Posted on 04/29/2010 4:30:08 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
The House voted Thursday to allow Puerto Ricans to decide their own political future and relationship with the United States.
The vote was 223 to 169. Rep. Louise Slaughter,D-N.Y. voted present.
The bill introduced a two-step ballot measure for Puerto Rico to decide if its residents want to change their current relationship with the United States. If they vote to change their status, they can then choose to become a state, pursue independence, or seek some other "political association between sovereign nations."
Proponents say the measure gives citizens of the island the right to self-determination. Critics say the measure is a device to impose statehood on a population that doesn't want it. Thursday's action was nonbinding, and if Puerto Ricans eventually select statehood, Congress would still have to vote to admit the island to the union as the 51st state.
The issue divided Democrats and Republicans alike as liberal Democrats with ties to Puerto Rico teamed with conservative Republicans to oppose the measure.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
And what benefit for the US would there be?
None that I can see.
Since when is anything the Obamazombies in congress pass supposed to benefit America?
helps the rats to get more senators in and a handful of congressman.
so the gains we have made will be wiped out plus now they have secured even more of a future win in elections
DemonRATS looking for more Senate seats and Congress Critters is the only reason.
With this nation going to hell in a hand basket, Puerto Rico would be wise to think long and hard on this one.
Glenn Beck was all over this yesterday....warning us.
Ping from earlier similar post>
“Why the Rush on the Puerto Rico Statehood Bill? Something Doesn’t Add Up”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-luis-gutierrez/why-the-rush-on-the-puert_b_556328.html
(I appologize for the leftie sight it is on, but worth reading.)
Rep. Luis Guiterrez-
“So, what is up with this Puerto Rico statehood bill?
In my opinion, this bill is the political equivalent of a shady Goldman Sachs derivative: It’s secretive. It lacks transparency. It’s likely to blow up down the road and cause systemic risk to our democracy. And those who put this political derivative together don’t really tell you what this is really about and will play dumb when it explodes.”
Wait a second, who cares what they want? What about what we, the people of the United States want? No one has asked if we want Puerto Rico admitted as a state. I’m sure most of the countries in the world would vote themselves part of the United States if they could.
Right....
Wait until the Puerto Ricans find out what comes with Statehood..
** Federally mandated minimum wage
** Mandatory withholding of Federal Income Tax
** Mandatory withholding of Social Security and Medicare taxes
** Mandatory compliance with all FDA food regulations to date.
** Mandatory compliance with the Clean Air Act.
** Mandatory compliance with the Clean Water Act.
** Mandatory compliance with the Civil Rights Act.
** Mandatory compliance with all Federal Education mandates
** Mandatory compliance with every other Federal law that has been passed in the last 200 years that Puerto Rico is not even aware of, being one step above a Banana Republic...
One move I think we ought to press for if Puerto Rico becomes a State, and that is to make sure every single “Puerto Rican-American” living in the United States gets to move back home. Of course if that happened, New York City might well be forced to start bulldozing abandoned neighborhoods like Detroit and Flint, Michigan...
I’m tellin’ ya; Conservatives need to go seize Liberia and start over again on the (formerly) Dark Continent...
I say cut them loose. Don’t see any reason to ever make them a state. It offers nothing strategic to us. So, wish them luck and send them on their way as an independent entity.
Agenda 21! They have the progressives here and there so they’re making hay while the sun shines and the repubs fell right into it.
Are you kidding? Puerto Rican women are hot!
uh, ok, you can still go there to visit, same as Brazil, but PR doesn’t need to be part of the US to allow your visits :-)
That would be the benefit.
I’m of two minds on the subject. “They” have been “us” for a hundred years now, its high time we make it official. If PR asked for statehood I would be very much in favor.
But I’m very queasy about the way that Washington DC is going about it; it worries me that there is a double game being played. Had PR initiated this from their side I would be a lot more comfortable with what was happening. For it to be initiated in DC and done very nearly in secret rings alarm bells.
The PR statehooders are mostly Republicans, so its not automatic that a PR congressional delegation will be Obamists. And because its not automatic it surprises me the haste with which congress drove this through.
CLL, what are you hearing from your side? Are people happy, unhappy, or mystified about this vote?
Why would Cantor and Pence be for this? Have they not heard of the Tennessee Plan?
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