Several lawmakers gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday to unveil a bipartisan bill to allow Puerto Rico to vote on statehood in the 2020 election.
The bill, the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act, was introduced by Puerto Rico's representative in Congress, Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, and would allow the Puerto Rico government to hold its first federal status vote in the island’s history.
Forty-five lawmakers have co-sponsored the measure including U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D- Winter Park) and U.S. Rep. Darren Soto (D- Orlando).
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Murphy said she will respect whatever decision the Puerto Rico electorate makes but believes statehood is in the island's best interest.
“I personally hope they choose statehood, Murphy said. "I believe that it's the only way for Puerto Ricans to have full democratic rights and full equality within this nation which they have contributed so much to.”
Gonzalez's bill joins another filed in March by Soto that would also pave the way for the island to become the 51 st state of the union.