Political Quotes

“This is the fifth time this year that I have addressed this Chamber about Puerto Rico's political destiny. I recently introduced a bill that would provide for Puerto Rico's admission as a State once a majority of Puerto Rico's electorate affirms their desire for statehood in a federally sponsored vote. The bill already has 70 cosponsors--56 Democrats and 14 Republicans. In contrast to Puerto Rico's current territory status, statehood would deliver to my constituents what all free people deserve: full voting rights, full self-government, and full equality under the law. And unlike separate nationhood, which is the only other nonterritory option available to Puerto Rico, statehood would help rebuild the island's shattered economy and improve its quality of life. Indeed, the fact that statehood would be in the best interest of Puerto Rico is beyond reasonable dispute. There will always be politicians in Puerto Rico who claim otherwise for ideological reasons, but their arguments are detached from reality. Today I want to outline why statehood would also be in the national interest of the United States as a whole. There are three main reasons--one moral, one economic, and one political. First, the moral reason. In 2012, my constituents held a free and fair vote in which they rejected territory status and expressed a preference for statehood.…”