REP. CISNEROS INTRODUCES BILL TO GRANT HONORARY POSTHUMOUS CITIZENSHIP TO FILIPINOS WHO SERVED AND DIED IN THE U.S. MILITARY DURING WORLD WAR II

Washington, Dec. 3 -- Rep. Gil Cisneros issued the following press release:

Today, Reps. Gil Cisneros (D-CA-31) and Pete Sessions (R-TX-17) introduced a bipartisan bill, the Corporal Fernando Ruiz Baltazar Posthumous Citizenship Act, that would grant symbolic, honorary posthumous U.S. citizenship to select Filipino noncitizens who served and died in the U.S. military during World War II.

The bill is named after Corporal Fernando Ruiz Baltazar, who served in the United States Army for six enlistments with the Philippine Scouts and was killed in action during the Battle of Bataan on January 25, 1942. For his service, Cpl. Baltazar received the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and has a headstone at Arlington National Cemetery. For generation...