Political Quotes

“I take the opportunity today to discuss the matter of Federal policy towards insular areas. H.R. 856, the Puerto Rico Status Bill, passed this House by the narrowest of margins almost 2 weeks ago. I supported that effort because the fulfillment of democratic principles that this country stands for and clarity in the relationship of people to people is not just better, it is the right thing to do. Today, I want to draw attention to issues surrounding Guam, my home island, which was also taken during the course of the Spanish-American War in 1898, some 100 years ago. In the course of the debate over Puerto Rico, a debate which touched on the meaning of, I think, our fundamental beliefs in the exercise and implementation of democratic principles, the fact of 100 years of American rule was raised repeatedly. There was much discussion about the meaning of the Spanish-American War, the commitments made under the Treaty of Paris which ended it and the subsequent rule of territories by this country. We are the shapers of our destiny, the planners of our future. But we are also creatures of our own history and we must seek to understand the meaning of that conflict, as distant as it is in time, and its consequences today if we are to successfully resolve the issues pertaining to territories in this country.”