On March 4, 1998, the House of Representatives took up the Puerto Rico Statehood bill, H.R. 856. This legislation contained no English requirement for Puerto Rico, a nation-state where nine out of ten high school graduates speaks little or no English.

Congressman Jerry Solomon (R-NY) attempted to offer an amendment clarifying the status of English in a state of Puerto Rico. That amendment was undercut by a substitute offered by Congressmen Don Young (R-AK), George Miller (D-CA) and Dan Burton (R-IN) which replaced the Solomon amendment with a requirement that a state of Puerto Rico should "promote" the use of English in school. That requirement could be met by one sign in the classroom reading "Ingles solomente" (English only).

English First informed the Congress that a vote for the Young-Miller-Burton substitute would be rated as an anti-English vote and that a vote for final passage of H.R. 856 would also be rated an anti-English vote

The anti-English Young-Miller-Burton amendment passed 238-182, with Democrats supporting it by 182-14 and Republicans opposing it by 55-168.

H.R. 856 passed on a vote of 209-208, with Democrats supporting it 165-31 and Republicans opposed 43-177.

KEY: + Favorable, - Unfavorable, ? Not voting, P Present, O Not then a member.

--- Alabama

1 CALLAHAN (R-AL) + +

2 EVERETT (R-AL) + +

3 RILEY (R-AL) + +

4 ADERHOLT (R-AL) + +

5 CRAMER (D-AL) - +

6 BACHUS (R-AL) + +

7 HILLIARD (D-AL) - -

---- Alaska

YOUNG, DON (R-AK) - -

---- American Samoa

FALEOMAVAEGA (D-AS) O O

---- Arizona

1 SALMON (R-AZ) + +

2 PASTOR (D-AZ) - -

3 STUMP (R-AZ) + +

4 SHADEGG (R-AZ) + +

5 KOLBE (R-AZ) - -

6 HAYWORTH (R-AZ) + +

---- Arkansas

1 BERRY (D-AR) - +

2 SNYDER (D-AR) - -

3 HUTCHINSON, ASA (R-AR) + +

4 DICKEY (R-AR) + +

---- California

1 RIGGS (R-CA) - ?

2 HERGER (R-CA) + +

3 FAZIO (D-CA) - -

4 DOOLITTLE (R-CA) ? ?

5 MATSUI (D-CA) - -

6 WOOLSEY (D-CA) - -

7 MILLER, GEORGE (D-CA) - -

8 PELOSI (D-CA) - -

9 DELLUMS (D-CA) O O

10 TAUSCHER (D-CA) - -

11 POMBO (R-CA) - -

12 LANTOS (D-CA) - -

13 STARK (D-CA) - -

14 ESHOO (D-CA) - -

15 CAMPBELL (R-CA) - +

16 LOFGREN (D-CA) - -

17 FARR (D-CA) - -

18 CONDIT (D-CA) - -

19 RADANOVICH (R-CA) + +

20 DOOLEY (D-CA) - -

21 THOMAS (R-CA) + +

22 CAPPS (D-CA) O O

23 GALLEGLY (R-CA) - -

24 SHERMAN (D-CA) - +

25 MCKEON (R-CA) - -

26 BERMAN (D-CA) - ?

27 ROGAN (R-CA) + +

28 DREIER (R-CA) + +

29 WAXMAN (D-CA) - -

30 BECERRA (D-CA) - -

31 MARTINEZ (D-CA) - -

32 DIXON (D-CA) - -

33 ROYBAL-ALLARD (D-CA) - -

34 TORRES (D-CA) ? -

35 WATERS (D-CA) - -

36 HARMAN (D-CA) ? ?

37 MILLENDER-MCDONALD (D-CA) - -

38 HORN (R-CA) + +

39 ROYCE (R-CA) + +

40 LEWIS, JERRY (R-CA) + +

41 KIM (R-CA) - -

42 BROWN, GEORGE (D-CA) - -

43 CALVERT (R-CA) + -

44 BONO (R-CA) O O 0 0

45 ROHRABACHER (R-CA) + +

46 SANCHEZ (D-CA) - -

47 COX (R-CA) + +

48 PACKARD (R-CA) + +

49 BILBRAY (R-CA) + +

50 FILNER (D-CA) - -

51 CUNNINGHAM (R-CA) + +

52 HUNTER (R-CA) + +

---- Colorado

1 DEGETTE (D-CO) - -

2 SKAGGS (D-CO) - -

3 MCINNIS (R-CO) - +

4 SCHAFFER, BOB (R-CO) + +

5 HEFLEY (R-CO) + +

6 SCHAEFER, DAN (R-CO) + ?

---- Connecticut

1 KENNELLY (D-CT) - -

2 GEJDENSON (D-CT) - -

3 DELAURO (D-CT) - -

4 SHAYS (R-CT) + +

5 MALONEY, JAMES (D-CT) - -

6 JOHNSON, NANCY (R-CT) + +

---- Delaware

CASTLE (R-DE) - +

---- District of Col

NORTON (D-DC) O O

---- Florida

1 SCARBOROUGH (R-FL) + +

2 BOYD (D-FL) - -

3 BROWN, CORRINE (D-FL) - -

4 FOWLER (R-FL) + +

5 THURMAN (D-FL) - -

6 STEARNS (R-FL) + +

7 MICA (R-FL) - -

8 MCCOLLUM (R-FL) - -

9 BILIRAKIS (R-FL) + +

10 YOUNG, BILL (R-FL) + +

11 DAVIS, JIM (D-FL) - -

12 CANADY (R-FL) + +

13 MILLER, DAN (R-FL) + +

14 GOSS (R-FL) + +

15 WELDON, DAVE (R-FL) + +

16 FOLEY (R-FL) - -

17 MEEK, CARRIE (D-FL) - -

18 ROS-LEHTINEN (R-FL) - -

19 WEXLER (D-FL) - -

20 DEUTSCH (D-FL) - -

21 DIAZ-BALART (R-FL) - -

22 SHAW (R-FL) - +

23 HASTINGS, ALCEE (D-FL) - -

---- Georgia

1 KINGSTON (R-GA) + +

2 BISHOP (D-GA) - -

3 COLLINS (R-GA) + +

4 MCKINNEY (D-GA) - -

5 LEWIS, JOHN (D-GA) - -

6 GINGRICH (R-GA) O O

7 BARR (R-GA) + +

8 CHAMBLISS (R-GA) + +

9 DEAL (R-GA) + +

10 NORWOOD (R-GA) + +

11 LINDER (R-GA) + +

---- Guam

UNDERWOOD (D-GUAM) O O

---- Hawaii

1 ABERCROMBIE (D-HI) - -

2 MINK (D-HI) - -

---- Idaho

1 CHENOWETH (R-ID) + +

2 CRAPO (R-ID) + +

---- Illinois

1 RUSH (D-IL) - +

2 JACKSON (D-IL) - -

3 LIPINSKI (D-IL) + +

4 GUTIERREZ (D-IL) + +

5 BLAGOJEVICH (D-IL) - -

6 HYDE (R-IL) + +

7 DAVIS, DANNY (D-IL) - +

8 CRANE (R-IL) + +

9 YATES (D-IL) - ?

10 PORTER (R-IL) + +

11 WELLER (R-IL) + +

12 COSTELLO (D-IL) - +

13 FAWELL (R-IL) + +

14 HASTERT (R-IL) + +

15 EWING (R-IL) + +

16 MANZULLO (R-IL) + +

17 EVANS (D-IL) - -

18 LAHOOD (R-IL) + +

19 POSHARD (D-IL) ? ?

20 SHIMKUS (R-IL) ? ?

---- Indiana

1 VISCLOSKY (D-IN) - -

2 MCINTOSH (R-IN) + +

3 ROEMER (D-IN) - -

4 SOUDER (R-IN) + +

5 BUYER (R-IN) - -

6 BURTON (R-IN) - -

7 PEASE (R-IN) + +

8 HOSTETTLER (R-IN) - +

9 HAMILTON (D-IN) - -

10 CARSON (D-IN) - -

---- Iowa

1 LEACH (R-IA) - -

2 NUSSLE (R-IA) + +

3 BOSWELL (D-IA) - -

4 GANSKE (R-IA) + +

5 LATHAM (R-IA) + +

---- Kansas

1 MORAN, JERRY (R-KS) + +

2 RYUN (R-KS) + +

3 SNOWBARGER (R-KS) + +

4 TIAHRT (R-KS) + +

---- Kentucky

1 WHITFIELD (R-KY) + +

2 LEWIS, RONALD (R-KY) + +

3 NORTHUP (R-KY) + +

4 BUNNING (R-KY) + +

5 ROGERS (R-KY) + +

6 BAESLER (D-KY) + +

---- Louisiana

1 LIVINGSTON (R-LA) + +

2 JEFFERSON (D-LA) - -

3 TAUZIN (R-LA) - -

4 MCCRERY (R-LA) + +

5 COOKSEY (R-LA) + -

6 BAKER (R-LA) + +

7 JOHN, CHRIS (D-LA) - -

---- Maine

1 ALLEN (D-ME) - -

2 BALDACCI (D-ME) - -

---- Maryland

1 GILCHREST (R-MD) - -

2 EHRLICH (R-MD) - +

3 CARDIN (D-MD) - -

4 WYNN (D-MD) - -

5 HOYER (D-MD) - -

6 BARTLETT (R-MD) + +

7 CUMMINGS (D-MD) - -

8 MORELLA (R-MD) - -

---- Massachusetts

1 OLVER (D-MA) - -

2 NEAL (D-MA) - -

3 MCGOVERN (D-MA) - -

4 FRANK, BARNEY (D-MA) - -

5 MEEHAN (D-MA) - -

6 TIERNEY (D-MA) - -

7 MARKEY (D-MA) - -

8 KENNEDY, JOSEPH (D-MA) - -

9 MOAKLEY (D-MA) - -

10 DELAHUNT (D-MA) - -

---- Michigan

1 STUPAK (D-MI) - -

2 HOEKSTRA (R-MI) + +

3 EHLERS (R-MI) - -

4 CAMP (R-MI) - +

5 BARCIA (D-MI) - -

6 UPTON (R-MI) + +

7 SMITH, NICK (R-MI) + +

8 STABENOW (D-MI) - +

9 KILDEE (D-MI) - -

10 BONIOR (D-MI) - -

11 KNOLLENBERG (R-MI) + +

12 LEVIN, SANDER (D-MI) - -

13 RIVERS (D-MI) - +

14 CONYERS (D-MI) + -

15 KILPATRICK (D-MI) ? ?

16 DINGELL (D-MI) - -

---- Minnesota

1 GUTKNECHT (R-MN) + +

2 MINGE (D-MN) - -

3 RAMSTAD (R-MN) + +

4 VENTO (D-MN) - -

5 SABO (D-MN) - -

6 LUTHER (D-MN) ? ?

7 PETERSON, COLLIN (D-MN) - +

8 OBERSTAR (D-MN) - -

---- Mississippi

1 WICKER (R-MS) + +

2 THOMPSON (D-MS) - -

3 PICKERING (R-MS) + +

4 PARKER (R-MS) + -

5 TAYLOR, GENE (D-MS) - -

---- Missouri

1 CLAY (D-MO) - -

2 TALENT (R-MO) + +

3 GEPHARDT (D-MO) - -

4 SKELTON (D-MO) - +

5 MCCARTHY, KAREN (D-MO) - -

6 DANNER (D-MO) - +

7 BLUNT (R-MO) + +

8 EMERSON (R-MO) + +

9 HULSHOF (R-MO) - +

---- Montana

HILL (R-MT) + +

---- Nebraska

1 BEREUTER (R-NE) + +

2 CHRISTENSEN (R-NE) + +

3 BARRETT, BILL (R-NE) + +

---- Nevada

1 ENSIGN (R-NV) - +

2 GIBBONS (R-NV) - +

---- New Hampshire

1 SUNUNU (R-NH) + +

2 BASS (R-NH) + +

---- New Jersey

1 ANDREWS (D-NJ) - -

2 LOBIONDO (R-NJ) + +

3 SAXTON (R-NJ) - -

4 SMITH, CHRISTOPHER (R-NJ) - -

5 ROUKEMA (R-NJ) + +

6 PALLONE (D-NJ) - -

7 FRANKS, BOB (R-NJ) + -

8 PASCRELL (D-NJ) - -

9 ROTHMAN (D-NJ) - -

10 PAYNE (D-NJ) - -

11 FRELINGHUYSEN (R-NJ) + -

12 PAPPAS (R-NJ) + +

13 MENENDEZ (D-NJ) + +

---- New Mexico

1 SCHIFF (R-NM) ? ?

2 SKEEN (R-NM) - -

3 REDMOND (R-NM) - -

---- New York

1 FORBES (R-NY) - -

2 LAZIO (R-NY) - -

3 KING (R-NY) + -

4 MCCARTHY, CAROLYN (D-NY) - -

5 ACKERMAN (D-NY) - -

6 FLAKE (D-NY) O O

6 MEEKS, GREGORY (D-NY) - -

7 MANTON (D-NY) - -

8 NADLER (D-NY) - -

9 SCHUMER (D-NY) ? -

10 TOWNS (D-NY) + +

11 OWENS (D-NY) - -

12 VELAZQUEZ (D-NY) + +

13 FOSSELLA (R-NY) + +

13 MOLINARI (R-NY) O O

14 MALONEY, CAROLYN (D-NY) - -

15 RANGEL (D-NY) - -

16 SERRANO (D-NY) - -

17 ENGEL (D-NY) - -

18 LOWEY (D-NY) - -

19 KELLY (R-NY) - -

20 GILMAN (R-NY) - -

21 MCNULTY (D-NY) - -

22 SOLOMON (R-NY) + +

23 BOEHLERT (R-NY) - -

24 MCHUGH (R-NY) + +

25 WALSH (R-NY) - -

26 HINCHEY (D-NY) - -

27 PAXON (R-NY) + +

28 SLAUGHTER (D-NY) - -

29 LAFALCE (D-NY) - -

30 QUINN (R-NY) + -

31 HOUGHTON (R-NY) - +

---- North Carolina

1 CLAYTON (D-NC) - -

2 ETHERIDGE (D-NC) - -

3 JONES (R-NC) + +

4 PRICE, DAVID (D-NC) - -

5 BURR (R-NC) + +

6 COBLE (R-NC) + +

7 MCINTYRE (D-NC) - +

8 HEFNER (D-NC) - -

9 MYRICK (R-NC) + +

10 BALLENGER (R-NC) - +

11 TAYLOR, CHARLES (R-NC) + +

12 WATT, MELVIN (D-NC) - -

---- North Dakota

POMEROY (D-ND) - -

---- Ohio

1 CHABOT (R-OH) + +

2 PORTMAN (R-OH) - +

3 HALL, TONY (D-OH) - -

4 OXLEY (R-OH) - +

5 GILLMOR (R-OH) + +

6 STRICKLAND (D-OH) - +

7 HOBSON (R-OH) + +

8 BOEHNER (R-OH) + +

9 KAPTUR (D-OH) - +

10 KUCINICH (D-OH) - -

11 STOKES (D-OH) - -

12 KASICH (R-OH) + +

13 BROWN, SHERROD (D-OH) - -

14 SAWYER (D-OH) - -

15 PRYCE, DEBORAH (R-OH) + +

16 REGULA (R-OH) + +

17 TRAFICANT (D-OH) + +

18 NEY (R-OH) + +

19 LATOURETTE (R-OH) + +

---- Oklahoma

1 LARGENT (R-OK) + +

2 COBURN (R-OK) + +

3 WATKINS (R-OK) + +

4 WATTS, J.C. (R-OK) + +

5 ISTOOK (R-OK) + +

6 LUCAS (R-OK) + +

---- Oregon

1 FURSE (D-OR) - -

2 SMITH, ROBERT F. (BOB) (R-OR)+ +

3 BLUMENAUER (D-OR) - -

4 DEFAZIO (D-OR) - -

5 HOOLEY (D-OR) - -

---- Pennsylvania

1 FOGLIETTA (D-PA) O O

2 FATTAH (D-PA) - -

3 BORSKI (D-PA) - -

4 KLINK (D-PA) - -

5 PETERSON, JOHN (R-PA) + -

6 HOLDEN (D-PA) + -

7 WELDON, CURT (R-PA) + +

8 GREENWOOD (R-PA) - +

9 SHUSTER (R-PA) + +

10 MCDADE (R-PA) + ?

11 KANJORSKI (D-PA) - -

12 MURTHA (D-PA) - -

13 FOX (R-PA) - +

14 COYNE (D-PA) - -

15 MCHALE (D-PA) - -

16 PITTS (R-PA) + +

17 GEKAS (R-PA) - -

18 DOYLE (D-PA) - -

19 GOODLING (R-PA) + +

20 MASCARA (D-PA) - -

21 ENGLISH (R-PA) - -

---- Puerto Rico

ROMERO-BARCELO (D-PR) O O

---- Rhode Island

1 KENNEDY, PATRICK (D-RI) - -

2 WEYGAND (D-RI) - -

---- South Carolina

1 SANFORD (R-SC) + +

2 SPENCE (R-SC) + +

3 GRAHAM (R-SC) + +

4 INGLIS (R-SC) + +

5 SPRATT (D-SC) - -

6 CLYBURN (D-SC) - -

---- South Dakota

THUNE (R-SD) + +

---- Tennessee

1 JENKINS (R-TN) + +

2 DUNCAN, JR. (R-TN) + +

3 WAMP (R-TN) + +

4 HILLEARY (R-TN) + +

5 CLEMENT (D-TN) - -

6 GORDON (D-TN) - +

7 BRYANT (R-TN) + +

8 TANNER (D-TN) - +

9 FORD (D-TN) - -

---- Texas

1 SANDLIN (D-TX) - -

2 TURNER (D-TX) - -

3 JOHNSON, SAM (R-TX) + +

4 HALL, RALPH (D-TX) + +

5 SESSIONS (R-TX) + +

6 BARTON (R-TX) - +

7 ARCHER (R-TX) + +

8 BRADY (R-TX) + +

9 LAMPSON (D-TX) - -

10 DOGGETT (D-TX) - -

11 EDWARDS (D-TX) - -

12 GRANGER (R-TX) - -

13 THORNBERRY (R-TX) - +

14 PAUL (R-TX) + +

15 HINOJOSA (D-TX) - -

16 REYES (D-TX) - -

17 STENHOLM (D-TX) + -

18 JACKSON-LEE (D-TX) - -

19 COMBEST (R-TX) + +

20 GONZALEZ (D-TX) ? ?

21 SMITH, LAMAR (R-TX) + +

22 DELAY (R-TX) + -

23 BONILLA (R-TX) - -

24 FROST (D-TX) - -

25 BENTSEN (D-TX) - -

26 ARMEY (R-TX) + +

27 ORTIZ (D-TX) - -

28 RODRIGUEZ (D-TX) - -

28 TEJEDA (D-TX) O O

29 GREEN (D-TX) - -

30 JOHNSON, EDDIE (D-TX) - -

---- Utah

1 HANSEN (R-UT) - +

2 COOK (R-UT) - +

3 CANNON (R-UT) - -

---- Vermont

SANDERS (I-VT) - -

---- Virginia

1 BATEMAN (R-VA) + +

2 PICKETT (D-VA) + +

3 SCOTT (D-VA) - -

4 SISISKY (D-VA) + +

5 GOODE (D-VA) + +

6 GOODLATTE (R-VA) + +

7 BLILEY (R-VA) + +

8 MORAN, JIM (D-VA) - -

9 BOUCHER (D-VA) - -

10 WOLF (R-VA) + +

11 DAVIS, THOMAS (R-VA) + -

---- Virgin Islands

CHRISTIAN-GREEN (D-VI) O O

---- Washington

1 WHITE (R-WA) + +

2 METCALF (R-WA) + +

2 QUIGLEY (D-WA) O O

3 BAIRD (D-WA) O O

3 SMITH, LINDA (R-WA) + +

4 HASTINGS, RICHARD (R-WA) + +

5 NETHERCUTT (R-WA) + +

6 DICKS (D-WA) - -

7 MCDERMOTT (D-WA) - -

8 DUNN (R-WA) + +

9 SMITH, ADAM (D-WA) - -

---- West Virginia

1 MOLLOHAN (D-WV) - -

2 WISE (D-WV) - -

3 RAHALL (D-WV) - -

---- Wisconsin

1 NEUMANN (R-WI) + +

2 KLUG (R-WI) - +

3 KIND (D-WI) - +

4 KLECZKA (D-WI) - +

5 BARRETT, THOMAS (D-WI) - -

6 PETRI (R-WI) + +

7 OBEY (D-WI) - +

8 JOHNSON, JAY (D-WI) - +

9 SENSENBRENNER (R-WI) + +

---- Wyoming

CUBIN (R-WY) + +

KEY: + Favorable, - Unfavorable, ? Not voting, P Present, O Not then a member.