Jenniffer González commemorates 103rd Anniversary or Puerto Ricans’ US Citizenship

Washington, D.C. – Today, Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón spoke on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives celebrating 103 years since American citizenship was granted to Puerto Ricans, while advocating for statehood for the Island as the only way to enjoy its full equality.
On March 2, 1917, the Jones-Shafroth Act, named after its sponsors Congressman William Jones and Senator John Shafroth, was signed by President Woodrow Wilson, granting American citizenship to the residents of Puerto Rico at the time and their descendants.

"This citizenship has provided us great opportunities for security and progress. As such, we have become an integral part of the national experience, contributing in numerous fields of education, politics, law, science, arts and business; and we have defended this nation side by side with our fellow citizens from other states," said González-Colón.

She drew attention to the fact that the Constitution of Puerto Rico declares American citizenship and the aspiration to continue enriching its rights and prerogatives to be part of our foundational values. "Yet" she continued, "we are being denied that aspiration, denied that enrichment of the values of American citizenship."

Despite having American citizenship. Puerto Ricans have no right to vote for the President or Vice President of the United States. Nor can they elect senators or voting representatives in the United States Congress or benefit on equal terms from federal programs and laws in the same way as residents of the states.

"That is why I continue to promote Puerto Rico's statehood. Our people have already decisively voted that the status quo is not acceptable, and chosen their change. We deserve, we have earned, full exercise of the dignity, rights and privileges of our American citizenship including full representation and participation in the political process which governs our lives, which is only possible with statehood," said the Resident Commissioner, who continues leading efforts from Congress to admit Puerto Rico as a state of the union.

On October 29, 2019 González Colón, alongside Representatives José Serrano (D-NY), Darren Soto (D-FL), Don Young (R-AK), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Rob Bishop (R- UT) and 40 other members of Congress, introduced H.R. 4901, bipartisan legislation to begin Puerto Rico's admission process as a State of the Union.

The bipartisan bill provides that upon a vote in which the people of Puerto Rico would reaffirm their support for statehood, as expressed in two previous status plebiscites in 2012 and 2017, Congress and the Administration would implement the measures to guide the transition towards fulfilling this democratic choice.

If the people of Puerto Rico vote in favor of becoming a state, the process would start so that the proclamation admitting the Island as a State and beginning the transition process would be issued within 30 months.

Watch Rep. González-Colón's full remarks here.