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View the speech here: Five-Minute Floor Statement on the Introduction of the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act[[{"fid":"245","view_mode":"full","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Introduction of the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act","class":"media-element file-full"}}]]
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Washington, DC—Today, Resident Commissioner Pedro R. Pierluisi introduced the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act, a bipartisan bill that sets forth a process for the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico to become a State. “I am filing this legislation with a sense of purpose and a sense of pride. Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory for 115 years. Territory status deprives the 3.7 million American citizens residing in Puerto Rico of the most fundamental democratic rights. My constituents have no voting representation in the national government that enacts and enforces the laws that govern their lives. And they are treated unequally under many of those laws. The result is that Puerto Rico’s economic growth is hindered, its unemployment rate is consistently high, its borders and communities are less secure, overall quality of life is compromised, and hundreds of thousands of island residents have left Puerto Rico for the states,” the Resident Commissioner said.“This past November, the people of Puerto Rico withdrew their consent to second-class citizenship, and chose a future of dignity and democracy. In an historic referendum that made news around the world, a strong majority of my constituents voted to end the current territory status, a supermajority voted for statehood among the three possible alternative status options, and more voters expressed a preference for statehood than for the current status,” added Pierluisi. The Resident Commissioner’s legislation is an appropriate next step in light of the November referendum. After outlining the rights and responsibilities of statehood, the bill authorizes a federally-sponsored ratification vote in which the people of Puerto Rico can affirm their desire for the territory to be admitted as a State of the Union. If a majority of voters do confirm Puerto Rico’s desire for statehood, the bill provides for the President to submit legislation to admit Puerto Rico as a State following a transition period in which equal treatment under federal programs and federal tax laws would be phased in. The bill also expresses Congress’s commitment to act on such legislation. In a speech delivered this morning on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Resident Commissioner explained that his legislation is consistent with the appropriations request that President Obama included in his Fiscal Year 2014 budget submission to Congress. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Justice is requesting $2.5 million, to be granted to the Puerto Rico Elections Commission, to conduct voter education and to hold a federally-authorized vote among options that would “resolve” Puerto Rico’s political status. Pierluisi noted that the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act provides a blueprint for how the vote held pursuant to that appropriation could be structured. In his floor speech, the Resident Commissioner took the opportunity to speak directly to statehood supporters in Puerto Rico.“Our movement has become the predominant force in Puerto Rico. Every day, we grow stronger. Like you, I believe that justice delayed is justice denied. And, like you, I find it difficult to be patient. But we fight with our heads as well as our hearts. Perfecting our union requires passion, but it also demands perseverance. There are no shortcuts on the path to statehood—and politicians who suggest there are will lead us to a dead end,” Pierluisi said.“The statehood movement is powerful because we are united by a single principle—the principle of equality. The November vote has fortified our spirit and renewed our sense of purpose. We will not shy away from a fight. History teaches that once a people have chosen democracy, self-government and progress, they are unlikely to reverse course. Rest assured: now that the people of Puerto Rico have withdrawn their consent to second-class citizenship, the question is no longer whether, but when, Puerto Rico will obtain equality through statehood,” the Resident Commissioner added. The Resident Commissioner then addressed his colleagues in Congress who represent states.“I know you will respect my constituents for seeking to have the same rights and responsibilities as your constituents. This respect must take the form of concrete action. The U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico have made their voices heard, and they deserve a meaningful response from their national government,” he said.Pierluisi closed his remarks by asserting that Puerto Rico’s territory status harms both Puerto Rico and the United States.“There is overwhelming evidence that territory status has impaired Puerto Rico’s political, economic and social development. And it has become clear that the status quo does not serve the national interest either. The U.S. succeeds when Puerto Rico succeeds; when the island is strong, stable and secure; and when its residents do not feel obligated to relocate to the states to achieve their dreams. From the U.S. perspective—a robust and resilient state of Puerto Rico would advance the national interest,” the Resident Commissioner said.“The position of every president since Harry Truman has been that their administration would accept whatever status choice is made by a majority of Puerto Rico voters. The U.S. government is a champion of democracy and self-determination around the world, and it must adhere to those principles with respect to its own citizens. This is especially true in light of the service that generations of men and women from Puerto Rico have rendered to this nation, most notably in the armed forces, but in so many other ways as well. In a very real sense, Puerto Rico has earned the right to be equal. And equal we will become,” Pierluisi added.“Puerto Rico has been called the shining star of the Caribbean. The time has come for our star to shine, alongside the others, on the flag of the United States of America,” the Resident Commissioner concluded. The Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act was introduced with 32 original cosponsors. They are as follows:Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Don Young (R-AK), José Serrano (D-NY), Madeline Bordallo (D-GU), Corrine Brown (D-FL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Marcia Fudge (D-OH), Joe Garcia (D-FL), Alan Grayson (D-FL), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Ron Kind (D-WI), Peter King (R-NY), John Mica (R-FL), George Miller (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jared Polis (D-CO), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-CNMI), Aaron Schock (R-IL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL).
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