H.R. 1522, the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act, recognizes and respects that Puerto Rico has--through the ballot box--exercised its right to self-determination.

Now that a majority of Puerto Ricans have definitively spoken, the most appropriate response for Congress is to act on their will.

the bill was filed on March 2, in commemoration of the 104th anniversary of the granting of U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans.

Puerto Rico has, through the ballot box, exercised its right to self-determination, rejected the current territorial status, and voted for statehood.

Opponents for statehood as well also claim that all Federal taxes lost will immediately apply to Puerto Rico from becoming a state.

Thank you, Mr. Garret Graves, for yielding the time, and your help in many Puerto Rican issues.

I just want to thank the witnesses for joining us, particularly the witnesses Dr. Ponsa-Kraus from Columbia University and Professor Cordova.

are we going to ignore the will of voters in Puerto Rico, and pretend that we know better than them? Or are we going to stand with our fellow citizens on the Island and respect their vote for full equality, for statehood?

Can we establish how much time?

I do believe that the analysis of H.R. 1522 was particularly comprehensive and helped dispel some of the myths that are being used against statehood.

The other bill, H.R. 2070, blatantly ignores the will of the people of Puerto Rico.

Gonzalez-Colon, Hon. Jenniffer, a Resident Commissioner in Congress from the Territory of Puerto Rico.

The so-called parity is not equality, and it is not a permanent solution.

Do you think that voters in the island are capable and knowledgeable enough to understand that status options are available to them and their consequences without having to resort to an assembly of a few selected--where decisions are made…

I can see that for other issues, 50 percent is good enough to elect the President of the United States, but 54 percent is not enough to show the majority of the will of the island.

As the island's sole representative in Congress, I have introduced multiple bills to achieve this and will continue to advance these efforts.

Are we going to ignore the will of the voters on the island and pretend that we know better than them?

To uphold the will of Americans in the last plebiscite, Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), alongside Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL), file H.R. 1522 to provide for the admission of the State of Puerto Rico.