Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I know this is an emotional issue to many folks. The commonwealth status of Puerto Rico has been a long-standing status and it confers upon its people certain rights of citizenship. This body is about to take it to a new level. I do not believe the American people are any closer to understanding this issue than when we started. It is taking everybody in the country by surprise. It is a big deal to me. I think we are rushing into it. But if we are going to do it, we need to recognize certain things. Three out of four people in Puerto Rico are not fluent in the English language, and we are setting in motion the possibility of Puerto Rico becoming a State in a couple or three years. The legislative affairs of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are conducted in Spanish. The Federal Court system requires that jurors speak English to sit as jurors, but the State court system, or the equivalent thereof, is conducted in Spanish, so if anybody finds themselves in Puerto Rico as a State, chances are you are going to be tried in a language you do not understand. What the gentleman from New York (Mr. Solomon) is trying to do is bring unanimity to the 50 or 51 states, saying the common language that unites us is English, and it would apply to all states, not just the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. If we are going to go down this road, we certainly need this piece of legislation.”