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Top StorySolomon is Back3/21/97Representative Gerald Solomon (R-NY) will not give up his fight to include English to be the language used in education for Puerto Rico as a state. Solomon, president of the Rules and Calendar Committee is willing to challenge Representative Don Young (R-AK). After long debates his goal continues to be to amend the Young Bill where English becomes the official language taught to Puerto Ricans if it becomes a state. In the 104th Congress, Solomon caused the death of the Young Bill by demanding a clause that requested English to be the official educational language. Young, who wrote the bill, said he preferred to retire the bill and submit it again this year to have time to solve the issue with Solomon. Eric Pelletier, Solomon's advisor, who is part of the Congressional movement to make English the official language of the United States said: "English is a serious matter for the President (Solomon) and it is of great concern. We are not going to do anything differently than the last time." He said that Young and Solomon can come to an agreement. The White House affirmed that language issues are unnecessary. The Young Bill states that during the transition process towards statehood, the teaching of English would be improved in the public schools, English would be the language used in federal affairs like it used now, and the official language of the island would be English and Spanish. The White House said that the language issue should not be a barrier for Puerto Rico to become a state if that is the decision that Puerto Ricans make.
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