Congressman Alan Grayson (FL-09) passed legislation improving the treatment of Puerto Rico under H.R. 1960, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (NDAA).
Grayson first passed an amendment ensuring equal treatment of Puerto Ricans under H.R. 1960, which establishes the Commission on Service to the Nation. The commission will study the effect of warfare on members of the Armed Forces and their families, and aid servicemen and service women in their transition from military to civilian life. H.R. 1960 requires that this new commission hold hearings in each state—but did not include a requirement to conduct a hearing in Puerto Rico.
Grayson said that omission was unacceptable. “Puerto Rico has more than 100,000 residents that are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces—more veterans than Alaska, Rhode Island, D.C., Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Vermont, and Delaware. These brave men and women have served our nation honorably, and they deserve equal access to this incredibly important resource,” he said.
Grayson’s amendment, which was cosponsored by Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, would also ensure that veterans in Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, would also have a hearing conducted by the commission.
Grayson also teamed up with Pierluisi on an amendment related to the island of Vieques. Vieques was the site of bombing and military exercises for six decades, which have prompted a socioeconomic crisis on the island, and resulted in high instances of cancer and other serious health-related problems amongst its inhabitants.
Pierlusi’s amendment requires the Department of Defense to conduct an exhaustive review of military records, and then provide a detailed report, identifying the type of munitions found on the islands, quantity of munitions, and where such munitions may have been used, on the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra.
Grayson called the amendment an important step in measuring the environmental damage and health issues reported by Viequenes. “I’m proud to cosponsor this much-needed measure,” Grayson said. “This study will allow us to understand the effect of military activities on these islands, which in turn will allow us to begin the important process of healing and rebuilding the lives of so many Puerto Ricans.”
