Dems push to ‘decolonize’ Puerto Rico, give territory option of statehood, independence

[mystery-ak]

 December 15, 2022 5:56am EST
Dems push to ‘decolonize’ Puerto Rico, give territory option of statehood, independence
Republicans were shocked at the rush from Democrats to change Puerto Rico's status

By Peter Kasperowicz | Fox News

House Democrats on Thursday will call up legislation aimed at ending Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. territory and giving Puerto Rican voters a say in whether the island becomes a U.S. state, an independent country or some other form of non-territory status.

Democrats prepared the Puerto Rico Status Act in the House Rules Committee Wednesday night, allowing for debate and a vote on the bill on the House floor Thursday with just days left before they give up control of the House to Republicans. The bill is the result of negotiations that took place this year among lawmakers of Puerto Rican descent and others, but the sudden push to take such swift action related to a U.S. territory shocked Republicans.

"I do have to say, with only a few legislative days left in this Congress, no path forward in the Senate, I’m not sure why this matter warrants an emergency meeting of the Rules Committee when so many outstanding issues remain," Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, said Wednesday night.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dems-push-decolonize-puerto-rico-territory-option-statehood-independence

   

[DefiantMassRINO]

Puerto Rico has voted many times on this issue, and they've chosen to remain an American commonwealth.

The Dems hope Puerto Rico would vote for statehood, and become the 51st state.

Of course, the Dems would be expecting Puerto Rico to elect 2 Dem US Senators to offset its Senate losses in the South, MidWest, and the West.  In Dem calculations, Puerto Rico would never dare elect GOP Reps and Senators.

It's reminiscent of the Missouri Compromise of 1820 that admitted Missouri as a slave state to be offset by the admission of Maine as a non-slave state.

The Dems have abandoned rural and industrial America, so, the Electoral College math is working against them.  Thus, the push to add DC and Puerto Rico as (presumably) Dem favored states.

[EdinVA]

Puerto Rico has voted many times on this issue, and they've chosen to remain an American commonwealth.

The Dems hope Puerto Rico would vote for statehood, and become the 51st state.

Of course, the Dems would be expecting Puerto Rico to elect 2 Dem US Senators to offset its Senate losses in the South, MidWest, and the West.  In Dem calculations, Puerto Rico would never dare elect GOP Reps and Senators.

It's reminiscent of the Missouri Compromise of 1820 that admitted Missouri as a slave state to be offset by the admission of Maine as a non-slave state.

The Dems have abandoned rural and industrial America, so, the Electoral College math is working against them.  Thus, the push to add DC and Puerto Rico as (presumably) Dem favored states.

True, but they did not have vote by mail then.... 

[mystery-ak]

House Passes Bill to ‘Decolonize’ Puerto Rico in Lame Duck Session

Jacob Bliss 15 Dec 2022 Washington, DC

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill during its lame-duck session Thursday in a last-ditch effort to allow Puerto Rico to “decolonize.”

The bill, which passed 233-191 with support from 16 Republicans and has very little chance of passing the Senate, would allow the U.S. territory to hold a first-ever binding referendum on whether to become a state or gain independence. It would ultimately offer the Puerto Rico voters three options: statehood, independence, or independence with free association.

The outgoing House Natural Resources Committee chairman who oversees the affairs of U.S. territories, Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), said, “It is crucial to me that any proposal in Congress to decolonize Puerto Rico be informed and led by Puerto Ricans.”

The Associated Press explained:

    The proposal would commit Congress to accept Puerto Rico into the United States as the 51st state if voters on the island approved it. Voters also could choose outright independence or independence with free association, whose terms would be defined following negotiations over foreign affairs, U.S. citizenship and use of the U.S. dollar.

    …

    The proposal of a binding referendum has exasperated many on an island that already has held seven nonbinding referendums on its political status, with no overwhelming majority emerging. The last referendum was held in November 2020, with 53% of votes for statehood and 47% against, with only a little more than half of registered voters participating.

    The proposed binding referendum would be the first time that Puerto Rico’s current status as a U.S. commonwealth is not included as an option, a blow to the main opposition Popular Democratic Party, which upholds the status quo.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/12/15/house-passes-bill-decolonize-puerto-rico-lame-duck-session/