Urging the Secretary of the Interior to recognize the historical significance of Roberto Clemente's place of death near Piñones in Loíza, Puerto Rico, by adding it to the National Register of Historic Places.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member for bringing this resolution to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to support H. Res. 792, which would urge the Secretary of the Interior to recognize the historical significance of Roberto Clemente's place of death near Pinones in Loiza, Puerto Rico, by adding it to the National Register of Historic Places.

Formalizing the site of his untimely death will create a place for our Nation to honor Roberto Clemente's career and legacy. He was a trailblazer in baseball and in his life of service outside of baseball.

Born in 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker's pride and humanitarian ways won

him universal admiration. Some said that he had a very unorthodox way of hitting the ball, yet he had four batting titles and 3,000 hits exactly on the last day of the season--the last season he played before he passed. He won four batting titles.

He had one of the most incredible arms in right field you ever saw. I still remember a day in New York when he threw a ball from the right field fence to third base without a bounce. For a person of my age, who cannot throw the ball but 100 feet, perhaps, that was quite a sight to see.

But there was another person in Clemente: the person who was always trying to build up people of color; who was always trying to build up a relationship with Latin America, knowing how important baseball was to Latin America and how important baseball was to Latin Americans and people in the territory of Puerto Rico. He played a role in being that ambassador, to the point where, when Nicaragua suffered a hurricane that killed about 7,000 people and thousands of people were without food or water, he decided to lead a couple of planeloads of relief efforts to Nicaragua.

But as times had it in those days--and perhaps even these days, too-- some, if not all of the supplies he was sending of food and water to Nicaragua were being stolen and sold on the black market. So he decided he was going to go himself on the next trip. He was so revered and respected in Nicaragua, nobody would dare touch anything if he was on the ground. So he left on a plane on December 31, 1972. After taking off, the plane went into the water. Roberto's body was never found.

I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist, but I so believe that we Puerto Ricans, whether we are from New York, New Jersey, or Puerto Rico, born or not born in Puerto Rico, still hold a certain need to have found him and to have given him the proper burial. But that never happened.

When we do what we do today, hopefully, we continue to honor this man who was not only the first Latino in the Hall of Fame, who not only batted 317 in his lifetime, which is not an easy accomplishment, and who not only had 3,000 hits and had a rifle for an arm, who was-- although people would say it was only two World Series--the only player to get a hit in every single World Series game he played--14 of them-- he was just exceptional. To this day, I can tell you that there are more Puerto Ricans who use the number 21, although it has nothing to do with them, on their email, than any other number. There are more kids in Puerto Rico and throughout the States and the other territories who, when joining a team, ask for number 21 on their uniform, for Roberto.

That is what he means to us, that is what he means to the country, and as the people in Pittsburgh will tell you, it is not just Puerto Ricans. It is Americans in general. This is a great thing we are doing. I applaud and support the efforts of the chairman and the ranking member.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 792) urging the Secretary of the Interior to recognize the historical significance of Roberto Clemente's place of death near Pinones in Loiza, Puerto Rico, by adding it to the National Register of Historic Places, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this has been, for me, an exciting day, as we have talked about bills that provide for the history of this country and move it forward; as we talked about energy, which I find significant, especially for my State, which has so much Federal land and energy available to it; and now you are coming into one of the heroes of my childhood with Roberto Clemente.

Mr. Clemente won 12 Gold Gloves; 4 National League batting titles; 12 All-Star Game selections; 2 World Series Championships--although the 1961 still pains me to no end, but he still had two championships--and reached the 3,000-hit milestone. He was the first player born in Latin America to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and was posthumously awarded both the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

I still have his baseball cards, and I cherish them. He was a special person not necessarily on the field--he was unique and wonderful--but even off the field he was an even greater individual. His accomplishments off the field speak to the quality of man Roberto Clemente was.

He spent his time in the off-season involved in charity work. He also spent his time in the off-season helping the game of baseball in his home in Puerto Rico. He made people's lives better. He ended his life, once again, trying to head a relief effort for Nicaragua. He gave his life in defense of other people. He is definitely someone who is worthy of being remembered in what he did on the ball field, which was spectacular, but what he did at home with real people, which was even better than what he did on the ball field.

I am proud to be here and wish to add my support to this resolution to recognize a great, great American hero.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon).

Mr. Speaker, this is a good piece of legislation. I just wish that when the Dodgers left him vulnerable in 1966, the Cubbies had picked him up, instead of the Pirates.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for allowing me to speak on behalf of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I really believe this is important. Puerto Ricans feel very proud of the legacy of Roberto Clemente. He was not just a local hero, but a national hero, both in the arena and in his life. Actually, that is the reason, when Puerto Rico becomes a State, it will be the recommendation for one of his statues to be sent to the capital. He is a figure that united Puerto Rico.

I rise today to express my strongest support for H. Res. 792, introduced by my good friend and colleague, Jose Serrano. This resolution will urge the Secretary of the Interior to recognize the significance of the place of death of Puerto Rican baseball star Roberto Clemente, located near Pinones in Loiza, Puerto Rico, by adding it to the National Register of Historic Places.

Roberto Clemente, as I said, was a hero and role model in Puerto Rico and across the nation. Throughout his distinguished career, he won two Major League Baseball World Series Championships, was named Most Valuable Player, and was an All-Star for 12 seasons. Clemente also served this Nation as a United States Marine Corps Reservist.

Roberto Clemente was committed to caring and helping those in need. In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in 1972, he decided to travel to Nicaragua to provide humanitarian aid. His plane crashed shortly after departing Puerto Rico, and he tragically passed at the age of 38.

That is the reason his family, still in Puerto Rico, started a foundation. Many schools have his name on it, but he also has the legacy of supporting young people to play baseball and commit to their communities and be better in society. Clemente was that role model.

He was a great humanitarian and great athlete. He was the embodiment of a baseball legend who contributed to the betterment of society. I am glad that this House is honoring his legacy by considering H. Res. 792.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I thank Congressman Serrano for allowing this recognition that unites hundreds of people not only in Puerto Rico, but for sports all over. I also thank Chairman Bishop for supporting this, although I was expecting him to have the numbers of his baseball career.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to vote on Monday, December 10, 2018, as I was attending an important event in Contra Costa, California.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 426, H. Res. 792 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 427, H.R. 3008.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.