"S.
472 and its counterpart in the House, H.R. 856, both
reflect a bipartisan commitment to the most basic
principles of human rights and civic justice, a
commitment that likewise enjoys the emphatic support of
the President of the United States and his
administration. We trust in God that the Senate will
recognize its historic responsibility and will act
decisively to keep the momentum going, to ensure that a
conclusive self-determination process for the 3.8 million
United States citizens of Puerto Rico will commence in
this centennial year of 1998." -Governor Pedro
Rossello, April 2, 1998.
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Richard Thornburgh, Former
Attorney-General of the United States
"If the
people of Puerto Rico want full constitutional
citizenship guaranteed forever, statehood is the only
path to that result. For the first time under any bill
approved by either House of Congress, H.R. 856 accurately
defines the three status options which currently exist
for Puerto Rico under the U.S. Constitution and
international law recognized by the United States. Thus,
H.R. 856 is now the state-of-the-art model for
decolonization of Puerto Rico."
- Richard Thornburgh, Former Attorney-General of the
United States, Yale Law School, March 28, 1998
Puerto Rico, U.S.A.
"As a Puerto Rican
and an American, I believe our future as a community is
inseparable from our culture and language, but I'm also
passionately committed to the modern world. That's why
I'm going to support statehood in the next
plebiscite." - Rosario Ferre
RALPH REED URGES G.O.P.
TO PASS H.R. 856
"For the first time in 100 years, the people of
Puerto Rico will have the opportunity to decide their
political future in free and fair elections... It's only
fitting that a Republican congress should give the people
of Puerto Rico what so many Republican presidents sought
to achieve - a way to determine for themselves the
government they should have. Give them your support for
H.R. 856."
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SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
TRENT LOTT (R-MS) Click
Here toTELL SENATOR LOTT
NOW YOU WANT HIM TO SCHEDULE A SENATE VOTE ON PUERTO RICO
SELF-DETERMINATION!
H.R. 856 PASSAGE
RESPONDS TO PUERTO RICAN'S VOTE FOR CHANGE
H.R. 856
addresses 1993 plebiscite in which a majority of
Puerto Rico's 3.8 million U.S. citizens voted for
a change in status.
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STATUS CHANGE BENEFITS U.S. TAXPAYERS ALSO
Self-Determination will
reduce $13 billion annual Federal subsidy of Puerto Rico
territorial commonwealth.
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