Jenniffer González-Colón

I want to thank SBA Administrator Linda McMahon for her commitment and her leadership regarding and facing these issues.

We need to have a procurement center on the island. I think that will solve a lot of the issues regarding the federal contracting situations that the island is facing.

I think it is most important to acknowledge and recognize that under PROMESA, we are looking forward to have the tools to improve our economy.

Thank you, Secretary, for being here, for your time.

I look forward to addressing those issues in the next panel.

I am inviting you to come to Puerto Rico and help us there.

One thing. The Governor just said here that he was willing to sit and negotiate with good faith terms with all the stakeholders here.

The deal says there will be an increase to pay the debt and to pay the service.

I would like to address the question to Mr. Bergonzi and Mr. Bryngelson.

Are you willing to sit with the new administration--remember, there is a new administration in place.

I have never expected to be presiding on this hearing, and be interviewing and making questions to my governor. It is quite an honor to be here to do that.

The most basic right in a democracy--the right to vote and to equal representation, and treats hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican veterans as equal in war but not in peace.

As Puerto Rico's sole representative in this Congress, I want to thank you, Chairman Bishop and Chairman LaMalfa, Ranking Member Torres, and fellow members of this Committee for holding this hearing.

Congress has unintentionally enabled a minority in Puerto Rico to confuse and frustrate a local decision among Puerto Rico's status options.

The plebiscite and some presidential and congressional actions since have made important strides towards resolution of the issue.

The territory's status is the central issue of the islands, which have a population of nearly 3.7 million.

It is fundamental: whether Puerto Ricans will continue to be Americans and obtain equality within the country or become the people of a separate nation.

It is a basic issue of democracy, which requires representative government--a right we lack at the national government level.

We want to continue the status quo, we want to continue in the commonwealth, or we want to move to another option.

I think the option is not a constitutional assembly. To write what constitution?

We want something to happen, and the first step to make that decision will reside in the people of Puerto Rico.

Do we need consensus to grant civil rights? Do we need consensus to grant a vote? Do we need consensus to enable democracy? Of course not.

There is a quote from Lyndon Johnson that said that voting is the first duty of democracy.

That is the real issue here, civil rights, and we demand to vote.

We think the time has come for this to change.