We deserve equality as American citizens, and we will not stop this fight until we achieve it.

You will get an overwhelming vote from the people of Puerto Rico accepting it.

They would be our gladiators. They would be fighting for us whenever we face a natural disaster.

the beauty or wisdom of this vote is that it is all-inclusive.

Definitely. That is what we are talking about mostly. It has economic development implications, quality of life implications, but at its heart this is a civil rights issue.

Once Puerto Rico settles its political status once and for all, I am sure and I have no doubt our economy will prosper.

As in any democracy, in Puerto Rico the majority rules.

I contend that we should only be discussing how to enable the freely and democratically expressed will of the American citizens of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Ricans are not immigrants. Puerto Ricans are American citizens.

We are seriously underfunded as we speak. We do not cover 100 percent of the population falling below the poverty level in Puerto Rico in our Medicaid Program.

We are $1 billion short of Nutrition Assistance System in the middle of the disaster.