the Constitution gives Congress a license to treat Puerto Rico worse than the states under Federal law

In 2012, the government of Puerto Rico sponsored a referendum in which a majority of voters rejected Puerto Rico's current territory status.

Regarding the status issue, as you well know, statehood won the 2012 plebiscite.

It takes real patriotism to fight for a nation you love, but one that does not treat you equally.

I have introduced a bill in Congress to give Puerto Rico state-like treatment under Chapter 9.

I strongly believe that the people of Puerto Rico should similarly be given the opportunity to exercise their right to establish a permanent unalterable relationship with the United States or to become an independent country controlling…

In this crisis, you say now we are not together.

Yet, instead of open democratic self-determination, the ideological faction clinging to the status quo insists on obstructing the will of the people.

When I am in a position to utilize this funding, I will do so without hesitation.

Yes, we are tired and increasingly upset by being denied the right to vote for our President, and the right to elect two Senators and Members of Congress that we would be entitled to as a state.

In order to attain that, there ought to be, in my opinion, number one, a process by which majority rules in the territory.

The Federal Government cannot say that we "remain, as it is today, subject to the Territory Clause of the U.S. Constitution" in order to deny Puerto Rico the powers to solve our economic and social crisis, and now turn around and say they…

We ask that you present a Puerto Rico statehood admission bill with the above terms and others that are considered fair.

As a co-sponsor of the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act, I am persuaded that the island's territorial status is a cause of its economic conditions.

Puerto Rico is treated unequally under Medicaid and Medicare.

Puerto Rico would be receiving billions of additional funding that would flow into our economy if we become a state.

We are, as a matter of fact, the world's last colony with more than 1 million (1,000,000) inhabitants.

You have the power to help Puerto Rico. Now you must exercise it.