HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES José F. Aponte-Herndndez Former Speaker January 19, 2018 Representative at Large clint redd@rubio.senate.gov louren reamy@rublo,senate,gov cristina_salazar@rubio.senate.gov The Honorable Marco Rubio Senator-Florida United States Senate 284 Russell Senate Orfice Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Rubi | want to acknowledge your relentless support for our beloved Island in all fronts and at all times. Also, I want to express my appreciation in your effort and commitment in helping the 3.5 millions U.S. citizens that live in Puerto Rico to obtain full equality through statehood. Today a local newspaper ran an interview you gave related to U.S, Territory of Puerto Rico and the aspiration of the U.S. citizens living here to achieve equality through statehood. In the article titled “Statehood does not have the votes” (1), a copy of which is attached to this letter, you stated that “we do not have the votes in the Senate” for the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union. We understand the legislative process in Congress and that it’s a slow and sometimes cumbersome process. When drafting a bill it is imperative to take into consideration several factors, including ‘what Is to be gained from said legislation. The gain from Puerto Rico Statehood greatly outweighs the assumed negatives. You have been an avid supporter of statehood for the people of Puerto Rico. When you ran for President of the United States, you visited our island as part of the campaign for the White House, On one occasion, September 4, 2015 while making a stop in a restaurant in San Juan, you said, “the time has come for Puerto Rico to join the United States”(2). We applauded that announcement. The time has come to join forces once again for the betterment of the US citizens of Puerto Rico. Never in our political history has Washington been so keen on matters related to Puerto Rico. Every time | have visited the Capitol for the past twelve months, the message I received from nearly every congressmen, on both side of the isle, was the same: the matter of Puerto Rico must be resolved soon. The people of Puerto Rico have requested Congress to admit Puerto Rico as a state in the last two status plebiscites held in the Territory (2012 and 2017). You acknowledged the first result in your trip of 2015 and stated that another vote on the matter would be enough for Congress to act. ‘Govanent af Pato I ‘The Capo, PO Box 9022228, San Juan, PR 00902-2228 Tel (787) 723-1090 Fax 787} 7225106 Enel aponte@camarederepresentantes org| urge you to retake the promise made to the people of Puerto Rico and push the Issue of statehood in the US. Senate. As in the foreword of the book titled “Citizens without a State", Former U.S. Attorney General under President Ronald Reagan, Dick Thornburgh, in regards to Puerto Rico stated and quote: “If we are not willing to honor the choice of our fellow citizens to seek out Statehood, then we need to face the reality that national citizenship conferred by Congress no longer necessarily carries with it the promise or even the hope of equal rights.” We, the U.S. citizens in the tsland, deserve admission, We will not settle for anything less. Cordially,Page | of 2 Statehood does not have the votes ‘Marco Rubio warns that a bill to admit the Island as a the 51st state would not progress pant Dao "st Cansiae a Washer, Seite Gone Rapes Sree Marek, (IR adn) ‘Washington ~The sno atmospherein the US Senate tomsove legseton seeking setehood fo Puerto Rico, warned Republican Senator Marco ia (od). ‘Senator Rubio pointed out that "have slays snd hat Putri Rica deserves to havea vet" on statehood, tobe respected and considered "bat “right now, toe honest, wedo not have the vtesin the Senate” “what Iwo lke eo avoid a deft, That woud be regrettable because then people tego ts that was already voted I the Senate and unfrtuattely many ofthe people vo would vote against stil donot understand the fsue, "Rubio sad nan interviews on Wednesday with El Nuovo Di winenaaked hei anita il in fava of Peto Rico bewonning states Resident Commissioner in Washington, Jennifer Gonzlez who partsipated in the Interview focused on announcing the Joint agenda tobe defended Inthe face of the next esetion af dion llaations to ange distor, pans to subtle end afthe month that calls fo a ‘referendum toaimit Puerto Ricoas US slate wsnot hat Ldo not want odo i,” Rub added, but he sees that inthe Senate, not only there ae not 6o voles ont ofthe x90 requir Final ‘ot, bt tes whe asistance to address the catastrophe cased by Hrieane Mara in Posto Ric is being quested, it would not be posse to fet the attention otis colleagues on statehood. we hurvcoue.Lennnottlrto the Senate right now wedo Inorder tospeak to asenatr about Puerto Rico, "ave choose the sub, and sight ow have to el them abot ‘them about two things at once. Funderstand what enniter Issuing aval shave that idea, sat Ym sayings at ‘at have 60 votes," Rubio si ‘With an educational eampign, Rubio elives tht 12 or 15 Republican seuntors- out ofa total of -"nay eventually be convinced” to support the proposal for Puta Ricoto Become sate, but “atthe manent they donot understand the isto". "donot want people tbe forced to maka decision unt hey know what they are voting fr .. Even after the hurricane Lave elleagues ho do not understand tis nt that they think that Puerte Rico snot pat ofthe US, bt in some cases un recent di not understand tha the Pesto ‘Ricans ave cices ofthe United States, That's believable, bt ili that, [would never watt am unnecessary defeat” he ssi, Asa presidential pre-canate, Rublo-the mainly ofthe Republcan prostatehood in the Sente—fivored in 2016 that Pueito Rico ek a statehood referencia, ‘The government of Ricardo Ressello decd to calla “ateood o jndepentence” plebiscite, which then ~ before the refesal ofthe US Department of Susi to vlldate ifr excning the continustion ofthe (clonal) tesorial relationship - it became consultation baticeon statehoed, Independence and earent sats Rossel, however dnt walt fr the fil endorsernent ofthe federal Justice, a proposed bya federal ef 2014 stl in fore. Amid the bayeott, ‘of eppasition partis snd with ony'2g percent participation, statehood got 97 percent of the votes in the plebiscite on June 1 about:blank 1/19/2018Page 2 of 2 -Rublo sid he as against the desiskn of the US Department ofdustice of not validating plebiscite thet excded the terroval status commonly called Commonveath “Meanshile, Commissioner Gonzilez believes thatthe edweational pro statehood campaign could be eared out by the Bqualty Commission erate dy Govern Rito Rosso. "Tne Eauaty Commission tat ws apotated a Ua tecnteally hogan allies ast week wl hep ints ‘educational proces, precisely het inthe Senate, which hasalays been the great obstacle,” Gonzalez sald In refering tothe educational campaign, Rubio gave the example ofa recent meeting ofthe conservative cae ofthe Senate to whi he ive Republican delegate Zvaida Fonlledas, hom Governor Rostlo med as federal senior inthe sedan" Rubio sid that Fonlledes spoke to the senators of status andthe contributions that Puerto Rico has node tothe United Stes. "The next time we call (senator) fora meeting with her, they vl know hashes” he sal “Tho sonator ponte out that he has told his colleagues that Puerto Rico the fel pace” over thatthe ideas free enterpsise “work, abv ‘within the tadlitons and eutureand ideas" ofthe sland, For Rubio, the staehood ease can benefit Puerto Rio demonstateseeanomie growth. about:blank 1/19/2018