Puerto Rico Statehood Commission Demands Action
The Puerto Rico Statehood Commission has written to Congress demanding action on Puerto Rico statehood.
The letter, sent on March 6, was signed by five members of the Commission, each of whom was identified as either a Shadow United States Senator or Shadow Member of Congress. The correspondence, addressed to their fellow “colleagues” of the United States Congress, explained that as Puerto Rico’s shadow delegation, their mandate is to come to Congress to advocate for and demand statehood.
“On March 2, 1917, ” the letter began, “the U.S. Congress granted American citizenship to the people of Puerto Rico through the Jones-Shafroth Act (P.L. 64–368). Since then, Puerto Ricans have proven their loyalty and contributed to the United States in countless ways. U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico have proudly served in the Armed Forces in every conflict since World War I. Along the way, Puerto Ricans have earned honors including one Congressional Gold Medal for the 65th Infantry Regiment “Borinqueneers”, nine Medals of Honor, and thousands of Purple Hearts, all of which are a testament to the ultimate sacrifice Puerto Ricans have made to promote and protect American interests and values.
“As this celebration of 100 years of American Citizenship comes to an end, we call on Congress to recognize that the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico live at a disadvantage compared to our fellow citizens in the states.”
Read more: https://www.puertoricoreport.com/puerto-rico-statehood-commission-urges-action/#.Wqtjvnwh3RY