[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 5, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3670-H3671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         DECOLONIZE PUERTO RICO

  (Mr. KHANNA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Speaker, it is time to finally decolonize Puerto 
Rico. We have kept Puerto Rico as a territory since 1898, more than 125 
years. Over 3 million people have been denied full political rights.
  My grandfather, Amaranath Vidyalankar, was in jail with Gandhi for 
over 4 years as part of India's independence movement.

[[Page H3671]]

  Self-determination is essential, and it is essential for Puerto Rico. 
We must either grant them full independence or statehood. I am 
committed to working directly with Puerto Ricans on this issue.
  It is not our place to tell them what they should choose, but we must 
end harmful policies like Act 22 that enables tax evasion by the 
wealthy at the expense of Puerto Rico. We also need to end the lack of 
food sovereignty in Puerto Rico.
  We must end Puerto Rico's colonial status. It was wrong for India, 
and it is wrong for Puerto Rico in 2024.

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