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Thursday, September 20, 2012

Pierluisi Underscores the Importance of the November Status Plebiscite in Puerto Rico on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC—This morning, on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi underscored the importance of the political status plebiscite that will be held in Puerto Rico on November 6th. Pierluisi said he was confident that Congress and the White House would respect the choice made by the American citizens from Puerto Rico if they expressed a clear desire to move beyond the current status and to pursue a new political status. The Resident Commissioner also explained why he believed that statehood was the best choice for Puerto Rico.

“Top Democratic and Republican leaders have indicated they will take the results of this plebiscite seriously. That is as it should be. The United States is the greatest democracy in history and a champion of peaceful self-determination around the world. Consistent with this principle, I am confident that federal officials will respect the choice made by their fellow American citizens from Puerto Rico if they express a clear desire to change the Island’s status,” said Pierluisi in his five-minute floor speech.

During the speech, the Resident Commissioner addressed his constituents back in Puerto Rico. “I want to speak directly to the men and women I represent in Congress. This plebiscite will have a real impact on you, your family, and the future of the Island we love. It is important that you make your voice heard and your vote count,” he said.

After explaining the format of the plebiscite, Pierluisi noted that it was different than previous plebiscites in Puerto Rico. Specifically, he noted that it would be the first time that Island residents have an opportunity to answer “Yes” or “No” to the question of whether they support the status that Puerto Rico has had since 1898. “This question has inherent value in a democracy, where a government’s legitimacy is based on the consent of the governed,” the Resident Commissioner said.

He also observed that, unlike earlier plebiscites, this plebiscite would include only the status options identified as valid by Congress and the White House, namely the current territory status, independence, nationhood in free association with the United States, and statehood. “True self-determination is a choice among options that can be implemented, not an exercise in wishful thinking,” Pierluisi said.

The Resident Commissioner explained that, as his colleagues in Congress knew, he was opposed to the current status and an advocate for statehood for Puerto Rico. “Whether it is called territory, commonwealth, or colony—the current status denies us the most fundamental rights in a democracy: the right to choose the leaders who make our national laws and the right to equal treatment under those laws,” Pierluisi said.

The Resident Commissioner stated that the current status is “an affront to our dignity.”

“In my office hangs a framed photo of service members from the Island who have lost their lives since 2001. They are the latest in a long line of Puerto Rican patriots who have fought—and fallen—for this nation. This photo inspires me, but it also makes me sad. I cannot understand how we, such a proud people, can voluntarily submit to a status that makes us second-class citizens in the country that we have defended for generations,” he said.

Pierluisi said he realized that, “after nearly 115 years, the prospect of change can be unsettling.”

“But I also know that there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. We deserve better than what we have, and the time has come for us to seek a new status that will empower us to realize our full potential,” he stated.

Among the alternatives to the current status, Pierluisi said he believed statehood is the right choice.

“Independence and free association are worthy options, but both would place at risk our U.S. citizenship and federal support under programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security for future generations of Puerto Ricans,” he said.

“Because I believe the overwhelming majority of you are opposed to breaking or substantially weakening the strong political, social and economic bonds that have formed between Puerto Rico and the United States, I think the only viable alternative to the status quo is statehood. At this critical moment in history, we should aspire to perfect our union, not to sever it,” the Resident Commissioner added.

“The current status is about second-class citizenship, which we should rise up to reject. Independence and free association are about separation, which would diminish the opportunities available to our children and grandchildren. Statehood is about equal treatment. It would deliver to Puerto Rico what all free people deserve: full voting rights, full self-government, and full equality under the law,” Pierluisi said.

During his speech, the Resident Commissioner reiterated that, if a majority votes against the status quo, and in favor of either statehood, free association or independence, Congress and the President should take action that honors that choice.