Proposed Puerto Rican Statehood Scheduled for a Vote in Congress

June 17, 2021 by Tom Ramstack
Proposed Puerto Rican Statehood Scheduled for a Vote in Congress
(Photo via Pixabay)

WASHINGTON — The chances for Puerto Rico to become the 51st U.S. state never seemed brighter than during a congressional hearing Wednesday, despite opposition from top Republicans.

Congress is expected to vote on a bill that proposes Puerto Rican statehood within days.

It is supported by Puerto Rico’s governor, a majority of the Caribbean island’s voters in a referendum last year and has won a qualified endorsement from the Biden administration.

“God has placed in your hands the opportunity to do justice to the people of Puerto Rico,” Rev. Carmen Cabrera, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens Faith Council, told the House Natural Resources Committee.

Although she supports statehood, some lawmakers expressed deep reservations about possible culture clash.

In addition, 47.48% of Puerto Ricans voted against changing their status from a U.S. territory to a state in the 2020 referendum.

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., mentioned a recent poll showing 76% of Puerto Ricans would not want to abandon Spanish as their first language if they gain statehood.

“The language of the United States is English. Period,” McClintock said.

Rafael Cox Alomar, a professor of constitutional law at the University of the District of Columbia, said there was no constitutional obstacle to granting statehood, only “an issue of political will or the lack thereof.”

He added, “We have a heritage that is different from the Anglo heritage.”

None of the legal experts who testified doubted that Congress needed to re-evaluate Puerto Rico’s status with the United States. However, they disagreed on the form of the proposals.

The options are independence, statehood or an ongoing relationship as a U.S. territory.

A leading bill is the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act, H.R. 1522, which would submit the question to a final vote by residents, subject to ratification by Congress.

The other one is the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021, H.R. 2070, which proposes that delegates elected by Puerto Rican voters define their relationship with the United States. It also sets a procedure for Congress to decide whether to ratify any changes in status they choose.

A co-sponsor is Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y, who said, “It contains guarantees and mandates for a full information campaign so that Puerto Ricans know what they vote for.”

Currently, Puerto Rico has a governor as well as its own House of Representatives and Senate. Residents are U.S. citizens but have no voting representatives in Congress and cannot vote for president.

Puerto Rico is heavily Democratic, which means statehood likely would shift more power away from Republicans.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. is a leading critic of granting statehood.

A 2020 Democratic Party policy statement, which was endorsed by President Joe Biden, neither supports nor opposes Puerto Rican statehood.

“The people of Puerto Rico deserve self-determination on the issue of status,” the statement says.

Puerto Ricans have held several referendums on statehood since the island was acquired by the United States in 1898. No undisputed majority showed clear support for the proposals.

The 52.52% majority in the November 2020 referendum followed growing disillusionment with Puerto Rico’s territorial status after persistent economic failures as well as a lack of access to federal funds after disasters, such as Hurricane Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic.


A+
a-
  • Congress
  • Puerto Rico
  • statehood
  • Congress

    September 27, 2023
    by Tom Ramstack
    Congress Looks to Private Sector to Recover Pandemic Loans Lost to Fraud

    WASHINGTON — Shocking new figures on how much of the COVID-19 pandemic relief bailout funds went to fraud prompted a... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Shocking new figures on how much of the COVID-19 pandemic relief bailout funds went to fraud prompted a U.S. House committee on Wednesday to consider private sector strategies to recover more of the money for the government. The Small Business Administration recently estimated that... Read More

    September 27, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    How a Government Shutdown Would Affect Federal Health Programs

    WASHINGTON — With uncertainty continuing to swirl around Capitol Hill, conversations have begun to focus not on if there will... Read More

    WASHINGTON — With uncertainty continuing to swirl around Capitol Hill, conversations have begun to focus not on if there will be a partial shutdown of the federal government come midnight on Saturday, but on how that almost inevitable shutdown will affect a wide range of federal... Read More

    September 26, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Vilsack Warns Farmers, Children Will Feel Shutdown’s Effect Almost Immediately

    WASHINGTON — With a partial federal shutdown growing ever more likely come midnight Saturday, the Biden administration on Monday began... Read More

    WASHINGTON — With a partial federal shutdown growing ever more likely come midnight Saturday, the Biden administration on Monday began underscoring the consequences of Congress not quickly taking steps to avert it. At Monday afternoon’s press briefing at the White House, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack painted... Read More

    September 25, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Capitol Moving Ever Closer to a Shutdown

    WASHINGTON — With both the House and Senate out for the Yom Kippur holiday, movement in the House on its... Read More

    WASHINGTON — With both the House and Senate out for the Yom Kippur holiday, movement in the House on its glacial effort to avoid a government shutdown won’t resume until Tuesday. But this past tropical storm-soaked weekend saw a flurry of behind-the-scenes activity setting the stage... Read More

    September 22, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    House GOP Seeks to Regroup After Continuing Resolution, DoD Bill Fizzle

    WASHINGTON — You could tell Capitol Hill was bristling Thursday morning, even before you got within 100 yards of the... Read More

    WASHINGTON — You could tell Capitol Hill was bristling Thursday morning, even before you got within 100 yards of the Capitol building itself. Walking up First Street SE, past Bullfeathers, the popular Capitol Hill eatery, an indistinct conversation between passersby — two men in casual business... Read More

    September 22, 2023
    by Kate Michael
    Stabenow Believes Farm Bill Passage Is 'Doable,' but Complicated

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — With House Republicans in an uproar and the Senate only now leaning into getting its version of... Read More

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — With House Republicans in an uproar and the Senate only now leaning into getting its version of fiscal year 2024's spending plans done, it's a certainty that the farm bill, which sets the nation's agricultural policy for the next five years, won't be... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top