Thomas Rivera Schatz in Washington, DC. Jeffrey Farrow, former co-chair of President Bill Clinton's Working Group on Puerto Rico and former Congressman Robert García of New York also attended the event. The reception provided an opportunity for the young statehooders to begin collaboration with elected officials, professionals, and academics for the purpose of lobbying for a self-determination bill in Congress. Next the PRSSA Chapters began a series of informal discussions on statehood, called "Tertulias Estadistas", throughout Puerto Rico's universities. One of these, held on April 1, 2009, at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras. Organized by former Rio Piedras Chapter Vice President and President José F. Rovira this conference featured former New Progressive Party senator José Garriga Picó as moderator. Another "Tertulia Estadista" organized by former Rio Piedras Chapter President Efrain Rivera was held at the University of Puerto Rico- Rio Piedras on April 29, 2009, featured Garriga Picó and economist Carlos Colón De Armas. A "tertulia" on H.R. 2499 took place on December 3, 2009, in the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez and featured former PRSSA President José Cabrera. Recently, the PRSSA chapter at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez created a radio program, "La Mirilla Colegial", where PRSSA members discuss statehood, H.R. 2499, and current events. In addition, the chapter at Florida International University hosted a lecture by Maurice Ferré on Puerto Rico and its role in the United States. HR 2499 The PRSSA has been actively promoting The Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009, HR 2499 by directly appealing to the members of Congress through meetings and talks. Raul Vidal y Sepulveda, President of the PRSSA, has led and organized this effort, successfully gathering support from different members of Congress and other members of different political sectors. The PRSSA has also established a lobbying website at HR2499.com. In addition, the organization has been seeking the support of members of Congress, through calls, and emails. The PRSSA also manages the collecting of signatures for the petition in support of the bill at Care2, and the Facebook Application HR 2499. As part of its ongoing lobbying effort in Congress, in May the PRSSA acquired Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman's support of Congressman Pedro Pierluisi's 2009 status bill. The PRSSA also submitted a written statement by then PRSSA President Raúl Vidal y Sepulveda in support of H.R. 2499 during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on June 24, 2009.