Val Demings: “We are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but our brothers and sisters, our fellow Americans…”

“We are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but our brothers and sisters, our fellow Americans on the island of Puerto Rico are not recognized as a government by the people. Puerto Rican Americans received citizenship 105 years ago today. If we are going to truly be the land of the free, we must make good on America's promise to be a government of the people for all people. We need to be who we say we are. We need to be the country where every voice and every person matters. For over a century, the residents of Puerto Rico have been treated as second-class citizens within our country. It is un-American and it is unjust. Second-class citizens not only in their vote, but also in healthcare, senior assistance, and the Child Tax Credit. This is wrong. Today, on the 105th anniversary of the citizenship for Puerto Rico, it is time for us to stand up, yet again, and declare that equal rights are an American value, and that fairness and justice are American values, and that the Americans on the island of Puerto Rico must have justice, must have fair treatment, and must have statehood. We fought this year to ensure that the residents of Puerto Rico would start to receive equal treatment on Federal programs like Social Security, Medicare, and the Child Tax Credit. This fight is not over, and we are not giving up. Yet, even with the weight of this fight for a century, I feel optimistic. In fact, I feel better than I ever have before.…”