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St. Louis Post-Dispatch "VOTE FOR PUERTO RICO STATEHOOD ADVANCES HOUSE MEMBERS REJECT ENGLISH-ONLY PROVISION" The Associated Press (03/05/98, Copyright 1998) A vote by Puerto Ricans on whether to become the 51st state moved a step closer Wednesday after the House rejected efforts by statehood opponents to make English the official U.S. language. The House voted 265-153 for an amendment that would subject Puerto Rico, if it becomes a state, to the same language requirements of any other state. The United States has no official language. That vote scuttled an amendment that would have declared English as the official language of the United States, imposing special requirement on Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico. Non-Puerto Rican House members opposed to statehood had led the English-only drive, which sparked a fiery debate. The House also rejected an effort by Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., to allow Puerto Ricans now living in the 50 states to vote in the special referendum. The bill is supported by President Bill Clinton and Republican and Democratic House leaders. It would set up a three-way vote in Puerto Rico before the end of this year, Puerto Rico's 100th anniversary as U.S. territory. Voters would choose whether they want to remain a self-governing U.S. commonwealth, gain statehood or become an independent country. Even if statehood wins the plebiscite, the bill allows for a 10-year transition period and requires several votes by Congress and Puerto Ricans before a change in status was effected. A similar bill is pending in the Senate. Puerto Ricans themselves are split over the need for a plebiscite and the statehood issue, although two-thirds of the commonwealth's elected officials support statehood, says Puerto Rican Senate President Charles A. Rodriguez. Statehood trailed commonwealth status in a close vote in 1993, with less than 5 percent opting for independence. Forces advocating statehood cast the issue as a simple matter of "self-determination" for 3.8 million American citizens who have no voting representation in Congress. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but they cannot vote in presidential elections and they pay no federal income tax. "Do you cherish the principles of our democracy enough to dismantle 100 years of colonialism and extend the right of full self-determination to the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico?" challenged Puerto Rico's nonvoting Democratic member of Congress, Rep. Carlos Romero Barcelo, a former pro-statehood governor. But the English-only provision 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. "We must encourage everyone to speak English, but we must not discriminate against those that speak other languages," said Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. Rep. Gerald Solomon, R-N.Y., leader of efforts to adopt English as the national language, said in advance that he would oppose the bill, even with the English-only amendment. [PHOTO; Caption: Photo from THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - A woman carrying bags of cans for recycling walks past a newsstand in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday. The newspapers carry headlines about a possible plebiscite on self-determination.]
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