H  O  U  S  E     R  E  S  O  L  U  T  I  O  N

URGING PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH TO ADD AN OPTION TO THE BALLOT FOR THE UPCOmING NOVEMBER 2001 REFERENDUM IN PUERTO RICO DECIDING THE FUTURE OF THE BOMBING OF THE ISLAND OF VIEQUES, PERMITTING A VOTE SEEKING THE IMMEDIATE AND PERMANENT CESSATION OF ALL UNITED STATES NAVY MILITARY ACTIVITIES ON THE iSLAND OF VIEQUES

WHEREAS, Vieques, an island municipality of Puerto Rico with 9,300 residents has been used for nearly 60 years by the United States Navy for military purposes, including live bombing and large-scale mock invasions; and

WHEREAS, Since 1941 the U.S. Navy has held 75 percent of the land, removing residents and causing the migration of one-third of the island's population to nearby islands; and

WHEREAS, The land appropriation was followed by the establishment of several military installations, and by the start of activities which endanger the lives of Vieques residents, restrict economic development, and damage its unique environment; and

WHEREAS, The establishment of these military installations forced the closing of the island's largest employer, the sugar mills, and have greatly restricted and harmed its fishing industry; restrictions imposed by the Navy continue to limit economic, development, with a resulting poverty rate of 73 percent and a 26 percent unemployment rate; and

WHEREAS, Each year the U.S. Navy drops thousands of tons of ordnance on Vieques and neighboring cays and allows other countries to do the same; such bombardment causes substantial adverse effects on the ecological systems of Vieques; and

WHEREAS, The Governor and the Legislature of Puerto Rico, all political parties, and leaders of every religious denomination, cultural and civic groups have demanded that the U.S. Navy permanently cease military use of the Island; and

WHEREAS, The Office of the President of the United States has negotiated with the Island's government to hold a plebiscite in November on the issue of the U.S. Navy's continued presence on the Island of Vieques; and

WHEREAS, This referendum has two options; one calling for an uninterrupted, unchanged U.S. Navy presence on the Island of Vieques, the other calling for a limited presence on part of the Island with cessation of bombing to be delayed until a later date; neither option allows the Island's citizenry to cast a ballot requesting complete withdrawal of military activities from the Island; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby pause in its deliberations to urge President George W. Bush to add an option to the ballot for the upcoming November 2001 Puerto Rican referendum deciding the future of the Island of Vieques which allows a vote seeking the immediate and permanent cessation of all United States Navy military activities on the island of Vieques; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, and to the Honorable Sila M. Calderon, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pureto Rico.