On June 24, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on HR 2499, the bill that would provide for a new plebescite on the future political status of Puerto Rico.
Even though the bill now has 150 co-sponsors, the hearing was poorly attended. Most members of the Committee did not listen to the testimony from Puerto Rico’s Governor, Luis Fortuno, nor to the testimony from the representatives of the Popular Democratic Party and the Puerto Rico Independence Party. The White House did not send any representative. See this story. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
Hello all Puerto Ricans on the Island:
You need to become a state, to be treated as an equal, the jobs will come to the island, and better health care, tourism will come back. Too many people unemployed, too much crime. Go for Statehood!!!!!!!!!!!
Puerto Rico you need representation, Puerto Rico is not Iran.
“the hearing was poorly attended. Most members of the Committee did not listen to the testimony from Puerto Rico’s Governor, Luis Fortuno, nor to the testimony from the representatives of the Popular Democratic Party and the Puerto Rico Independence Party. The White House did not send any representative.”
Sounds like Rhett Butler’s “Frankly, dear, I don’t give a hoot!!!”
It was a grate meeting all the PP’s (Puerto Rican Parties) where there but as usual no one home to listen to their plea. President Obama didn’t even send a representative out of courtesy. Hey Frankie, why do all Puerto Ricans on the island need to become a state? They did not listen then, they’re not listening now! Just ask the 2 1/2 million Puerto Ricans on the main land now if they have ever been listen to. You sound like a carpet bagger or a cheap door to door sales man promising everything under the sun to get the sale. Once they sign on the dotted line, they get absolutely nothing in return except the total loss of their land and solvency as a nation. Why are you so willing to give up everything for a promise.
Tomas Waribonex Gonzalez
Puerto Ricans desrve that tha US Congress honored their right to freely express their opinion into the political relationship they want with the USA. End to the Colonial status now.
As an individual, a Puerto Rican and as an American, I invite the United States Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to make history. Grant the people of Puerto Rico the opportunity for the first time in this past one hundred eleven years of political relationship between the People of Puerto Rico and the United States of America, to voice our popular opinion, to speak as one nation to the other, and to mutually resolve and dissolve the territorial condition of the nation of Puerto Rico by negotiating a non-colonial solution to this problem. I would also like to invite all of the Puerto Rican sympathizers to advocate to their congressional representatives to vote “yes†to the House of Representative’s Natural Resources Committee Bill # HR2499, that will provide for a new plebiscite regarding the future of the political status of Puerto Rico.
The Natural Resource Committee website has a video of the hearing as well as written testimony from the witnesses.
About 15 members of the committee, including the chairman Rep. Rahall (D-WV) and the ranking member attended the start of the hearing, and Gov. Fortuno’s testimony. Rahall then apologized, explaining that there were a number of House votes that the members had to go exercise, and turned the hearing over to the delegate from Guam. The other representatives kind of skulked out, leaving the delegates from Guam, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands, and Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico as the entire committee since none had to leave to go vote.
A couple of representatives did come in for a while and leave.
Is it customary for the White House to send administration officials to congressional hearings?
I would like to see the American people get the chance to vote on this matter. Puerto Rico may or may not want statehood, but I highly doubt that most Americans want to add PR as a state.
If PR becomes a state, it will be flooded with mainland Americans and the culture of PR will be dramatically changed. Hotels, resorts and theme parks will increase 10 times in ten years. Your sacred areas will be dug up and replaced with Wal-marts. Your homes will be lost by eminent domain. I hope folks realize that. As a former resident of Hawai’i, I have seen firsthand the destruction and loss of Hawaiian culture.
However, having said that, instead of just asking if statehood is best for PR, a more important question to ask is, Is PR statehood best or even good for the United States? What do we have to gain? These are the questions that need to be considered.
The most recent NAIP member survey completed last month included this very question. The results were:
59% Support PR Independence
24% Retain Commonwealth status
13% Support Statehood
4% Unsure/Don’t Know enough about it
I think the time has come for a straight up-and-down plebescite in PR: Independence or Statehood. If the Puerto Rican nation wants to join the Union, it should; if it wants to go its own way, it should. The Commonwealth option allows an easy way out that allows the sterile debate to continue. And I think the United States should, in the event of a straight up-and-down vote, honor the wishes of the Puerto Rican people.