A bipartisan group of lawmakers and territorial advocates briefed congressional staff and policy leaders on June 4, 2026, on what the principle of consent of the governed means for the 3.6 million Americans living in US territories—250 years after the United States declared that governments derive their power from that principle.

The briefing, titled “What Does ‘Consent of the Governed’ Mean in US Territories?” was organized by Right to Democracy in coordination with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and was held at United States Senate offices.

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández (PDP, D) of Puerto Rico spoke at the briefing. Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D) of the US Virgin Islands, Delegate Kimberly King-Hinds (R) of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Representative Nydia Velázquez (D) of New York participated via video.

“Regardless of what your view is on the status of the territories and what their final status should be, we should all be united, and we should all present a united front to address the current challenges, and current obstacles, and current inequalities, and current injustices,” said Hernández, who is co-chair of the Territories and Commonwealths Caucus. “We should take advantage of the 250th anniversary of the United States to educate the people of the United States about these lingering inequalities and challenges and to work towards solving them once and for all.”

Participants of the "What Does 'Consent of the Governed' Mean in U.S. Territories?" briefing. — Participants of the “What Does ‘Consent of the Governed’ Mean in U.S. Territories?” briefing. Image credit: Right to Democracy

Plaskett connected the territories’ situation to broader threats to democracy in a video statement.

“As this nation confronts growing threats to our multi-racial democracy, the territories are not a footnote. We are a warning and a roadmap. We’re living proof of what happens when consent of the governed is made conditional, when constitutional protections are treated as negotiable, when second-class citizenship is sewn into law and dressed up as precedent,” Plaskett said. “True democracy and colonialism cannot coexist—not even when that colonialism wears the American flag.”

King-Hinds said in a video statement that no American community should be too small or too remote to have its voice respected, and called on the country to recommit to the principles of the Declaration of Independence for all Americans ahead of the 250th anniversary.

Velázquez drew a direct comparison to the colonial conditions that preceded the American Revolution.

“The idea that the United States can hold colonies and claim plenary power over millions of people is far too reminiscent of King George III,” Velázquez said. “We cannot let this anniversary pass without using it.”

The briefing provided members of Congress and their staff with historical background on the relationship between US territories and the federal government, framed through the Declaration of Independence and the Insular Cases—a century-old legal framework rooted in racial and colonial prejudice that continues to deny democracy, equity, and self-determination to territory residents.

“Today’s briefing made clear that the question of ‘consent of the governed’ in US territories is not a relic of the past — it is a present reality that affects 3.6 million people every single day,” said Dr. Adi Martínez-Román, co-director of Right to Democracy. “This undemocratic framework is unsustainable, and the federal government can no longer look away.”

Neil Weare, co-director of Right to Democracy, called on the federal government to reconcile its founding principles with its current treatment of territories.

“250 years ago, the United States rejected colonial rule through the Declaration of Independence, but for 125 years, the Insular Cases have allowed Congress to govern territories without full constitutional rights or self-determination,” Weare said. “It is time for the federal government to recognize colonial rule cannot be squared with the principle of the consent of the governed.”

The briefing featured testimony from Right to Democracy’s Environment and Democracy Fellows, who shared how federal decisions made without territorial input affect their communities: María Hernandez, co-director of the Micronesia Climate Change Alliance from Guam; Andra Samoa, director of Pacific Global Citizens from American Samoa; Nayda Bobonis, director of strategic relations and advocacy at FURIA Inc. from Puerto Rico; Zeno De Leon Guerrero, board member of the Micronesian Climate Change Alliance from the Northern Mariana Islands; Imani Daniel, executive director of VIISION and delegate to the US Virgin Islands Constitutional Convention; and Dr. Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka, executive director of Finafinau from American Samoa.

Daniel Immerwahr speaking during the "What Does 'Consent of the Governed' Mean in U.S. Territories?" briefing. — Daniel Immerwahr speaking during the “What Does ‘Consent of the Governed’ Mean in U.S. Territories?” briefing. Image credit: Right to Democracy

New York Times bestselling author Daniel Immerwahr, author of How to Hide an Empire, also presented at the briefing, highlighting how the failure to recognize the significance of people in US territories has ongoing consequences today, including as the White House considers territorial expansion to places like Greenland.