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San Francisco Examiner "Puerto Rico vote bill advances House passes plebiscite that would let the island decide on Statehood" EXAMINER NEWS SERVICES (03/05/98, Copyright 1998) WASHINGTON - By a one-vote margin and thanks to a last-minute switch of sides by a Democratic congressman, the House voted to begin the steps toward deciding if there will be statehood for Puerto Rico. One hundred years after the United States won the island in the war against Spain, the House voted Wednesday night to authorize a plebiscite on Puerto Rico's future status. The measure still must pass the Senate, where Republican leaders have been cold to the idea. President Clinton has indicated his "strong support" for the measure, which requires a referendum on the island by the year's end. The often-impassioned debate ended in a 209-208 vote, with Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., charging down the aisle as the vote was about to close, slamming down a card on the clerk's desk to switch his vote to "yes." Just seconds before, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., had switched his vote to "no," nearly dooming the measure. The bill had the strong backing of Clinton and both GOP and Democratic House leaders. All but 43 Republicans voted against it and all but 31 Democrats voted for it. The 11-hour debate raised emotional issues of national identity, linguistic heritage and basic constitutional values. It divided Congress' four members of Puerto Rican origin, and it quickly became enmeshed in the contentious struggle over adopting English as the official U.S. national language. "I ask you: Do you cherish the principles of our democracy enough to dismantle 100 years of colonialism and extend the right of self-determination to the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico? I hope you do," said Carlos Romero-Barcelo, Puerto Rico's non-voting delegate to Congress and a supporter of the measure. Under the legislation, Puerto Rico's 3.8 million residents would be asked to choose between three options: statehood, independence or continuation of its status as a U.S. commonwealth. Few on the island have voted for independence in past advisory referendums. Courting Hispanic voters The plan mandated in the bill differs from past nonbinding referendums for Puerto Rico in setting a clear course to a status change in 10 years, based on the voters' choice. Congressional approval and further votes by Puerto Ricans would be required before any final change in status, though. Although some Republicans viewed passage of the bill as a way to court Hispanic voters alienated by anti-immigrant provisions in recent welfare legislation and GOP support for "official English" laws, others in the GOP thought it politically unwise because a state of Puerto Rico would likely vote Democratic. But it was an English-only provision, which would have subjected Puerto Rico as a state to the same language requirements as the rest of the nation, that sparked the most intense debate. "To make English our official language," said Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, "limits our nation." Others argued that the English-only amendment would impose requirements on Puerto Ricans that are not imposed on other citizens. The United States has no official language. "We must encourage everyone to speak English, but we must not discriminate against those that speak other languages," said Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., saying Puerto Ricans enrich the country. Demands of assimilation Rep. Gerald Solomon, R-N.Y., leader of efforts to adopt English as the national language, said in advance he would oppose the plebiscite bill even with the English-only amendment. "This bill sets up a process by which the citizens of Puerto Rico are forced to vote until they vote for statehood," Solomon said. If commonwealth is retained, the bill says, votes on statehood would be held at least every 10 years after this year's plebiscite. "If the citizens of Puerto Rico decide to seek statehood. . . they should clearly understand the demands of assimilation," said Solomon, adding that language is "the No. 1 barrier to assimilation." Rep. Virgil Goode, D-Va., said he feared a Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico would become like Quebec, where a French-speaking separatist movement thrives. Learning English should be imposed from the beginning, he said. "If you have it up front, everyone knowing it, it's better," Goode said. In their last plebiscite in 1993, Puerto Ricans voted by a 48 percent plurality to retain their commonwealth status. Statehood was supported by 46 percent and the remainder supported independence. Residents of Puerto Rico pay no federal income taxes. But they have no voting representative in Congress and receive reduced federal welfare benefits.
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