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TESTIMONY OF ZORAIDA FONALLEDAS REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEEWOMAN FOR PUERTO RICO, BEFORE THE HOUSE RESOURCES COMMITTEE ON H.R. 856
"UNITED STATES-PUERTO RICO POLITICAL STATUS ACT" SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO
APRIL 19, 1997
CHAIRMAN YOUNG, RANKING DEMOCRAT GEORGE MILLER, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE RESOURCES COMMITTEE AND OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: MY NAME IS ZORAIDA FONALLEDAS. ON BEHALF OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF PUERTO RICO I WELCOME YOU TO OUR BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. I ONLY WISH THAT MY GRANDFATHER, SENATE PRESIDENT RAFAEL MARTINEZ-NADAL, COULD HAVE LIVED TO SHARE THIS HISTORICAL DAY WITH ME. HE JOINED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN 1904, JUST FIVE YEARS AFTER ITS FOUNDING, AND DEVOTED HIS ENTIRE PUBLIC LIFE TO SEE HIS DREAM OF THE STARS AND STRIPES, FIRST BROUGHT ASHORE BY UNITED STATES MARINES IN 1898, RAISED OVER PUERTO RICO NOT WITH THE FORTY-FIVE STARS OF HIS YOUTH BUT WITH THE FIFTY-ONE THAT WOULD UNITE FOREVER OUR TWO GREAT PEOPLES. I APPLAUD THE COMMITTEE'S ON-GOING EFFORTS TO PROVIDE A CONGRESSIONAL PROCESS THAT WILL FINALLY GIVE OUR 3.7 MILLION UNITED STATES CITIZENS THE RIGHT TO FREELY DETERMINE THEIR POLITICAL STATUS AND TO RESOLVE THE CENTURY OLD POLITICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES. AS THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEEWOMAN FOR PUERTO RICO, I AM PROUD THAT OUR PARTY'S PLATFORM AND PRESIDENT'S NIXON, FORD, REAGAN AND BUSH HAVE ENDORSED PUERTO RICO SELF-DETERMINATION IN GENERAL AND PUERTO RICO STATEHOOD IN PARTICULAR HR 856 REPRESENTS THE FULFILLMENT OF OUR PARTY'S COMMITMENT TO THESE GOALS. GOALS WHICH, I AM HAPPY TO SAY, HAVE BEEN EMBRACED BY HOUSE MEMBERS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE AS EVIDENCED BY THE BILL'S BROAD BIPARTISAN SPONSORSHIP. CLEAR EVIDENCE POINTING TO THE ULTIMATE PASSAGE OF HR 856. TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THREE POINTS ABOUT HR 856. ONE, PUERTO RlCO'S CURRENT STATUS AS AN UNINCORPORATED TERRITORY SUBJECT TO CONGRESS' PLENARY POWERS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION' S TERRITORIAL CLAUSE MUST BE ENDED BY ESTABLISHING FULL SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH EITHER STATEHOOD OR INDEPENDENCE. AFTER 400 YEARS OF SPANISH RULE AND A CENTURY OF AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION WE IN PUERTO RICO HAVE EARNED OUR RIGHT TO FIRST CLASS CITIZENSHIP. HR 856 PROVIDES A PROCESS BY WHICH THAT GOAL MAY BE ACHIEVED. SECONDLY, WHEN PUERTO RICANS VOTE FOR STATEHOOD IN THE 1998 PLEBISCITE, AS I HOPE THEY WILL, THE UNITED STATES CAN NOT AFFORD NOT TO ADMIT PUERTO RICO INTO THE UNION AS THE FIFTY-FIRST STATE. AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT MONETARY COSTS SINCE HISTORICALLY THE ISSUE OF STATEHOOD HAS NEVER BEEN A BUSINESS DECISION. OR, AS MY GRANDFATHER SAID, "STATEHOOD IS NOT A QUESTION OF DOLLARS AND CENTS BUT OF A DEEP DESIRE FOR LIBERTY." DENIAL OF PUERTO RICO STATEHOOD WOULD UNDERMINE AMERICA'S CREDIBILITY AS THE WORLD LEADER IN PROMOTING LIBERTY ABROAD AND WOULD SEND A SIGNAL OF EXCLUSION TO THE 27 MILLION HISPANICS WHO POPULATE THE FIFTY STATES. FINALLY, THE SELF-DETERMINATION PROCESS IN HR 856 LEADING TO FULL SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR PUERTO RICO SHOULD NOT BE ALTERED. INITIATIVES TO REWRITE THE BILL'S STATUS OPTION DESCRIPTIONS MUST BE RESISTED. HR 856'S CONSTITUTIONALLY FOUNDED DEFINITIONS HAVE BEEN PAINSTAKINGLY RESEARCHED AND THEY OFFER VOTERS THE ONLY STATUS OPTIONS THAT ARE WITHIN CONGRESS' POWER TO IMPLEMENT. SIMILARLY, ATTEMPTS IN CONGRESS TO REDEFINE THE STATEHOOD OPTION BY REQUIRING ENGLISH AS PUERTO RICO'S ONLY OFFICIAL LANGUAGE MUST BE VIEWED AS AN ATTEMPT TO COMPROMISE THE SELF-DETERMINATION PROCESS BY FORCING VOTERS TO CHOOSE, REGARDLESS OF CONSTITUTIONALITY, BETWEEN RETAINING SPANISH OR VOTING FOR STATEHOOD. 1-THE STATUS QUO MUST END IT IS AXIOMATIC ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT WITHOUT THE VOTE PEOPLE ARE NOT IN FULL POSSESSION OF ALL THEIR POLITICAL RIGHTS. SIMILARLY, WITHOUT ALL THE BENEFITS AND DUTIES OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION NO AMERICAN CAN PLAY A FULL ROLE IN OUR SOCIETY OR REALIZE THE AMERICAN DREAM. THIS IS JUST THE SITUATION WE FIND OURSELVES HERE IN PUERTO RICO. FOR NEARLY 80 YEARS WE HAVE BEEN UNITED STATES CITIZENS BUT WE HAVE NO VOTE IN CONGRESS OR FOR THE PRESIDENT WHO, AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, HAS SENT OVER 200,000 OF OUR YOUTH INTO BATTLE DEFENDING A CONSTITUTION WHICH THE COURTS HAVE DETERMINED IS NOT FULLY APPLICABLE TO US. MOREOVER, CONGRESS CONTINUES TO MAKE LAWS THAT AFFECT OUR DAILY LIVES WITH NO POLITICAL ACCOUNTABILITY TO ANY OF THE ISLAND'S RESIDENTS. IN FACT, MANY OF THESE LAWS ARE DISCRIMINATORY. ADDITIONALLY, MANY FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND BENEFITS ARE EITHER INAPPLICABLE HERE OR ARE FUNDED AT LEVELS BELOW THOSE OF THE STATES. WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT WE DON'T PAY FEDERAL INCOME TAXES OUR ISLAND TAXES ARE ALL THE MORE HIGHER TO COMPENSATE FOR INEQUITABLE FEDERAL FUNDING HOWEVER, FEW PUERTO RICANS WOULD NOTICE ANY CHANGE IN THEIR OVERALL TAX BILL IF STATEHOOD CAME SINCE FEDERAL OUTLAYS WOULD CAUSE THE LOCAL TAX BURDEN TO BE REDUCED PROPORTIONATELY. CLEARLY, THE CURRENT POLITICAL STATUS CAN NO LONGER BE TOLERATED. AMERICANS IN PUERTO RICO MUST EITHER BE FIRST CLASS CITIZENS PARTAKING EQUALLY OP TEE AMERICAN DREAM AS RESIDENTS OF A FIFTY-FIRST STATE OR MUST EXCHANGE THEIR UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP FOR THAT OF AN INDEPENDENT PUERTO RICO, THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND. AND, I TRUST THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES, WE WILL CHOOSE GUARANTEED UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP, THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND STATEHOOD.
2-AMERICA MUST ADMIT PUERTO RICO TO THE UNION ONCE STATEHOOD IS ENDORSED BY OUR VOTERS THE UNITED STATES HAS NO OTHER CHOICE THAN TO HONOR THAT EXPRESSION OF SELF-DETERMINATION. HOW COULD THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO PREACH SELF-DETERMINATION TO THE REST OF THE WORLD YET FAIL TO IMPLEMENT A DECISION DEMOCRATICALLY REACHED BY 3.7 MILLION OF ITS OWN CITIZENS AT HOME? WHAT CREDIBILITY WOULD BE ATTACHED TO AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY SUPPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC LIBERTIES AMONG ITS SPANISH SPEAKING NEIGHBORS IN THIS HEMISPHERE IF IT DENIED THESE SAME BASIC CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES TO PUERTO RICO SIMPLY BECAUSE OF ITS HISPANIC ORIGINS? WHAT CHANCES WOULD EXIST FOR CANDIDATES AT THE NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS TO IN KEY STATES SUCH AS CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, ARIZONA AND FLORIDA, WHERE THE HISPANIC VOTE IS CRITICAL TO VICTORY, IF CONGRESS UNCONSTITUTIONALLY REQUIRES PUERTO RICO TO GIVE UP SPANISH AS ONE OF ITS OFFICIAL LANGUAGES AS A CONDITION FOR STATEHOOD?
THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS ARE SELF-EVIDENT. THE UNITED STATES COULD ILL AFFORD NOT TO ADMIT PUERTO RICO TO THE UNION IF THAT IS THE STATUS CHOSEN IN 1998 BY THE PUERTO RICANS LIVING ON THIS ISLAND.
AMERICA'S WORLD LEADERSHIP DEPENDS ON SUCH EVEN HANDED UNIVERSAL TREATMENT ABROAD AND AT HOME.
AMERICA'S FUTURE SUCCESS IN NURTURING HUMAN DIGNITY AND EQUALITY THROUGHOUT HISPANIC AMERICA MUST REST ON SPREADING THESE RIGHTS TO HISPANICS IN AMERICA AND TO PUERTO RICO.
AND POLITICAL SUCCESS IN AMERICA AMONG HISPANICS, WHOSE NUMBERS WILL SWELL TO OVER 20 PERCENT OF THE UNITED STATES POPULATION BY 2010, WILL GO TO THOSE WHO SEEK TO BE INCLUSIVE OF AMERICA'S LARGEST MINORITY BY RECOGNIZING PUERTO RICO'S CLAIM TO STATEHOOD AND THE PRESERVATION OF ITS LANGUAGE AND CULTURE.
RONALD REAGAN PUT IT BEST WHEN HE SAID, "IN STATEHOOD, THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE OF THE ISLAND -- RICH IN HISTORY AND TRADITION -- WOULD BE RESPECTED, FOR IN THE UNITED STATES THE CULTURES OF THE WORLD LIVE TOGETHER WITH PRIDE." (JANUARY 12, 1982)
3-THE SELF-DETERMINATION PROCESS MUST HONEST MR. CHAIRMAN, AS YOU AND CHAIRMEN BURTON, GALLEGLY AND GILMAN WROTE ON FEBRUARY 29, 1996, IN RESPONSE TO THE RESULTS OF THE 1993 PLEBISCITE, "[T]HERE IS A NEED FOR CONGRESS TO DEFINE THE REAL OPTIONS FOR CHANGE AND THE TRUE LEGAL AND POLITICAL NATURE OF THE STATUS QUO, SO THAT THE PEOPLE CAN KNOW WHAT THE ACTUAL CHOICES WILL BE IN THE FUTURE.
THIS YOU HAVE ABLY ACCOMPLISHED WITH HR 856. THE STATUS OPTIONS AS DEFINED IN THE BILL – COMMONWEALTH, INDEPENDENCE OR FREE ASSOCIATION AND STATEHOOD -- CLEARLY MEET THE CHAIRMEN'S TEST. THEY SHOULD STAND AS WRITTEN SO THE SELF-DETERMINATION PROCESS WILL OFFER STATUS OPTIONS WHICH, UNLIKE THE 1993 PLEBISCITE, ARE CAPABLE OF CONSTITUTIONAL IMPLEMENTATION.
TAKE TH.E STATEHOOD DEFINITION FOR EXAMPLE, PUERTO RICANS WILL BE WELL INFORMED OF WHAT STATEHOOD MEANS UNDER THIS DEFINITION. THEY WILL KNOW THAT STATEHOOD WILL END THEIR SECOND CLASS US CITIZENSHIP, THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, THAT UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP FOR THOSE BORN IN PUERTO RlCAN WILL FOREVER BE GUARANTEED, THAT THERE WILL BE FULL FUNDING OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT LIKE ALL OTHER STATES OF THE UNION PUERTO RICO CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH AS ITS OFFICIAL LANGUAGES.
THUS, EVERY ATTEMPT TO TAMPER WITH THE STATEHOOD DEFINITION MUST BE RESISTED. PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO LANGUAGE. AN ENGLISH-ONLY REQUIREMENT THAT WOULD REQUIRE A STATE OF PUERTO RICO TO ADOPT ENGLISH AS ITS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE WOULD NOT ONLY FAIL THE TEST OF CONSTITUTIONALITY UNDER THE TENTH AMENDMENT BUT, QUITE CANDIDLY, SERVE AS TROJAN HORSE USED BY STATEHOOD OPPONENTS TO UNDERMINE HR 856 BY DENYING THEN PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO THE CHANCE FOR A FAIR STATUS VOTE.
LASTLY, THE CONSTITUTION ASIDE, WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE IN THIS SHRINKING WORLD THAT BUILDING LINGUISTIC BRIDGES WILL ENRICH THIS NATION.
OUR REPUBLICAN PARTY'S PLATFORM AGREES: "WE ADVOCATE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING IN OUR SCHOOLS AND RETENTION OF HERITAGE LANGUAGES IN HOMES AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS. FOREIGN LANGUAGE FLUENCY IS ALSO AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF AMERICA'S COMPETITIVENESS IN THE WORLD MARKET."
THUS WE SHOULD FOSTER INCREASED LANGUAGE EDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES TO PROVIDE OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE BUSINESS AND POLITICAL LEADERS WITH MULTI-LINGUAL FACILITIES.
SIMILARLY, HR 856 WISELY SEEKS TO PROMOTE INCREASED UNDERSTANDING AND USE OF ENGLISH IN PUERTO RICO. A LANGUAGE SKILL NOT ONLY NECESSARY TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN AMERICAN SOCIETY BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT AS A TOOL FOR COMMERCIAL SUCCESS.
IN CONCLUSION, THE COMMITTEE IS TO BE COMMENDED FOR ITS EFFORTS AND ENCOURAGED TO HAVE THE BILL PASSED BY THE FULL HOUSE AS IT NOW STANDS. ANY LAST MINUTE ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE THE BILL ANY WAY SHOULD BE VIEWED WITH HEALTHY SKEPTICISM SINCE, MORE LIKELY THAN NOT, THESE EFFORTS WILL BE UNDERTAKEN WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF EITHER DEFEATING THE LEGISLATION OR COMPROMISING THE PLEBISCITE'S OUTCOME IN ADVANCE.
PUERTO RICO IS AMERICA'S LONGEST HELD TERRITORY TO HAVE NEITHER BECOME A STATE NOR GAINED ITS INDEPENDENCE,
PUERTO RICO STANDS AS AN ANOMALY TO THE REST OF THE FREE WORLD, THE MOST POPULOUS COLONY OF DISENFRANCHISED CITIZENS ADMINISTERED BY THE FOREMOST CHAMPION OF DEMOCRACY AND SELF-DETERMINATION.
PUERTO RICO HAS ENDURED HALF A MILLENNIUM OF COLONIAL RULE. PUERTO RICO MUST, IT DEMANDS, THAT IT ENTER THE NEW MILLENNIUM IN FULL CONTROL OF ITS DESTINY AS EITHER A STATE OR AS AN INDEPENDENT NATION.
PASSAGE OP THE UNITED STATES-PUERTO RICO POLITICAL STATUS ACT WILL SERVE AMERICA AND PUERTO RICO WELL, AT HOME AND ABROAD.
THANK YOU.
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