78R8528 SMC-F


By:  Gutierrez                                                  H.C.R. No. 199



HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States 
as a result of the treaty concluding the Spanish-American War in 
1898; in 1917, the United States government extended U.S. 
citizenship to Puerto Ricans but did not provide them with full 
citizenship rights, including voting representation in the United 
States Congress and the right to vote for the President of the 
United States; and
	WHEREAS, Since 1917 more than 200,000 United States citizens 
from Puerto Rico have served valiantly in every war and armed 
conflict in which our nation has fought--including our current war 
against terrorism--in defense of democratic principles and 
self-determination; four heroic Puerto Ricans--Hector 
Santiago-Colón, Euripides Rubio, Carlos James Lozada, and Luis 
Fernando Garcia--have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor 
for their valor in defending American democracy and freedoms; and
	WHEREAS, Puerto Ricans have had to endure the injustices 
inherent in a colonial political status for more than five 
centuries, including 104 years under U.S. sovereignty; and
	WHEREAS, While the United States Constitution promises equal 
protection under the law to all U.S. citizens, the island's current 
political status treats U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico 
differently from citizens residing in the 50 states; and
	WHEREAS, Primarily as a result of the unresolved political 
status of Puerto Rico, the United States citizens of Puerto Rico 
earn less than one-half the per capita income of the U.S. citizens 
residing in the poorest state of the nation; and
	WHEREAS, The economic limitations resulting from the 
unresolved political status of the island have resulted in 3.4 
million Puerto Ricans maintaining residence on the United States 
mainland; it is estimated that by 2010 more Puerto Ricans will 
reside on the mainland than on the island of Puerto Rico; and
	WHEREAS, We recognize the many social, economic, and 
political contributions that the 3.8 million United States citizens 
residing in Puerto Rico, as well as the 3.4 million citizens 
residing in the United States, make to preserve and enhance this 
nation's democratic values; and the State of Texas counts on a 
growing Puerto Rican community and an ever-increasing Latino 
population from which to draw many of our state's business, 
cultural, and political leaders; and
	WHEREAS, In 1997 the legislature of Puerto Rico formally 
petitioned the United States Congress to respond to the democratic 
aspirations of the United States citizens of Puerto Rico by means of 
a federally sanctioned plebiscite to be held no later than 1998, but 
Congress has yet to respond to said petition; the continued 
disenfranchisement of the island's 3.8 million residents 
constitutes a clear violation of the civil rights of these United 
States citizens; and
	WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature recognizes that the time has 
come to enable Puerto Rico to exercise its right to 
self-determination and urges all citizens of Texas and the United 
States to support the enactment of a federal law leading to full 
self-government for Puerto Rico within the context of a 
congressionally sanctioned plebiscite; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas 
request that the Congress and President of the United States enact 
legislation that would define the political status options 
available to the United States citizens of Puerto Rico and 
authorize a plebiscite to provide an opportunity for Puerto Ricans 
to make an informed decision regarding the island's future 
political status; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas 
hereby respectfully request the Texas delegation to the Congress of 
the United States to actively promote and support timely action on 
this important civil rights issue; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 
copies of this resolution to the president and vice president of the 
United States, to the speaker of the house of representatives and 
the president of the senate of the United States Congress, to the 
chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources, to the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives 
Committee on Resources, and to all the members of the Texas 
delegation to the Congress with the request that this resolution be 
officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the 
Congress of the United States of America.