For the first time in history, the House acknowledged the United States’ role as a colonizing force in Puerto Rico. That and several major breakthroughs were included in the Puerto Rico Status Act, which passed the House today. This self-determination bill is a first-of-its-kind – it lays out a process to start ending colonization and allow Puerto Ricans to decide their own future. This bill is not perfect — no one bill is. In this vote we acknowledge the grassroots push for an enhanced, more transparent process and we pledge to expand on that fight in the Senate. That said, there are several gains in this bill that are historic: ☑️ Formal recognition that Puerto Rico is an extended colony ☑️ Strongest terms ever defined for independence and free association ☑️ 10 years of compensatory finance in the event of free association ☑️ Agreement to accept international election observers ☑️ New bill does NOT favor statehood, independence, nor free association. It allows Puerto Ricans to choose from those 3. And for the first time, ends the option to continue the island’s current territorial status. ☑️Clarifies that existing US citizenship cannot be stripped in the event of any status outcome, and children of US citizens are eligible for citizenship too — just as they are anywhere else. ☑️ Ensures that voter educational materials and ballots will be in Spanish and English. I want to be clear: there are many critical issues this bill does NOT address, such as reparations (though we do have compensatory finance), Act 20, PROMESA, and LUMA. We must continue our struggle alongside the people to demand justice in these areas. However, the bill’s passage *does* lock in the watershed gains listed above and sets this as a new floor for any future negotiations. Finally, I would like to give special thanks to Representative Nydia Velázquez, a mentor and inspiration who has fought for the people of Puerto Rico her entire life, as well as Chairman Grijalva for elevating this issue, Leader Hoyer for making this a priority, Resident Commissioner González-Colón, and all our negotiating colleagues. Pa’lante 💪🏽🇵🇷