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The New York Times "House Approves Measure on Self-Determination for Puerto Rico" By LIZETTE ALVAREZ (03/05/98, c. 1998 New York Times Company) WASHINGTON, March 4 -- In a cliffhanger roll-call, the House tonight passed a bill by only one vote, 209 to 208, that would let Puerto Ricans vote on their island's destiny -- statehood, independence or continued commonwealth status -- a delicate and hotly debated question on the Caribbean island. The self-determination bill would pave the way for a Congressionally approved referendum in Puerto Rico. If Puerto Ricans choose statehood, the legislation would compel Congress to vote as early as 1999 on whether to begin the process. Congress would then have no more than 10 years to vote on admitting Puerto Rico to the union. The razor-thin vote, which prompted rousing cheers from the crowd of Puerto Ricans jamming the House gallery, reflected the concerns of many members, who were lobbied vigorously by Puerto Ricans on both sides of the issue. Some conservatives, who believe that the measure will lead to statehood, worried about the costs and the language differences, and opposed the bill because they did not believe that a majority of Puerto Ricans support statehood. Some Democrats believed the measure was biased, stacked against commonwealth status and toward statehood. In the past, the idea of statehood has been intertwined with the notion that Puerto Rico would risk losing its cultural identity. There was also concern about the impact the measure would have on the size of Democratic Congressional delegations, who may have to accommodate six new members if Puerto Rico becomes a state. A little past 10 P.M., the vote was neck and neck as members on both sides of the issued pressured their colleagues. It came down to the vote of a single member, Representative Earl Pomeroy, Democrat of North Dakota, who initially voted against the bill. After he huddled with two ardent supporters of the bill -- Representative Patrick J. Kennedy, a Rhode Island Democrat, and Carlos Romero-Barcelo, the House delegate from Puerto Rico -- he returned to the front of the well and slammed a yes card on the table. Shouts erupted. The last-minute reversal tilted the vote toward passage. The final vote for passage was 43 Republicans, 165 Democrats, and 1 independent. The bill was brought to the floor by Representative Don Young, Republican of Alaska, on the centennial anniversary of Puerto Rico's separation from Spain. The plebiscite now under consideration would differ from the one Puerto Ricans voted on in 1993, when commonwealth status edged out statehood. Five years ago, the Puerto Rican referendum included a more liberal --some say unrealistic -- definition of commonwealth by promising additional Federal benefits that the new plebiscite does not offer. The 1993 referendum also did not require Congress to act on the vote, which this plebiscite would do. President Clinton supports the House bill. And while the Senate has no plans to act on the measure in the short term -- and may filibuster the bill -- the House approval will probably speed up consideration. Speaker Newt Gingrich and Representative Richard A. Gephardt, the Democratic leader, found themselves on the same side, each urging their colleagues to support the bill.The question of self-determination bogged down early, when an amendment was brought to the floor that would have required Puerto Rico, if it became a state, to abide by English-only rules. Although Spanish and English are both official languages of Puerto Rico, Spanish is the dominant language. The amendment was defeated with the help of powerful critics who called it an attempt to undermine the self-determination question. The House also roundly defeated an amendment to allow individuals who were born in Puerto Rico but now live anywhere elsewhere in the world to vote in the referendum. Puerto Rico has been a commonwealth since 1952, giving its residents some, but not all of the rights and responsibilities of American citizenship. Puerto Ricans are subject to the military draft, but cannot vote in Federal elections and do not pay Federal taxes as long as they live on the island. The House bill directs Puerto Rico to hold a plebiscite by the end of this year. If statehood receives a simple majority, President Clinton would have six months to send Congress a transition plan to be considered within four months. The plan would be subject to a vote by Puerto Ricans. The transition to statehood could take no more than 10 years, and Congress would have to take a final vote to formalize Puerto Rico's statehood. If neither statehood nor independence receives a simple majority, then commonwealth status remains intact and the Government of Puerto Rico could hold a plebiscite every 10 years. Commonwealth status, which is considered temporary, was not listed as an option in the original bill language, but it was added at the insistence of commonwealth supporters, who nevertheless oppose the overall measure. "Make no mistake by voting on this legislation," said Representative Nydia M. Velazquez, the Brooklyn Democrat, who was at odds with her colleague Representative Jose E. Serrano of the Bronx, "we are again imposing statehood on the people of Puerto Rico."
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