All Quotes

Those margins are not good enough for the people of Puerto Rico to establish their vote for statehood.

52 percent of the vote was for statehood, which is an absolute majority, and just 47 percent against.

We cannot know the partisan makeup of a congressional delegation for the state of Puerto Rico until the U.S. citizens there are afforded full voting rights.

The legislation, which was modeled on the two-part structure endorsed by the Bush and Obama Task Force reports, again failed to advance in the Senate.

Perhaps most importantly, under this legislation, for the very first time, the world's oldest and greatest democracy would offer equality to citizens who have been unequal to their fellow Americans for well over a century.

When statehood is granted, the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico will have equal rights, equal responsibilities, and full representation in the U.S. Congress.

The only acceptable response to this clear expression of a desire for permanent status as a state of the Union is the enactment of H.R. 1522, the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act.

I ask you, both on behalf of your fellow Americans in Puerto Rico, and as a clear way to strengthen democracy for all Americans, to respond to the will of the people of Puerto Rico by approving legislation that will initiate the admission…

The right to vote, to participate in politics, and to shape the direction of the democracy we share...

The voters have spoken clearly, and it is time for Congress to accept the results.

We deserve equality as American citizens, and we will not stop this fight until we achieve it.

My people and I will never consent to inequality. Inequality is un-American. And we must all stand against it.

I contend that we should only be discussing how to enable the freely and democratically expressed will of the American citizens of Puerto Rico.

The bipartisan H.R. 1522 would constitute Congress's response to our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico and provide a formal offer of statehood.

That bill is truly a slap in the face to Puerto Rican voters!

Let me be clear, there is nothing that this other legislation will offer to Puerto Rico that has not already been discussed in 123 years.

Not only that--the bill shamelessly ignores the will of voters in Puerto Rico, ignores a legitimate democratic process, and ignores self-determination, despite the bill's misleading title.

I am the one elected to represent them, and I am doing so by filing this bill.