[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 1, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          106TH ANNIVERSARY OF PUERTO RICO'S U.S. CITIZENSHIP

  (Mrs. GONZALEZ-COLON asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. GONZALEZ-COLON. Madam Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the 
106th anniversary of the people of Puerto Rico being granted their U.S. 
citizenship.
  Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898. In 1906, President 
Roosevelt called on Congress to confer U.S. citizenship to Puerto 
Ricans. On March 2, 1917, the Jones Act was signed into law.
  We are proud American citizens, and we are proud of the contributions 
we have made to this great Nation. More than 235,000 Puerto Rican 
servicemembers have served and have fought in every military conflict 
that our Nation has had since World War I.
  However, although we are U.S. citizens, the Federal Government often 
treats us unequally. I live on the island, and I can tell you that we 
no longer want to be treated differently.
  We want the same rights and responsibilities as our fellow citizens 
in the States, which can only be achieved with statehood.
  Like Congress acted 106 years ago to grant us our cherished American 
citizenship, Congress has an obligation to act again and make us a 
permanent part of the Union as the 51st State.

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