Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support Resident Commissioner Gonzalez- Colon's bill, the Fort San Geronimo Preservation Act. This legislation would establish Fort San Geronimo del Boqueron as an affiliated area of the National Park System. I applaud Resident Commissioner Gonzalez- Colon's leadership on this effort. Fort San Geronimo is a small, two-level, stone masonry fort located at the easternmost point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Part of the massive fortification system built by Spanish military engineers between the 16th and 19th centuries to protect San Juan from foreign invasions, Fort San Geronimo became a centerpiece of the city's defenses and played a crucial role in the 1797 Battle of San Juan. The fort was rebuilt in 1799, largely to its original design, and continued to be used as a Spanish military post in the 19th century. After Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898, the U.S. Navy used Fort San Geronimo as a military post until 1921. Today, Fort San Geronimo is owned and managed by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, an agency of the Puerto Rican Government. Establishing Fort San Geronimo as a national affiliated area is a cost-effective way to conserve this important historic and cultural site without placing it under Federal ownership or management. Under H.R.…”