Pedro Pierluisi urges Democrats to remain militant and advocate for the federal plebiscite project

Not without first emphasizing how vital it is to maintain militancy on the island and in Washington DC, Governor Peter Pierluisi He was confident that Congress will approve the federal plebiscite with the options of statehood, independence and free association, but he urged the Democrats to contact the Republicans and convince them to vote in favor of the measure.

“The project was approved at the Natural Resources Commission level. The plan is to bring it to a vote in September, but we have to get the job done in the recess of Congress in August. I am determined, committed to supporting the efforts of our colleagues in the Republican Party,” said the chief executive during his message at the annual meeting of the Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico held at the Hyatt Place Hotel in the Downtown District. of Conventions.

“I anticipate, and I have shared this with Steny Hoyer (leader of the Democratic majority in the House of Representative), is that the vast majority of Democrats are going to support this consensus project. In other words, they are going to give us the opportunity to vote for statehood and to do so when Congress is committed to implementing the desire of the majority, that the majority is ours: those of us who want equality,” added Pierluisi, who was recognized as the highest-ranking Democratic leader on the island.

He stressed that “there is greater reservation” among Republican congressmen. Therefore, Pierluisi reiterated that it is essential that the Democrats do the work with them.

“I hope that in the August recess those who are active in that party approach congressmen who are in districts where there is a significant presence of Hispanics and/or Puerto Ricans and move them to join because the votes are needed. Exactly 216 votes are needed in the (federal) Chamber”, he indicated.

By the way, Pierluisi took advantage of the event to thank the president’s administration Joe Biden for all the help and cooperation you have given to the island.

“I have to be grateful to the administration of President Biden. They are supporting us without reservation. Since the administration of President Biden entered, which is an administration of our Democratic Party, the obstacles have been eliminated, the process has been made more flexible. They have been giving us technical support and I am talking about important agencies such as FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), the federal Department of Housing, among others, and that is very important for Puerto Rico,” he pointed out.

In addition, Pierluisi spoke of what he considers to be the achievements of his administration. He argued that the unemployment rate rose, as did the level of manufacturing and tourism.

“(But) there is an unfinished agenda. The unfinished agenda is the one we all know, it is the status”, he said.

“I urge you not only to continue your militancy in the Democratic Party, but also to defend the right of all Puerto Ricans to have full, total democracy here in our homeland, Puerto Rico,” said Pierluisi.