APPENDIX VI
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COMMENTS OF THE GOVERNOR OF PUERTO RICO,
CARLOS ROMERO-
BARCELO,
DRAFT REPORT---
ON GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE
(GAO)
ISSUES AFFECTING U. S. TERRITORY AND INSULAR POLICY
I .Organizational problems,
existing
We agree with the analysis of
organizational
including
the
inconsistency of federal policy toward the various
ter-
ritories:
federal
problems,
the inequitable and inadequate application of
laws;
and the absence of appropriate consulta-
tion with the territories,
However,
much
Department
of the Report focuses on the role of the
of the Interior (as
territorial
entity,
lobbyist,
of
Omnibus Territories Act in 1984,
the
context,
Rico
advocate, etc.)
oversight
and on the enactment
Within
it is not made sufficiently clear that
neither
Department
falls
under
the
jurisdiction
that
Puerto
of
the
of the Interior nor under the provisions
of
the Omnibus Territories Act.
II. Puerto Rico and the other territories.
While the Draft
Report represents an understandable attempt on the
of
part
GAO's staff to place the territories within a frame-
work of uniformity, the truth of the matter is that such
uniformity
degree,
simply
Puerto
does not exist in
To
a
Rico and the other territories do share
76
9090283
practice.
.
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APPENDIX VI