María Elvira Salazar: “I thank the Resident Commissioner. Madam Speaker, for over 120 years, Puerto Rico, as we have said here, has enriched…”

“I thank the Resident Commissioner. Madam Speaker, for over 120 years, Puerto Rico, as we have said here, has enriched the United States with its culture and its people. The beautiful island of Puerto Rico that I know so well is the jewel of the Caribbean. Millions of Americans have flocked to its beaches and rainforests to soak in the incredible natural beauty of the island of Puerto Rico. With that background, 105 years ago, as we have heard before, Puerto Ricans became citizens of this great country, the United States. Puerto Ricans are true Americans and true patriots because over 35,000 of them currently serve in the United States Armed Forces. Madam Speaker, 235,000 Puerto Ricans are veterans who have served alongside their fellow countrymen from the mainland, from the beaches of Normandy to the Mekong Delta. Its people, the Puerto Ricans, have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom and in the name of the United States of America. I should say that Puerto Rico holds a very special place in my heart because after my parents fled Castro's Cuba, my family found refuge in San Juan, the capital of the island of Puerto Rico. Because of that decision, I spent a fantastic childhood in the island because we went to live in paradise in the 1960s. It was in Puerto Rico where I first learned about American values. It was in Puerto Rico where I learned the meaning behind the American flag and the central value of freedom and liberty.…”