Congress must immediately end its inherently colonial territorial rule over Puerto Rico, because it violates America's values of democracy, equal justice under the law, and government by the consent of the governed.

The Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act, H.R. 1522 and S. 780, directly respond to that mandate, and we urge you to support it and help get it approved as soon as possible.

We must work effectively together with the executive branch and the island's elected officials through this process.

Your leadership in developing the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2) to address our nation's failing infrastructure has been instrumental in laying the groundwork to Build Back Better.

I am not against those other regions, but we always hear that we need to reinvent our economy in the coalfields of central Appalachia.

No one in Puerto Rico wants independence, nor continue to be confused with political status alternatives which do not fit within the U.S. constitutional framework.

This `D minus' rating, I think, further presses the effort we need to undertake to address the historic need and inequity related to Puerto Rico and its residents in terms of the support American citizens in Puerto Rico deserve and merit…

The U.S.-Puerto Rico political relationship has been the subject of past discussion in this Committee.

I have no doubt presidents would be visiting, candidates for president would be visiting.

I want to begin by thanking my colleagues for taking the time to join us for this Full Committee hearing to discuss legislation to resolve Puerto Rico's political status.

I will continue advocating for equity in Federal assistance under the Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid.

Two pieces of legislation have been introduced this Congress to resolve Puerto Rico's political status.