Friend --

Happy 4th of July! As we all know, this day is about more than fireworks and flags, family and friends, food and fun. This day is about celebrating America, a nation that has made big promises -- promises that we are still striving to make good on.

America may be an exceptional country, but we are not perfect. We fall short of the promises our founders made in countless ways that impact millions -- including continuing to impose colonial rule on Puerto Rico. And after over 100 years of colonial rule, the people of Puerto Rico deserve to decide for themselves their future as a part of our country or as an independent nation. 

I hope you spend time this holiday safely celebrating the promises of our past and the work that must be done to make good on them in our future. Together, I know that we'll be able to create a better nation.