A Puerto Rican partisan partnership has come to an end Thursday in Washington.
They were both born on the Island, came to New York, became Democrat Representatives of the Hispanic community, and almost everything they voted on, they voted (94 percent) together. Until H.R. 2499 came and changed everything.
Jose E. Serrano won a small victory last week, when the “Puerto Rican Democracy Act” he supported passed 223-169 and turned the two against each other.
It’s not that Nydia Velazquez is against the idea of Puerto Rico democratically voting to change the current status, but she doesn’t believe that this is what Serrano’s bill is about.
H.R. 2499 offers Puerto Rico, (a U.S. territory for 112 years), a two-step vote. The first would ask whether Puerto Ricans are happy with the current commonwealth status or if they want change.
If they vote for change, a second vote would ask what change they want:
(a) Statehood (b) independence (c) an independent sovereignty.
Serrano succeeded where Velazquez failed three years ago.
The “Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2007” (H.R.1230) a bill Velazquez sponsored in the 110th Congress, favored a Puerto Rican constitutional convention, allowing Puerto Ricans to decide if, how and when to make this change. But it didn’t get past Congress.
The new bill, however, is not what she had in mind. Velazquez called bill 2499 a “disgrace,” “shameful” and “appalling” bill. She rejected it as a biased proposal with a predetermined outcome in mind, directed to create a majority for the Statehood option.
“It does place members in the awkward position explaining why they are meddling in Puerto Rico when a request from Puerto Rico has not even been made… this legislation is designed to push the statehood agenda, regardless of whether that agenda is the best solution for the Island, or even popular among the people,” Velazquez said.
After a long debate, Velazquez was able to restore a fourth option in the second round: A status quo.
Velazquez argued that if keeping the current status was no longer on the ballot, statehood – always the second choice in the past – would win by default.
Serrano and Velazquez are both, naturally, interested in democracy and the best interests of the people of Puerto Rico, but have different ways in expressing their love. It seems like a complex issue with subtle, unclear differences.
If only there was someone who could simplify this issue in a black-and-white- dichotomous, repetitive language.
Well… there is someone who comes to mind, and he’s just as outraged about the passage of the “Puerto Rican Democracy Act” as Velazquez is.
“Congressmen, voting for HR 2499 are like sheep being led to slaughter,” Fox news’ Glenn Back wrote in his blog.
“You’ll hear it ‘democratically elected’ to refer to leaders like Hitler, Chavez and Castro — all democratically elected.”
Is it possible that Velazquez will recover from the betrayal of the mustached Bronxnite with a bipartisan re-bound?
Both Beck and Velazquez pointed out (separately, obviously) the fact that this kind of a bill, a statehood option, had failed three times in the past.
With piercing blue eyes and a cheeky smile, best-selling books and unintimidated by criticism or facts, who cares if they agree for completely different reasons?
“That’s what’s happening,” Beck wrote, “The fundamental transformation of America. And this is only the beginning.”
And like the best friend’s role in every break-up, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to support the bill.