My family's native island of Puerto Rico has been through so much hardship over the last few years...

After the election in November, we deserve a real debate on this, and we are getting it today finally.

Yet, none of them can vote for Commander-in-Chief, have Senators or voting Representatives in Congress. That is a national shame.

And this is why I filed the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act, along with Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon and many others...

If Puerto Ricans picked independence, they could decide whether or not they want to be free association or not.

I ask the Congress to let our people vote. Let the will of the majority prevail, and let democracy be done in these United States of America and not let this be about personalities or alliances.

Congress ought to legislate what the people voted for, and Congress ought to abolish the financial control board, which is an abomination.

True self-determination means that the people on the island have a right to decide not only what to decide, but how to decide.

When the people speak, the proper role of Congress is to listen.

H.R. 2070's call for 'self-determination' is a fallacy since it does not consider the choice of Puerto Rican voters

Puerto Rico statehood is simply the only right and moral political status option.

H.R. 2070 seems to ignore fair and clean election results by disguising its opposition to Puerto Rico statehood

Achieving statehood for the islands has been a top priority for the Puerto Rico Young Republican Federation.

The perpetuation of the colony is a Jim Crow era legacy that subjugates US residents of the island.

Insensitivity delay tactics are breaking our families apart every single day. It is shameful and un-American.

I believe that the best path forward to resolve questions of Puerto Rico's political status is statehood, but that is a decision that must be left to Puerto Ricans themselves.

Members must choose to either be for democracy and support statehood now or for Jim Crow colonialism.

The idea of more study, further delay of democracy, and outright denial of what just happened is not in line with the ideals of the Federalist Papers or the Constitution.