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Para ver esta página en español, oprima aquí. PUERTO RICO HERALD Resident Commissioner Fortuño Will Work to Improve Puerto Rico’s Image in Congress, Is Ready To Push For Non-Territorial Status Change and Chides PRFAA’s Direction. Puerto Rico Herald Interview with Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuño, new Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico By THE PUERTO RICO HERALD
January 7, 2005 PART TWO OF TWO On January 4th, Luis Fortuño was sworn in as Puerto Rico’s new Resident Commissioner, quickly moving into the same House of Representatives office vacated by the newly elected Governor of the island, Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, the previous incumbent in the job. In a far-reaching interview with the Herald, conducted in Puerto Rico before he left the island to assume his new post, Mr. Fortuño talked about his plans to deal with what has turned out to be a divided Government, with the Puerto Rico Legislature in the hands of Fortuño’s New Progressive Party (NPP) and the Governorship controlled by the rival Popular Democratic Party (PDP). He said he begins his term hopeful that a cooperative climate can prevail so as to achieve legislation benefiting island residents. In Part 1 of the interview, published in last week’s Herald, the Resident Commissioner stressed his Republican credentials as a plus factor in his effort to get things done in a Congress controlled by the GOP. Among the things he hopes to see accomplished are: reform of the Social Security System, tort reform, and an expansion of the enterprise zone concept to include more areas of Puerto Rico. Part Two of the interview begins with a discussion of Puerto Rico’s political status. Mr. Fortuño is an advocate of statehood for Puerto Rico.
What do you think is the appropriate mechanism by which Puerto Rico can gain a permanent political status? RESIDENT COMMISSIONER FORTUNO: Well, I'm convinced that it will have to be by the direct vote of the voters, not by assemblies or whatever, constitutional assemblies, as it has been proposed by pro-independence elements. In that sense it is the leadership to be provided by Congress and the President that will be the key, so that the people in Puerto Rico will have before them non-territorial options that will solve this issue once and for all. And it is time; it's the right time to do it. I understand it's a process. It will take years to complete, but with this President (George W. Bush) having named that White House task force, I believe it provides the foundation to move forward this issue in the next year. HERALD: What do you understand by non-territorial status? RESIDENT COMMISSIONER FORTUNO: Certainly, not what we have today! Nowadays, we have almost 4 million US citizens, 5 thousand of whom are defending Democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan as we speak; but they could not vote for the Commander-and-chief. That is morally wrong in the 21st Century. It makes no sense, especially when you have such a large population submitted to such a condition. We need options that either provide full sovereignty to the state -- and that could be as an independent republic or some sort of associated republic -- or for Puerto Rico to become fully integrated into the nation with full representation in Congress and being able to vote for the President and being able, also having the responsibilities that US citizens have in the 50 states. HERALD: You know that raises another question: as a Republican Hispanic, how will you bridge the gap between the separate Democratic and Republican Hispanic Caucuses in the House of Representatives. For movement on status you will need a united Hispanic community to move any status legislation and some years ago it was mostly Democrats who supported a legislative process that would have provided the kind of thing that you have been talking about. How will you bridge that gap? Or is there a gap? RESIDENT COMMISSIONER FORTUNO: Well, there is somewhat of a gap in the sense that we have two separate conferences. However, above those conferences there is an institute and I intend to join Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Latina from Florida who still belongs to that institute. Plus I have used my time in Washington so far to build bridges to other Hispanic members. There's a new member from Colorado, John Salazar, who is the brother of Senator-elect Ken Salazar, from Colorado, also. I met with Jose Serrano from New York, who is dean of the Puerto Rican members of Congress at this time. And I intend to meet with the others as well to make sure that I will be able to bridge that gap, and to make sure that we can work in tandem to move forward, both parties, national parties, to move forward what both national platforms say about Puerto Rico. HERALD: There's legislation and then there's another thing called perception. And as I've looked at different things written about Puerto Rico in the United States, or things about the larger United States written in Puerto Rico, it seems that there are some perception problems. Maybe you see it that way. If you do, how do you feel that the average American, if there is such a thing, perceives Puerto Rico? RESIDENT COMMISSIONER FORTUNO: Well, I understand that a lot of people really don't have a clear understanding of what is Puerto Rico, the fact that we are US citizens, that we have fought in every single war in the 20th and 21st century on behalf of democracy. The fact that indeed we can go back and forth, as you can move back and forth from North Dakota to Florida and back, and the fact that we have been part of the United States for over 100 years already; but we do not have full rights as citizens. And I believe most mainlanders do not understand this. There are some that do, but very few do, and I believe that's a real challenge to move forward any type of legislation on Puerto Rico. HERALD: Well, on the other hand there was a lot of rhetoric that came out of Puerto Rico particularly during the time of the issue in Vieques and Roosevelt Roads and other points that come up from time to time that sound from here very separatist, very, uh, almost anti-American for these American citizens that you're talking about. RESIDENT COMMISSIONER FORTUNO: Well, certainly, those do not represent the feeling of a majority, a sentiment of the majority of Puerto Ricans living in Puerto Rico. But I am cognizant of the fact that, indeed, the relationship between Puerto Rico and the mainland was affected by that. And especially decision-makers were affected by that and that is another challenge that I will face in this new Congress. I believe it's a welcome change in pace, the fact that I share many of the values that the majority in Congress now has. But certainly it will be a challenge with many of the members and other decision-makers and opinion-makers, not only within the beltway, but outside. HERALD: There's a group that plays very much into these issues that we've been talking about. And it's the official government, Puerto Rican government entity in Washington and around through the country in different places, PRFAA, the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration. And they've been somewhat controversial of late. This voting registration drive, although some people see a good side to that, has been controversial in some ways. It seems that the message that they put out is somewhat different than what you're telling me today. How would you prefer to see a group like PRFAA function? RESIDENT COMMISSIONER FORTUNO: Well, it should be representative of the people of Puerto Rico in the main, in the island. It is not right now. Actually, you're saying they got into some controversy. Indeed, they did get into that. They apparently, in the registration process, many people appeared as new voters that actually did not exist. And so there is fraud in that process, apparently, that took place. It's being investigated, and I hope the authorities get to the bottom of it. In the meantime, they really have not done much in terms of strengthening our ties to the rest of the mainland. And to a certain degree they have acted as, or created a larger gap in that understanding that is needed to get results in Washington. I would like to see PRFAA working hand-in-hand with the Resident Commissioner’s office to make sure we push forward the legislation that is needed for Puerto Rico and that our interests are indeed defended in an appropriate fashion. We'll see what happens in the next few years. HERALD: Would that be a part of the co-operative aspirations that you have with the governorship, should it rest with another party? RESIDENT COMMISSIONER FORTUNO: Certainly, certainly and that will be a way of showing good faith in dealing with me and my office. So I certainly hope that's exactly what happens. HERALD: One final question, and that's kind of a personal thing. What is going to be the first thing you do after you're sworn in, I know you've got an office, at least one lined up, but when you hit that floor of the House of Representatives, what's your first move going to be? RESIDENT COMMISSIONER FORTUNO: Well, I'm trying to get involved in national issues. And actually, one of the issues has been tort reform, in which I have a personal interest. I believe that it's the right thing to do. And I am convinced that the best way to be effective in Washington is to not just get involved in Puerto Rico-specific issues, but get involved in national issues. And essentially take upon yourself some sort of leadership role in pushing forward some of those issues. You may or may not know, I was elected vice-chair of the Republican Freshman class for essentially doing what I'm telling you I intend to do, during my first meetings in Washington with other members of Congress. So, I intend to be very active in issues that have to do with the rest of the country as well, not just us. And tort reform may be one of them. Social security is another one and the deficit is a third one. In the meantime, certainly, I will make sure that I continue to provide information to my colleagues so that they understand who we are and what our aspirations are, and the fact that we are as American as they are, and that we also have a right to the American dream. HERALD: If you tell me that one of your first priorities is going to be in tort reform, you're telling me you've already turned the corner away from this law office and have your seat firmly planted on Capitol Hill. RESIDENT COMMISSIONER FORTUNO: Yes, indeed. That should be an indication of what I intend to do, and my mind is already set on what I am doing next.
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