José E. Serrano: “I thank the gentleman. You are right. Perhaps it is that example that I present to you that shows why the system is…”

“I thank the gentleman. You are right. Perhaps it is that example that I present to you that shows why the system is broken. Because my parents chose to move in 1950 to New York, I am able to be a Member of Congress with full voting rights. Had I stayed in Puerto Rico, I could only aspire to be a Resident Commissioner, which is fine enough, but without full voting rights. So, question: Since when does residency overpower and overtake citizenship? The 4 million people who live in Puerto Rico, the citizens, American citizens who live in all of the territories, have no way to represent themselves in Congress, have no way to vote for the President of the United States. At this very moment, dozens of Puerto Ricans are mourned as they have died in the war in Iraq. Yet, their colleagues who will come back will not be able to express themselves in Congress, or express themselves through a Presidential vote in terms of how they feel about that war or about that service. And so the issue today is simply this: Do you believe that American citizens, American citizens, that has to be repeated, American citizens, who live in territories, not States, have certain rights? I believe they have full rights. If it was up to me they would have full voting representation. All we are saying today is that those Delegates, these representatives, will have a right to participate on the House floor.”