Rep. Wild Celebrates 105th Anniversary of Puerto Rican Citizenship

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Susan Wild (PA-07) joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR)  in celebrating one hundred and five years of U.S. citizenship for the people of Puerto Rico. Outside of the U.S. Capitol, Rep. Wild delivered the following remarks:

“Hello, I’m happy to be here with you all today to celebrate an important milestone in American and Puerto Rican history. On March 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones-Shafroth Act, granting U.S. citizenship to the people of Puerto Rico. 

And one hundred and five years later, Puerto Ricans have grown to be an integral and vibrant part of American society. My district in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley is the proud home to over 80,000 Puerto Ricans. They are our families, friends, neighbors, and business owners. 

Millions of Puerto Ricans have proudly put on our nation’s uniform and honorably served in the United States Armed Forces. In every conflict, Puerto Ricans have stepped forward to serve—ranking among the most represented population in our armed services.

However, despite their major contributions and service, they cannot vote for our commander-in-chief, have only non-voting representation in Congress, and receive unequal treatment under critical programs like Medicaid and Medicare. 

It’s clear that the best way to celebrate this anniversary would be to take steps towards statehood for Puerto Rico, finally giving full rights and representation to more than 3.2 million Americans citizens. 

And by the way, we can’t forget that an overwhelming majority of Puerto Ricans voted in favor of backing U.S. statehood. Congress has a moral responsibility to respect the will of Puerto Rico’s citizens and grant them the seat at the table they deserve. 

I stand with all the leaders here today who are pushing on this important issue. Congress must recognize and support equality for all Puerto Ricans. 

Thank you, all.