(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congressman Alan Grayson (FL-09) will honor the memory of David Sanes Rodriguez, and the role his tragic death played in galvanizing support for the removal of the United States Navy from Vieques, Puerto Rico.
For the first time in more than a decade, a speech honoring the life of Sanes Rodriguez will be entered into the Congressional Record. Congressman Grayson’s speech will ensure that Sanes Rodriguez is not forgotten, and neither is the unnecessary destruction of vast parts of Vieques during the more than 60 years of live-fire bombing practice on the island.
Sanes Rodriguez was employed by the U.S. Navy as a security guard at the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility on Vieques when errant bombs killed him as he manned an observation post. His death spurred protests throughout Puerto Rico and the United States, and ultimately led to the halting of bombing of beaches that now serve as a wildlife refuge and are consistently ranked among the best beaches in the Caribbean.
“It is unconscionable that the American government could wreak such havoc on such pristine lands for so long. It is unimaginable that it would ignore the pleas of its own citizens for decades as they called for an end to the bombing of their land,” Grayson said. “David Sanes Rodriguez’s death, while tragic and unnecessary, was not meaningless. It has not been forgotten. His death opened the eyes of millions of Americans to the harm being inflicted upon Vieques, and ensured that the island would never be harmed again. For that reason, when I return to Washington, D.C. next week, it will be my honor to remember him publicly, in the Congressional Record.”
In 2014, Grayson assisted in securing legislative language recognizing the need for an accelerated cleanup of Veiques and requiring regular reports to Congress regarding the cleanup of Culebra. In the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, he partnered with Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi, to require the Department of Defense to conduct an exhaustive review of military records identifying the type of munitions exploded on the islands of Vieques and Culebra, and where their remnants may remain. He has also grilled the Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) about the alarming rate of cancer and other serious health conditions experienced by Viequenses as a result of the environmental damage caused by decades of military bombing.
Congressman Alan Grayson represents Florida’s 9th Congressional District, which includes Osceola County, as well as parts of Orange and Polk counties. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 8th Congressional District in the 111th Congress.
