To recognize Puerto Rico's sovereign nationhood under either independence or free association and to provide for a transition process, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I will speak in Spanish to the people of Puerto Rico. The translation is at the desk.

(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)

Mr. Speaker: I am going to speak Spanish, the language of Puerto Ricans because democracy demands transparency and clarity.

The essence of the debate over Puerto Rico's future is the difference between assimilation, represented in the legislation proposed by Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez (H.R. 260) and the legislation I have introduced (H.R. 900).

I have never excluded statehood. The assimilationists have excluded independence and free association from their proposals.

What my legislation does is simply add balance and corrects a disequilibrium.

From now on, the debate is between the assimilationist leaders and the people, the Puertoricanists. Assimilation is not the only option before the Congress of the United States.

My bill proposes free association and independence as options. This is what the Puertoricanists propose.

What motivates us? The love of Puerto Rico and defending our heritage; believing that we can be self-sufficient; believing that we can determine our own future without masters; believing in ourselves. The Puertoricanists are convinced that we can create jobs in a strong and vibrant economy with people who are innovative, creative and completely capable of determining their own future.

The assimilationist leaders think that we'll starve to death without the United States.

The Puertoricanists do not arrest students when they lift their voices in defense of democracy. That is what the assimilationist leaders do.

The Puertoricanists believe that first you pay the pensions of working people, while the assimilationists prefer to pay American bondholders on Wall Street.

The Puertoricanists love and protect the land. The assimilationists want to destroy it by constructing pipelines.

The Puertoricanists understand that democracy must flourish. The free expression of the people is sacred. Assimilationist leaders, when they don't like what they hear from the people, call in the riot squad.

Assimilationist leaders haven't attacked what my legislation would do, they have attacked its proponents.

Assimilationists want Members of Congress to only hear their version of the future. They are annoyed because this Member has brought before the Congress the other two options, which, in fact, are the options up for a plebiscite vote in Puerto Rico this year. In Puerto Rico, they want one reality and in the Congress they pretend there is another.

No, with my bill we have balance, truth and transparency. This is democracy. In this Puertoricanists believe: debate, discussion, freedom of ideas. Assimilationist leaders throughout history have chased and jailed Puertoricanists, and when they did not jail them, they took them to Cerro Maravilla.

Assimilationists say the Puertoricanists are anti-American. No, the Puertoricanists and anti-colonialists. They want for Puerto Rico the sovereignty enjoyed and celebrated in the United States. Yes, the Puertoricanists want the same thing the Americans have, to live in a free and sovereign nation where we determine our own destiny without masters.

Puertoricanists see the sun and see the energy we can harvest; see the land and the food we can eat.

Puertoricanists are motivated by love of country, love of our heritage and the understanding that we can be great, that we are intelligent and capable of innovation and creativity.

From my infancy in exile in the United States I listened to the song ``Preciosa'' and came to understand that the tyrant--the dark evil--is American colonialism. So said Rafael Hernandez, the singing conscience of my people.

Puertoricanists longingly recall the song ``En mi Viejo San Juan (In my Old San Juan)'' where it says ``this strange nation,'' just as Puerto Ricans in the U.S. say ``this is not my land''--when they confront abuse, discrimination and racism. ``Puerto Rico is.''

The Puerto Rican is his diaspora, from New York to Chicago, San Juan to Ponce, we are all Puerto Ricans. As our national poet, Juan Antonio Corretjer, wrote: ``I would be Puerto Rican even if I were born on the moon.'' To which I would add, with a great deal of respect, ``I would be Puerto Rican, even if I lived on the moon.''

Senor presidente: Voy a hablar en espanol, el vernaculo de los puertorriquenos porque la democracia exige transparencia y claridad.

La esencia del debate acerca del futuro de Puerto Rico es la diferencia entre el asimilismo, representado por el proyecto presentado por Jenniffer Gonzalez, y el que yo presente.

Yo nunca he excluido la estadidad. Los asimilistas han excluido la independencia y la libre asociacion.

Lo que hace mi proyecto es sencillamente traer balance, corregir un desequilibrio.

De aqui en adelante, el debate es entre los lideres asimilistas y el pueblo, los puertorriquenistas. La asimilacion ya no es la unica opcion ante el Congreso.

Mi proyecto propone la libre asociacion y la independencia. Eso es lo que proponen los puertorriquenistas.

qQue nos motiva a los puertorriquenistas? El amor a Puerto Rico; defender su herencia; creen que podemos ser autosuficientes; creen que podemos determinar nuestro futuro sin tener amos; creen en si mismos. Estan convencidos que podemos crear empleos, con una economia fuerte y vibrante de un pueblo innovador, creativo, y totalmente capaz de determinar su propio futuro.

Los lideres asimilistas piensan que nos morimos de hambre sin los Estados Unidos.

Los puertorriquenistas no macanean a los estudiantes cuando levantan su voz en defensa de la democracia--eso lo hacen los lideres asimilistas.

Los puertorriquenistas creen que primero hay que pagar las pensiones al pueblo mientras los asimilistas prefieren pagar los bonistas norteamericanos de Wall Street.

Los puertorriquenistas aman y protegen su tierra. Los asimilistas quieren destruirla construyendo un gasoducto.

Los puertorriquenistas entienden que la democracia debe florecer. La libre expresion del pueblo es sagrada. Los lideres asimilistas, cuando no les gusta lo que escuchan del pueblo, llaman a la fuerza de choque.

Los lideres asimilistas no han atacado lo que propone mi proyecto. Ellos atacan al proponente.

Los asimilistas quieren que los congresistas solamente escucharan su version del futuro. Estan molestos porque este congresista ha traido antes el Congreso las otras dos alternativas, que de hecho, se van a votar en el plebiscito de Puerto Rico. En Puerto Rico quieren una realidad, y los asimilistas en el Congreso quieren pretender que hay otra.

No, con mi proyecto, aqui va a haber balance, verdad y transparencia: esa es la democracia, en eso creemos los puertorriquenistas--el debate, la discusion y la libertad de ideas. Los lideres asimilistas, a traves de la historia han perseguido y metido a los puertorriquenistas en la carcel, y si no en la carcel, los llevan hasta Cerro Maravilla.

Los asimilistas dicen que los puertorriquenistas son antiamericanos. No y no. Los puertorriquenistas son

anticoloniales. Quieren para Puerto Rico la soberania que tienen y disfrutan los norteamericanos. eSi, asi es! Los puertorriquenistas quieren lo mismo que tienen los norteamericanos: vivir en una nacion libre y soberana donde ellos mismos dictan su futuro y no tienen amo.

Los puertorriquenistas ven el sol y ven energia que podemos cosechar. Ven la tierra y ven alimentos que nos daran de comer.

Los puertorriquenistas estan motivados por el amor a la patria y su herencia, y el conocimiento de que podemos ser grandes, que tenemos la inteligencia y la capacidad de innovar y crear.

Desde mi infancia en el destierro en Estados Unidos escuche la cancion ``Preciosa'' y vine a entender que el tirano, la negra maldad es el colonialismo norteamericano. Lo dijo Rafael Hernandez, la conciencia cantada de mi pueblo.

Los puertorriquenistas recuerdan con anoranza su patria ``En mi Viejo San Juan'' la cancion que dice ``. . . esa extrana nacion'', como decian los boricuas en Estado Unidos, ``esta no es mi tierra,'' cuando confrontaban el abuso, discriminacion y racismo. Puerto Rico lo es.

El puertorriqueno es su diaspora de Nueva York a Chicago, de San Juan a Ponce, todos somos puertorriquenos. Como escribio nuestro poeta nacional, Juan Antonio Corretjer, ``Yo seria boricua aunque naciera en la luna''. Y, anado con todo el respeto, ``seria boricua aun si viviese en la luna''.