Posted on 04/29/2010 11:08:50 AM PDT by ConjunctionJunction
Dems vigilant on Puerto Rico bill
Two of the most prominent Hispanic Democrats in Congress are continuing their all-out offensive to kill a bill that would mandate a vote on Puerto Rico’s political status.
And they’re taking direct aim at their leadership.
Democratic Reps. Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.) and Luis Gutierrez (Ill.) sent out an e-mail to members of Congress Thursday morning urging them to vote no on the Puerto Rican Democracy Act, which would allow the island’s residents to vote yes or no on whether they want to continue their political status. If that vote garnered a majority who didn’t like the island’s status, Puerto Ricans would then decide whether they wanted statehood, independence or free association.
“This bill is not the product of consensus. It does not provide for true self-determination. The two-step process in the bill is designed to craft an artificial majority for statehood,” Velazquez and Gutierrez said in their e-mail. “The people of Puerto Rico deserve a truly fair, democratic and inclusive self-determination process that is the product of consensus. H.R. 2499 does not provide for such a process. It is divisive, unfair and undemocratic.”
Gutierrez is taking a particularly hard line, saying that when a similar bill was brought up and passed in 1998, he got 210 minutes for seven amendments. Now he has two amendments and 10 minutes apiece for each.
“I am telling you, this is going to blow up just like the Goldman Sachs derivatives blew up,” he said on the House floor Thursday morning.
It's a split for Democrats, although one that likely won't matter — almost 60 Republicans are co-sponsors of the bill.
Slight bit of good news out of this - it might be just enough to piss off some Hispanic voters at the Dems and help the GOP’s margins this fall.
Would “allow” them?
More like: would force them to choose between statehood and independence, neither of which are desired by the Puerto Rican people.
Puerto Rico should be told that its time - statehood or independence.
America does not or should not have colonies.
I thought Charlie Rangel was suspended, but there he is speaking on the floor...
What in the world are these idiots thinking?
But we do have 'possessions'. Guam comes to mind as does Samoa.
Maybe Rangel was just “suspended” from his chairmanship of the Ways & Means Committee?
Now he knows what it is like to be a Republican under a Rat majority.
They don’t like Dingy Harry making them his bitches?
Dems, I get. Republicans...stupid, stupid, stupid
Apparently, they had no idea about the “Tennessee Plan” until Glenn Beck showed it. They just thought it was a non-binding resolution that would have no legal effect.
And we don't. Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth, and Puerto Ricans are citizens of the US.
“What in the world are these idiots thinking?”
Like amnesty, they actually think they can win their votes.
Repubs. are too stupid to realize it’s all about giving the dems two more seats in the Senate.
Is PR legally equivalent to Virginia, in that sense?
I do not think its a colony.
Is Guam, US Virgin Islands and such colonies?
[almost 60 Republicans are co-sponsors of the bill.]
Huh? Why?
Territories, as I understand it. As Hawaii, Alaska, Arizona, etc., were territories before becoming states.
Former FALN affiliate Little Louie G against it? Why? As far as the 60 Republicans, What are, if you are, thinking?
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