Thread: ProEnglish UPDATE: The Puerto Rico Democracy Act H.R. 2499

Although received by email, this seems more a news item than anything else.

From ProEnglish

UPDATE

The Puerto Rico Democracy Act, H.R. 2499
House Update
Thank you!

Thanks you for all your hard work in trying to defeat the Puerto Rico Democracy Act, H.R. 2499, calling for another plebiscite on statehood in Puerto Rico. All your calls and emails had a big impact on the final vote.

Although H.R. 2499 passed the House by a vote of 223-169 last Thursday, that vote was misleading. The real vote came on a motion to recommit H.R. 2499 sponsored by Republican Representative Doc Hastings (R-WA), which came within 4 votes of passing, 194-198. That was a razor thin victory for a bill that had the full backing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and an impassioned endorsement by Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on the floor of the House.

The bill's chance of passing was enhanced by the adoption of a worthless amendment on English sponsored by two pro-statehood Republicans, Rep. Dan Burton (IN) and Rep. Don Young (AK). The amendment says that any official language requirements of the federal government will also apply to Puerto Rico to the extent that they apply throughout the country. It is meaningless because the federal government has no official language, and under our federal system states have wide power to make their own decisions regarding language. The Democratic Leadership allowed the amendment as a fig leaf to take the place of Republican Rep. Paul Broun's (GA) amendment requiring Puerto Rico to adopt English as the language of its government prior to becoming a state, which they refused to allow on the floor.

184 Democrats and 39 Republicans voted for the bill on final passage. The fact that 58 Republicans originally co-sponsored the bill shows the success we had in changing people's positions. In other action the House adopted an amendment by Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC) stipulating that an option to remain a Commonwealth has to appear on the ballot in any second round of voting, which will frustrate statehood forces' plan to engineer a false landslide vote in favor of statehood.

The bill now goes to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources which it has to pass before it is eligible for a vote in the Senate. We already are working with our allies in the Senate to stop it. We will keep you posted as the bill moves forward.

Thank you again!

Received by email from ProEnglish
Date: 5/31/2010 1:09:09 P.M. Pacfic Daylight Time

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http://capwiz.com/proenglish/issues/ale ... 1&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

if this PR bill goes to Obama to be signed into law America as we know it is OVER, Spanish will be imposed on ALL of us under the equal protection clause! If I am wrong please tell me why I am. Thank you.