---
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) minority leader in the island House of Representatives, Héctor Ferrer Santiago, filed a measure on Tuesday so that all debates in the lower chamber on the issue of status would be conducted in English.
“To amend section 35.4 of House Resolution 1 …, in order to provide that regarding the turns of debate, any measure that proposes to make statements, send messages or establish positions related to the political status of Puerto Rico will be presented and debated in the English language,” reads Ferrer Santiago’s measure, House Resolution 180.
“It is essential to adopt English as the language of legislative debates that exclusively address the issue of Puerto Rico’s political status, which provides key advantages for clarity and effectiveness in communication,” the lawmaker said.
“Aligning Puerto Rico’s status debates with the policy announced by President Donald Trump’s government is key to ensuring effective and direct communication, especially on an issue of great political relevance such as status,” said Ferrer Santiago, referring to the recent executive order signed by Trump declaring English as the official language of the United States.
“Puerto Ricans deeply value our main language, Spanish, and proudly celebrate our rich Latino heritage and culture,” the resolution states. “But we also recognize that the use of English in status debates responds to practical and strategic needs.”
“By using English, the dominant language in the U.S. political sphere, we ensure that every statement and argument on status is expressed directly, precisely and without the need for translations that could dilute the content or alter its meaning,” Ferrer Santiago stressed.
