATE:  I am adding the YouTube video of Serrano, reading the final vote and used the gavel.  Cheers followed.

This information is in Spanish is on Primera Hora online newspaper, updated 11 minutes ago. 

The US House of Representatives approved 223-169 today, Thursday, the project establishing a mechanism in two parts so that Puerto Ricans can choose if they want to change their political status.

In the first stage would choose if they want Puerto Rico to remain a Commonwealth or take a different path. If you prefer to change that status, would have a second consultation with four options: Become US 51st. State, independence, acquire sovereignty but maintaining a partnership with the United States or keep their current relationship.

“I feel honoured to belong to a legislative body which has seen justice in listening to my people,” said the Resident Commissioner of the United States, Pedro Pierluisi, after the vote.  The Puerto Rico Democracy Act (H.R. 2499) project was presented by Pierluisi and sponsored by a bipartisan vote of 180 members of Congress.

Governor Fortuno expressed today that Puerto Rico begins a new era.  The project is now moving to the Senate.  “Are 112 years of essentially be citizens, receiving approximately half of the profits, receiving half of our dignity as American citizens…what we want is the opportunity - endorsed by Congress – so that our people can express themselves in its political status,” said Fortuno.

Pierluisi thanked the leadership the Democratic majority in the US House Of Representatives, Steny Hoyer, for having supported this effort.

He also thanked the Democratic congressmen Jose Serrano (D-NY), George Miller (CA), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL) and Nick Rahall (WV).  Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Republicans under the leadership of Mike Pence (IN), Dan Burton (IN), and Don Young (AK).

“We now move to the Senate with the confidence that the next body will oversee this project under the same foundation of justice and democratic rights: the consent of the governed,” he added.

Discussions On Amendments To The Puerto Rico Bill

I am so sore!  I am so sorry if I am behind; there are some duties on this house that needed to be done.  I will be brief, since there are not so many anyways:

1-Amendment – Supports third option status as a commonwealth. 
Rep.Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) PR should be given equal and fair consideration on the three options.
Rep. Nick Rahall (D-West Virginia) Opposition to the amendment.  Bill was carefully redacted.  Debate on political issue continues in the island, they should be able to decide for themselves what political outcome they wish. 
Rep. Foxx responded to his statement.  I don’t have a dog on this fight, I don’t like the way the Congress is being used for this, the people of PR can decide this issue, we have more important things to discuss here.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah)  Vote in favor of this amendment.
Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) Supports this amendment.  Insists that the people that crafted the bill leans toward statehood and it is undemocratic and unfair.  Foxx responds again and insists that this is rigging the process for statehood, we have more important things to do.
Rep. Nick Rahall responds to Foxx acknowledges the other issues are very important, but we can’t get bipartisan vote on any legislation.
Pedro Pierluisi-In opposition of this amendment.  Goes over change, majority. He said it is fair to only ask a second question, and the results speak of themselves.  It remains to be seen, let’s allow the people of Puerto Rico to decide.

AYES have it.

2-Amendment – Crap! from Luis Gutierrez.  Supports the column “None Of The Above” on the ballot.  He is basing this on the last elections, which won (he does not provide the details as to why!).  Somebody interrupted on the gallery screamed, and was removed. 
Rep. Nick Rahall disagrees with the additional column on the ballot.  Should not be held to inconclusiveness.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah)-should pass unanimously.  Supports the amendment.  Luis Gutierrez steps up again, claimed that the party set up the parameters on the 1998 plebiscite.  He said if the presentation, the layout, the construction is not agreed, then the none of the above column should be there.  He comes back again, screaming at the top of his lungs about PR’s culture, history.
Pedro Pierluisi – In opposition to this amendment.  There’s nothing more ambiguous that this option.  Serves no purpose to include this option in accordance to US and International law.  That was indeed the results of the past plebiscite.  If we want to effectuate self-determination, a voice to the people of PR with a meaningful purpose we can’t include this option.  That option did not follow the bill that this House approved that the Senate acted upon.  Nobody understood what this means.

THE NOES HAVE IT.

3-Luis Gutierrez authored this third amendment.  Nydia Velazquez speaks.  This amendment pursues the ballot to be printed in both English and Spanish.  The people of PR that are not fluent in English can ask for a ballot in Spanish.
Rep. Nick Rahall opposes this amendment.  Wants a unified ballot.  It would add costs to it.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (Utah) Support of this amendment.  Let’s provide a ballot in Spanish.  Simple request, he had to do that once, won’t increase costs.
Luis Gutierrez believes PR will be hoodwinked again.  Compares this to Goldman Sachs.  The ballots in PR are printed in Spanish.  He’s there to affirm that the people of PR are a nation, and the nation speaks Spanish.  He closes by saying he was a teacher in Puerto Rico in elementary school, he taught English.  Puerto Rico, colony of Spain (?!!!!!?)
Pedro Pierluisi it’s unfortunate that it’s being said is rigged but he can take it because he knows that it’s a fair bill.  The language that provides the ballots in both Spanish and English was proposed by South Carolina, from the Republican Party.  We need to include the ballots both in English and Spanish.  He opposes it.

THE NOES HAVE IT.

4-Amendment.-Rep. Dan Burton, (R-Indiana).  All ballots used for the plebiscite would also require the Puerto Rico SEC to print in both English and Spanish, and the teaching of English be promoted. 
Don Young supports this amendment.  He prints the ballots in both languages.
Burton supports the amendment.
Doc Hastings opposes the amendment.  Considers it unnecessary.  But considers it timely.  Goes over main language, English/Spanish over US Census.  He will vote no.
Rep. Dan Burton (R-Indiana) It makes sense.  Many states have as many as 11 languages, which is out of control.  In this particular situation, we are talking a plebiscite which is very important.
Luis Gutierrez-Brought up Bobby Knight to this debate.  Basketball game from Cuba.  Thanked Burton for bringing it up.
Pierluisi supports this amendment.  He has two bills to enhance and support teaching of English. Hawaii has two languages too.  The people of PR will be well served.
Paul Brown (R-Georgia).  Against the amendments; this is a hollow amendment.Will vote no.
Mr. Burton responded that it is common senes, can’t see why anybody would not support it.
Doc Hastings – One part of the amendment is already on the ballot, the others meaningless.

THE NOES HAVE IT.

5-Allows certain individuals not living in PR to vote in the plebiscites.  Nydia Velazquez started speaking.  Expressed that 8 million people  are from Puerto Rico. 4 million live in Puerto Rico, and the other 4 million are all over across this land.  Puerto Ricans are deeply vested on this issue.  Puerto Ricans have family members, friends.  Those wishing to vote should require a birth certificate to prove that they were born in Puerto Rico.  These Puerto Ricans cannot be left behind.

Pierluisi opposes this amendment.  We have to strike a balance. 
Luis Gutierrez-Brought Ireland and Ukraine, Yugoslavia.  Don’t divide the Puerto Rican nation.  Don’t divide our community.  Brought the exile of the 50′s. 
Pierluisi responds to the gentleman from IL continuously supporting Puerto Rico’s independence, he is okay with it.  We drew the line where we require birth in Puerto Rico.  Bill might not be perfect.

THE NOES HAVE IT.

6-Amendment by Nydia Velazquez.  Gives 4 options:  Independence, sovereignty in association with the United States, statehood and current status.  This would eliminate the first round vote.
Pedro Pierluisi is in opposition to this amendment.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) speaks in opposition to this amendment.  Supports the bill as it is. Took the opportunity to express her opinions on this matter.  Nydia Velazquez understood by Debbie’s statements that she supports statehood for PR so she rose and called her on it.  Debbie continued with her statement.
Del. Donna Christensen (D-USVI) is against the bill, she feels leans towards statehood.  Went over the amendments as well.
Nydia Velazquez is closing.  Called on Pierluisi’s bill if they (statehood supporters) are afraid on this amendment to true self-determination, to simply support this amendment to include the people of Puerto Rico that live in the United States.
Pierluisi closes stating his opposition on this amendment, went over the past amendments, explains the current situation of Puerto Rico’s status.  This does not change the fact that Puerto Rico is a territory. 

THE EYES HAVE IT.

7-Removes portions of bill requiring vote to be on whether and how to change political status. By Nydia Velazquez.  She argues that this honors the concept of self-determination.  Rather than Congress telling to the Puerto Rican nation and dictate what the people of Puerto Rico should decide.
Rep. Nick Rahall does not agree with the amendment.  Does not consider it necessary.
Luis Gutierrez speaks favoring the amendment.  Does not want Congress to influence any decisions of Puerto Rico.  Talked about how when he was young, he advocated for independence.  Carried on when he was a teenager, and his father.  Don’t dictate!  He said he does not come to Congress to impose his opinion on anybody.  Went over again over the Constitutional Convention, as the Founding Fathers did.
Pedro Pierluisi opposes this amendment.  We have waited 112 years.  This is just an opt-out for Congress to do.  Congress should be engaged in this process as they have never done before.  Puerto Ricans should give the Congress the chance to send their message. 

THE EYES HAVE IT.

8-Amendment by Washington, Mr. Doc Hastings.  State very specifically to make that determination.  That’s the proper way to go.  Velazquez’s amendment is basically the same as his, so he does not want to be redundant.  His amendment states that any time there is a referendum in Puerto Rico, the results should be communicated to Congress.
Luis Gutierrez expressed similar feelings as prior amendments; this time, he used a bit more Spanish language to get his point across.
Nick Rahall -Does nothing to fulfill the right to self-determination to the people of Puerto Rico.  Rep. Doc Hastings responded to a remark made by Rahall about a aye vote he had before.

AMENDMENT IS WITHDRAWN.

Now for the votes…that will be the last post on this matter (I hope)

Discussions On Amendments To The Puerto Rico Bill

I am so sore!  I am so sorry if I am behind; there are some duties on this house that needed to be done.  I will be brief, since there are not so many anyways:

1-Amendment – Supports third option status as a commonwealth. 

Rep.Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) PR should be given equal and fair consideration on the three options.

Rep. Nick Rahall (D-West Virginia) Opposition to the amendment.  Bill was carefully redacted.  Debate on political issue continues in the island, they should be able to decide for themselves what political outcome they wish. 

Rep. Foxx responded to his statement.  I don’t have a dog on this fight, I don’t like the way the Congress is being used for this, the people of PR can decide this issue, we have more important things to discuss here.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah)  Vote in favor of this amendment.

Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) Supports this amendment.  Insists that the people that crafted the bill leans toward statehood and it is undemocratic and unfair.  Foxx responds again and insists that this is rigging the process for statehood, we have more important things to do.

Rep. Nick Rahall responds to Foxx acknowledges the other issues are very important, but we can’t get bipartisan vote on any legislation.

Pedro Pierluisi-In opposition of this amendment.  Goes over change, majority. He said it is fair to only ask a second question, and the results speak of themselves.  It remains to be seen, let’s allow the people of Puerto Rico to decide.

AYES have it.

2-Amendment – Crap! from Luis Gutierrez.  Supports the column “None Of The Above” on the ballot.  He is basing this on the last elections, which won (he does not provide the details as to why!).  Somebody interrupted on the gallery screamed, and was removed. 

Rep. Nick Rahall disagrees with the additional column on the ballot.  Should not be held to inconclusiveness.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah)-should pass unanimously.  Supports the amendment.  Luis Gutierrez steps up again, claimed that the party set up the parameters on the 1998 plebiscite.  He said if the presentation, the layout, the construction is not agreed, then the none of the above column should be there.  He comes back again, screaming at the top of his lungs about PR’s culture, history.

Pedro Pierluisi – In opposition to this amendment.  There’s nothing more ambiguous that this option.  Serves no purpose to include this option in accordance to US and International law.  That was indeed the results of the past plebiscite.  If we want to effectuate self-determination, a voice to the people of PR with a meaningful purpose we can’t include this option.  That option did not follow the bill that this House approved that the Senate acted upon.  Nobody understood what this means.

THE NOES HAVE IT.

3-Luis Gutierrez authored this third amendment.  Nydia Velazquez speaks.  This amendment pursues the ballot to be printed in both English and Spanish.  The people of PR that are not fluent in English can ask for a ballot in Spanish.

Rep. Nick Rahall opposes this amendment.  Wants a unified ballot.  It would add costs to it.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (Utah) Support of this amendment.  Let’s provide a ballot in Spanish.  Simple request, he had to do that once, won’t increase costs.

Luis Gutierrez believes PR will be hoodwinked again.  Compares this to Goldman Sachs.  The ballots in PR are printed in Spanish.  He’s there to affirm that the people of PR are a nation, and the nation speaks Spanish.  He closes by saying he was a teacher in Puerto Rico in elementary school, he taught English.  Puerto Rico, colony of Spain (?!!!!!?)

Pedro Pierluisi it’s unfortunate that it’s being said is rigged but he can take it because he knows that it’s a fair bill.  The language that provides the ballots in both Spanish and English was proposed by South Carolina, from the Republican Party.  We need to include the ballots both in English and Spanish.  He opposes it.

THE NOES HAVE IT.

4-Amendment.-Rep. Dan Burton, (R-Indiana).  All ballots used for the plebiscite would also require the Puerto Rico SEC to print in both English and Spanish, and the teaching of English be promoted. 

Don Young supports this amendment.  He prints the ballots in both languages.

Burton supports the amendment.

Doc Hastings opposes the amendment.  Considers it unnecessary.  But considers it timely.  Goes over main language, English/Spanish over US Census.  He will vote no.

Rep. Dan Burton (R-Indiana) It makes sense.  Many states have as many as 11 languages, which is out of control.  In this particular situation, we are talking a plebiscite which is very important.

Luis Gutierrez-Brought up Bobby Knight to this debate.  Basketball game from Cuba.  Thanked Burton for bringing it up.

Pierluisi supports this amendment.  He has two bills to enhance and support teaching of English. Hawaii has two languages too.  The people of PR will be well served.

Paul Brown (R-Georgia).  Against the amendments; this is a hollow amendment.Will vote no.

Mr. Burton responded that it is common senes, can’t see why anybody would not support it.

Doc Hastings – One part of the amendment is already on the ballot, the others meaningless.

THE NOES HAVE IT.

5-Allows certain individuals not living in PR to vote in the plebiscites.  Nydia Velazquez started speaking.  Expressed that 8 million people  are from Puerto Rico. 4 million live in Puerto Rico, and the other 4 million are all over across this land.  Puerto Ricans are deeply vested on this issue.  Puerto Ricans have family members, friends.  Those wishing to vote should require a birth certificate to prove that they were born in Puerto Rico.  These Puerto Ricans cannot be left behind.

Pierluisi opposes this amendment.  We have to strike a balance. 

Luis Gutierrez-Brought Ireland and Ukraine, Yugoslavia.  Don’t divide the Puerto Rican nation.  Don’t divide our community.  Brought the exile of the 50′s. 

Pierluisi responds to the gentleman from IL continuously supporting Puerto Rico’s independence, he is okay with it.  We drew the line where we require birth in Puerto Rico.  Bill might not be perfect.

THE NOES HAVE IT.

6-Amendment by Nydia Velazquez.  Gives 4 options:  Independence, sovereignty in association with the United States, statehood and current status.  This would eliminate the first round vote.

Pedro Pierluisi is in opposition to this amendment.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) speaks in opposition to this amendment.  Supports the bill as it is. Took the opportunity to express her opinions on this matter.  Nydia Velazquez understood by Debbie’s statements that she supports statehood for PR so she rose and called her on it.  Debbie continued with her statement.

Del. Donna Christensen (D-USVI) is against the bill, she feels leans towards statehood.  Went over the amendments as well.

Nydia Velazquez is closing.  Called on Pierluisi’s bill if they (statehood supporters) are afraid on this amendment to true self-determination, to simply support this amendment to include the people of Puerto Rico that live in the United States.

Pierluisi closes stating his opposition on this amendment, went over the past amendments, explains the current situation of Puerto Rico’s status.  This does not change the fact that Puerto Rico is a territory. 

THE EYES HAVE IT.

7-Removes portions of bill requiring vote to be on whether and how to change political status. By Nydia Velazquez.  She argues that this honors the concept of self-determination.  Rather than Congress telling to the Puerto Rican nation and dictate what the people of Puerto Rico should decide.

Rep. Nick Rahall does not agree with the amendment.  Does not consider it necessary.

Luis Gutierrez speaks favoring the amendment.  Does not want Congress to influence any decisions of Puerto Rico.  Talked about how when he was young, he advocated for independence.  Carried on when he was a teenager, and his father.  Don’t dictate!  He said he does not come to Congress to impose his opinion on anybody.  Went over again over the Constitutional Convention, as the Founding Fathers did.

Pedro Pierluisi opposes this amendment.  We have waited 112 years.  This is just an opt-out for Congress to do.  Congress should be engaged in this process as they have never done before.  Puerto Ricans should give the Congress the chance to send their message. 

THE EYES HAVE IT.

8-Amendment by Washington, Mr. Doc Hastings.  State very specifically to make that determination.  That’s the proper way to go.  Velazquez’s amendment is basically the same as his, so he does not want to be redundant.  His amendment states that any time there is a referendum in Puerto Rico, the results should be communicated to Congress.

Luis Gutierrez expressed similar feelings as prior amendments; this time, he used a bit more Spanish language to get his point across.

Nick Rahall -Does nothing to fulfill the right to self-determination to the people of Puerto Rico.  Rep. Doc Hastings responded to a remark made by Rahall about a aye vote he had before.

AMENDMENT IS WITHDRAWN.

Now for the votes…that will be the last post on this matter (I hope)