1.   Attendees included Puerto Rican nationalists, statehood supporters, and those supporting the current status as a territory, as well as many non-Puerto Rican Hispanics.

2.   About two dozen lobbying concerns have spent millions of dollars to push the bill or defeat it, with statehood supporters leading the pack.

3.   It is a message that other statehood supporters are working, too.

4.   It is a message that other statehood supporters are sending, too.

5.   Statehood supporters are eager to appear before the panel to argue for an end to Congressional control of the district.

6.   Statehood supporters here and in Washington say the status denies equal rights and responsibilities and amounts to second-class citizenship.

7.   Statehood supporters say a definition guaranteeing citizenship is unconstitutional.

8.   Statehood supporters hope the results of the nonbinding referendum will persuade Congress to begin the process of adding another star to the US flag.

9.   Gov. Pedro Rossello, a statehood supporter conceded the primary.

10.   Statehood supporters deride commonwealth as colonial status, noting that islanders cannot vote for president or for Congress, which has ultimate control here.