[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 69 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 69

  Expressing the sense of Congress that a commemorative postage stamp 
              should be issued in honor of Luis A. Ferre.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2007

 Mr. Fortuno submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of Congress that a commemorative postage stamp 
              should be issued in honor of Luis A. Ferre.

Whereas Luis A. Ferre was born on February 17, 1904, in Ponce, Puerto Rico;
Whereas Luis A. Ferre was a Puerto Rican engineer, industrialist, politician, 
        philanthropist, environmentalist, and patron of the arts;
Whereas Luis A. Ferre was a distinguished statesman and a great American who 
        dedicated himself to his family, the economic and cultural growth of 
        Puerto Rico, and the dream that Puerto Rico would one day be welcomed as 
        the 51st State of the Union;
Whereas in 1948, Luis A. Ferre acquired El Dia, a fledgling newspaper, later 
        converting it to El Nuevo Dia, currently the newspaper with the largest 
        circulation in Puerto Rico;
Whereas in 1952, Luis A. Ferre played a key role in the drafting of Puerto 
        Rico's first Constitution, and, in that same year, was elected 
        Representative in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives;
Whereas in 1968, Luis A. Ferre became Governor of Puerto Rico, in which capacity 
        some of his many achievements included implementation of the Federal 
        minimum wage, paying special attention to youth affairs, visiting the 
        troops in Vietnam, and creating the Nation's first environmental control 
        board, Puerto Rico's Environmental Quality Board, charged with 
        protecting the island's environment;
Whereas Luis A. Ferre remained active in politics after completing his 
        governorship;
Whereas Luis A. Ferre was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico in 1976, served 
        as the eighth President of the Senate of Puerto Rico from 1976 to 1980, 
        and continued to serve in the Senate until 1985;
Whereas Luis A. Ferre never abandoned his passion to see Puerto Rico's political 
        status resolved, and tirelessly advocated the statehood cause before 
        Congress well into his late nineties;
Whereas Luis A. Ferre was a gifted musician who recorded several albums of his 
        piano recitals; founded the Ponce Museum of Art in his hometown of 
        Ponce, Puerto Rico; and is also credited with assisting in the 
        chartering of the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music and the 
        establishment of the world-famous Casals Festival;
Whereas Luis A. Ferre's philanthropic deeds and defense of democratic values 
        earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President 
        George H.W. Bush on November 18, 1991; and
Whereas Luis A. Ferre passed away on October 21, 2003, just three months shy of 
        his 100th birthday: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),  
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) a commemorative postage stamp should be issued in honor 
        of Luis A. Ferre; and
            (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend 
        to the Postmaster General that such a stamp be issued.
                                 <all>