[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3249-3250]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       WHY PUERTO RICO STATEHOOD IS IN THE U.S. NATIONAL INTEREST

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Puerto Rico (Mr. Pierluisi) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PIERLUISI. Mr. Speaker, this is the fifth time this year that I 
have addressed this Chamber about Puerto Rico's political destiny. I 
recently introduced a bill that would provide for Puerto Rico's 
admission as a State once a majority of Puerto Rico's electorate 
affirms their desire for statehood in a federally sponsored vote. The 
bill already has 70 cosponsors--56 Democrats and 14 Republicans.
  In contrast to Puerto Rico's current territory status, statehood 
would deliver to my constituents what all free people deserve: full 
voting rights, full self-government, and full equality under the law. 
And unlike separate nationhood, which is the only other nonterritory 
option available to Puerto Rico, statehood would help rebuild the 
island's shattered economy and improve its quality of life. Indeed, the 
fact that statehood would be in the best interest of Puerto Rico is 
beyond reasonable dispute. There will always be politicians in Puerto 
Rico who claim otherwise for ideological reasons, but their arguments 
are detached from reality.
  Today I want to outline why statehood would also be in the national 
interest of the United States as a whole. There are three main 
reasons--one moral, one economic, and one political. First, the moral 
reason.
  In 2012, my constituents held a free and fair vote in which they 
rejected territory status and expressed a preference for statehood. At 
a subsequent Senate committee hearing, then-chairman Ron Wyden said 
that the current relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico 
``undermines the United States' moral standing in the world.'' Senator 
Wyden posed this question:
  ``For a nation founded on the principles of democracy and the consent 
of the governed, how much longer can America allow a condition to 
persist in which nearly 4 million U.S. citizens do not have a vote in 
the government that makes the national laws which affect their daily 
lives?''
  If Puerto Rico desires statehood, I cannot identify any moral basis 
upon which Congress could decline that petition, especially in light of 
the enormous contribution that island residents have made in our Armed 
Forces over generations. How could the U.S. Government, a champion of 
democracy and self-determination around the world, disregard those 
principles with respect to its own citizens without losing credibility 
at home and abroad?
  The second reason that statehood is in the national interest is 
economic. Last year, the GAO published a report

[[Page 3250]]

about the fiscal impact of statehood on the Federal Government. The 
report confirms that statehood will enhance quality of life in Puerto 
Rico, but it also alleviates any concern that statehood would have an 
adverse impact on the U.S. Treasury. As the GAO explains, new Federal 
outlays to Puerto Rico would be significantly counterbalanced by new 
Federal revenues generated from the island.
  The truth is this: this Nation will benefit when Puerto Rico's 
economic economy is strong, when its residents do not need to move to 
the States to achieve their dreams or vote for their national leaders, 
when individuals in businesses on the island flourish, and when the 
corporate and individual tax base expands. The U.S. stands to gain from 
the state of Puerto Rico's success, just as it currently pays a severe 
price for the territory's shortcomings.
  Finally, let me turn to the political dimensions of this debate. The 
evidence indicates that either national party could be competitive on 
the island. I am a proud Democrat, but the pro-statehood party I lead 
includes hundreds of thousands of equally proud Republicans. Voters in 
Puerto Rico have elected two Republican Governors and numerous 
Republican senators, representatives, and mayors at the local level. I 
can say to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle that they should 
not view the prospective State of Puerto Rico as either a blessing or a 
curse for their party's fortunes but, rather, as an opportunity.
  Statehood is not only in Puerto Rico's interests; it is also in the 
national interests. Statehood will make Puerto Rico stronger, and it 
will make the United States a more perfect Union.
  God bless Puerto Rico, the next State of the United States of 
America.

                          ____________________