October 9, 2020
Rep. Pressley Signs On to Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2020
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) signed on as a co-sponsor of the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2020, historic legislation led by Congresswomen Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) that would formally call for a Status Convention where delegates, elected by the people of Puerto Rico, would develop a long-term solution that would free the Island of its current status as a U.S. territory.
Congresswoman Pressley’s decision to co-sponsor the legislation follows a virtual meeting she convened last month with Massachusetts advocates and researchers who have close ties to Puerto Rico, including organizers who have long been working in support of those on the Island and the Puerto Rican diaspora in Massachusetts. The advocates shared their support for the legislation as it will allow for a transparent and democratic process created by and for Puerto Rican people to determine their future as an island.
The Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2020, introduced by Congresswomen Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez in August, would prompt Puerto Rico’s Legislature to create a Status Convention whose delegates would be elected by Puerto Rican voters. This body would develop a long-term solution for Puerto Rico’s status, be that statehood, independence, free association or any option other than the current territorial arrangement. What the convention negotiates and puts forth would then be voted on in a referendum by the people of Puerto Rico before presentation to the U.S. Congress.
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