Joe Manchin: “I wish to thank my colleague Senator Wicker for his longstanding concern about Puerto Rico's current status and how they…”

“I wish to thank my colleague Senator Wicker for his longstanding concern about Puerto Rico's current status and how they can govern themselves and work independently. As you can tell, this is a bipartisan concern we have and we are working very closely together. As Senator Wicker mentioned, the Government Accountability Office is currently working on a report that examines Puerto Rico's economy and the cost of admitting Puerto Rico as a State. I look forward to seeing the results of that report. But in light of the fact we are still awaiting the GAO report, in addition to a number of other reasons, I share Senator Wicker's concerns about the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act. On August 1 of last year, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over Puerto Rican issues, held a hearing on the political status of Puerto Rico, where we had the opportunity to hear from Governor Padilla, Commissioner Pierluisi, and the President of the Puerto Rican Independence Party Ruben Berrios. I appreciated their willingness to openly discuss the ongoing status debate in Puerto Rico and their work with the committee members on how to move forward. Similar to Senator Wicker, I support Puerto Rico's right to self- determination.…”