FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2021
Contact: Comms@prstatehoodcouncil.org
House Natural Resources Chair Raúl Grijalva commits to legislative hearings on resolving Puerto Rico’s status
Washington, DC — Yesterday, in a meeting with several unaffiliated groups in favor of statehood for Puerto Rico, senior House Natural Resources Committee staff stated that Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) is committed to holding legislative hearings regarding Puerto Rico’s status during this House session.
A legislative hearing, unlike an investigative or oversight hearing, has the concrete purpose of evaluating specific legislation about a given topic — in this case, how to resolve Puerto Rico’s ultimate political status. This shows that the topic has become a priority that the committee intends to pass legislation on, and not merely have informative discussions about as has happened in recent years.
Additionally, during the meeting pro-statehood groups discussed other important topics with the committee such as the historic significance of the 2020 elections in Puerto Rico, the results of the latest plebiscite where an indisputable majority of 52.5% voted for statehood, and the potential implications of how the new electoral makeup of Puerto Rico will shape the status discussion going forward.
Committee staff appreciated the opportunity to listen to new voices within the statehood movement, with diverse perspectives and backgrounds, and committed to continue to make space for those who have not participated or have been excluded from the debate in the past at the federal level.
The meeting was organized by Puerto Rico Statehood Council’s Executive Director, George Laws García, and included representation from organizations such as Boricuas4Democracy, Young Democrats of Puerto Rico, and diaspora students.
###
The Puerto Rico Statehood Council is a Washington, D.C. based, non-partisan, 501(c)4 non-profit issue advocacy organization. We are dedicated to advancing the goal of equality for the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico through statehood.