House passes bill allowing Puerto Rico to vote on statehood, independence

[sl8]

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-passes-bill-allowing-puerto-rico-to-vote-on-statehood-independence

House passes bill allowing Puerto Rico to vote on statehood, independence

Politics Dec 15, 2022 2:27 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House passed a bill Thursday that would allow Puerto Rico to hold the first-ever binding referendum on whether to become a state or gain some sort of independence, in a last-ditch effort that stands little chance of passing the Senate.

The bill, which passed 233-191 with some Republican support, would offer voters in the U.S. territory three options: statehood, independence or independence with free association.

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

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.

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[druidity33]

1. Apparently it won't pass the Senate. K&R, nt.

[jimfields33]

2. I'm not sure it ever passed among the Puerto Rican population

First they’d have to pay federal taxes and fall under United States laws. I think independence is the best for them. Will be interesting to see how they vote when eventually it happens.

[druidity33]

3. I think they should...

be able to decide for themselves. The last referendum was in 2020 and it went 52% for and 48% against Statehood. Of course, it was a non-binding resolution. But that's the point. This would allow them to actually CHOOSE, instead of perpetuating the limbo they are in currently.



edited to add:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Puerto_Rican_status_referendum

[intheflow]

4. I truly hope PR will be the next state.

I work with a huge PR population at my library. It’s incredibly hard for them to get basic docs like birth and death records that they need for getting drivers licenses, jobs, power of attorney, etc. They are proud to be PR and also love living in my area. Statehood would simplify their lives so much.

[republianmushroom]

5. like