The United States Conference of Mayors – 87th Annual Meeting Resolution Favoring Puerto Rico to become a State

The United States Conference of Mayors

1620 EYE STREET, NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, o.e. 20006

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87th Annual Meeting

Honolulu, Hawai’i

Puerto Rico as an Incorporated Territory of the United States

WHEREAS, Puerto Rico became a United States of America territory in 1898 by the Treaty of Paris, which provided that: «… the civil rights and political status of the native inhabitants of the territories hereby ceded to the United States shall be determined by Congress.» Immediately the native inhabitants became Nationals under the Custody and

«Parens Patriae» of the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, Since 1917, The United States American Citizens of Puerto Rico have demonstrated their loyalty to the United States of America and to democracy by serving with dedication and honor in ali armed conflicts in the Armed Forces of our Country, without the right to vote for their Commander in Chief, including many of them by dying in these conflicts; and

WHEREAS, In 1917, the residents of Puerto Rico were granted United States American citizenship, by their own free and voluntary election, and after 1941 by birth, as disposed of by Congress, enacting laws to such effect. To this date, three point four million United States American Citizens residing in Puerto Rico and four million have moved their residence to the mainland, where they have worked and are still working in building our Nation; and

WHEREAS, In 1952, The United States American Citizens of Puerto Rico constituted themselves into a Republican form of government in compliance with Article IV, Section 4, Constitution of the United States of America, similarly as the process used for former territories to become states of the Nation. In the Constitution of 1952, the citizens by direct vote swore their loyalty to their United States American citizenship, to the Constitution of the United States of America and accepted to be under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, with reference to the National Government as are states under federalism; and

WHEREAS, The United States American Citizens of Puerto Rico are subject to the jurisdiction of all three Branches of the Government of the United States of America. The Puerto Federal Courts are Article Ill of the U.S. Constitution; and

WHEREAS, All income from sources outside of Puerto Rico is subject to federal taxation, and the United States American Citizens residing in Puerto Rico contribute billions of dollars to the Federal Treasury. The United States American Citizens residing in Puerto Rico pay more in federal taxes than residents of various regions in the fifty states; and

WHEREAS, In the quadrennial elections, held since 1964 ninety-five percent (95%) or more of the voters have chosen permanent union with The United States of America. The independence has been rejected by the voters to such an extent that the Independence Party has been politically disqualified in the quadrennial election; and

WHEREAS, Two of the local political parties, supported by more than ninety-six percent (96%) of the total voters, participate in National Politics as members of the Republican and Democratic Parties; and

WHEREAS, The Government of the United States of America has been actively promoting democracy, universal suffrage, and human rights all over the world. (Presently very actively un Venezuela); and

WHEREAS, The Constitution of the United States of America has been judicially applied to the United States American Citizens of Puerto Rico as if it were

a state, but the non-incorporation status is being used by the Federal Courts and by Congress to switch «on and oft» the applicability of the U.S. Constitution discriminatory, costing more than five billion dollars annually in federal transfers; and

WHEREAS, Puerto Rico is a de facto incorporated territory of the United States of America because since 1898 it has been gradually moved to be legally treated and assimilated like a state more than any other U.S. Territory before being certified as incorporated. Moreover, the degree of incorporation of Puerto Rico to be like a state can be considered by implication as strong as to exclude any other view than that it is an incorporated territory of the United States; and

WHEREAS, The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America guarantees the right of United States American Citizens to u… petition the Government for a redress of grievances … » in order to ensure liberty, genera’ welfare, and to protect our rights and privileges as United States of America Citizens; and

WHEREAS: It is the duty of Congress to protect the constitutional rights of all American citizens. The present degree of legal assimilation of Puerto Rico to the United States under domestic and international law supports this Petition to certify it as an incorporated territory of the United States,

NOW IT, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that

the members of The U.S. Conference of Mayors, respectfully request Congress to adopt a Resolution certifying Puerto Rico as an Incorporated Territory of the United States. Copies of this document will be forwarded to the following Federal and States Public Bodies, and/or other parties; President of the United States of America, Hon. Donald Trump; Vice President of the United States of America, Hon. Michael R. Pence; Speaker of the United States of America House of Representatives, Hon. Nancy Pelosi; Governor of Puerto Rico, Hon. Ricardo Rossello; and, to the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, Hon. Jennifer Gonzalez.