Posted on 11/06/2025 5:16:39 PM PST by mbrfl
With talk of ending the filibuster increasing, it's worth considering the effect that doing so may have on efforts to grant Puerto Rico statehood. The threat of adding two virtually guaranteed Democratic Senators to Congress via Puerto Rican statehood is often given as a reason to oppose the filibuster. On the other side of the argument are those who say that the Democrats will just eliminate the filibuster anyway, next time they come back into power so not doing so now is just a postponement of the inevitable.
If ending the filibuster is inevitable, is granting Puerto Rico its independence the only way to permanently take Puerto Rican statehood off the table? Thoughts?
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They closed the bombing range so what benefit are they to conus? I’m dumb but I say cut them loose.
I thought that Puerto Rico had voted several times not to become a state. They like their citizenship, but they don’t have to pay taxes now is when I heard.
Can’t do that, the US Congress has no authority to take an American’s citizenship, nor should it.
A naturalized citizen can only lose citizenship if they committed fraud to obtain it.
If you are born a US citizen, no power on Earth can take that away from you, unless you explicitly give it up.
Independence support in Puerto Rico runs at about 2-3%. A noisy 2-3%, but still a tiny minority. The division is and always has been between statehood and continued Commonwealth (territorial) status. They are Americans who do not want to leave the United States
People on this forum need to stop trying to carve off a piece of America.
“It would have to be phased in...”
Our rights under the Constitution are not “phased in.”
>>”Can’t do that, the US Congress has no authority to take an American’s citizenship, nor should it.”
Make the terms of independence include a requirement by the Puerto Rican government that residents must renounce U.S. citizenship in order to become citizens of an independent Puerto Rico.
>>”Our rights under the Constitution are not “phased in.”
I like that. Very clever. But how it applies to this particular issue is unclear.
Money talks.
Every ten years they have a referendum to see what they think in PR. 90 % want to keep it the way they are. The other 10 % totals to statehood or independence.
When I was in grad school 50 years ago our prof had two on the run radicals for PR Independence. We each had to pledge not to report this to the feds. Two ofvthe students were USAF cadre for the school’s AFROTC. They came in uniform. Anyway, the class was free give and take. The radicals were garrolous and well spoken and took all questions. And they were honest. I asked them if a refetendum was held with only indeprndence or statehood which would the people choose. They both quickly admitted that statehood would win. They were a bit befuddled when I followed with, “ you knpw that such a vote ends independence forever, dont you”? They got it when I told them that issue had been decided forever 110 years ago.
Funny how the media talks about J6 ad nauseum, but never mentions the Puerto Rican terrorists who shot up Congress in 1954.
They don’t want independence, cause will lose the welfare checks & all the other goodies for free..
Same for Statehood - they would have to pay taxes that we pay.
I say throw em off the boat
“I say throw em off the boat”
Yes.
America needs Puerto Rico like a hole in the head.
Do we NEED another welfare state?
In the November 2024 seventh non-binding status plebiscite alongside the 2024 general election.
58.6 % voted for statehood
11.8% voted for independence
29.6% voted for the status quo
Statehood is the only reasonable move forward.
5.9 million Puerto Ricans live in the continental USA
3.2 million live in Puerto Rico
There is no way to send these citizens back.
Statehood is the only way forward.
5.9 million PRs live in the USA
3.2 million PRs live in PR.
so nearly 2/3rds of all PRs live in the USA already
In 2024 elections:
Governor (state-wide): Jenniffer González (R-NPP) beat the Democrat 58 % – 42 %. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenniffer_Gonz%C3%A1lez-Col%C3%B3n
Resident Commissioner (PR’s current Rep): Pablo José Hernández (R-NPP) 61 % – 39 %.
State Senate: 16 R – 11 D
State House: 26 R – 25 D
Based on this, I would say that 60% chance they might even send TWO Republican senators - and the chances are like 90% that at least 1 senator sent would be Republican.
The last referendum, 60% voted for statehood, 30% for “keep it the way they area”
When President Trump had his first term, the island flipped from Democrat to Republican:
2016
Governor: PPD (Dem-aligned) wins with 41 %
PNP (R-aligned) gets 48 % but loses because independents split.
Hillary wins PR primary 2-to-1.
2021-2023
Biden freezes $14 billion in FEMA funds for 18 months.
Trump holds 3 rallies in Orlando & Kissimmee → “I rebuilt your island!”
PPD leader says “statehood is impossible” → death sentence for the dem aligned PPD
THE NEW MATH (2024 voters)
Feb: PPD refuses to put Commonwealth on the ballot → boycott.
Nov 5: 58.6 % vote statehood, PNP sweeps every island-wide race.
Exit poll: 68 % of voters under 40 chose PNP.
68 % born after 1980 → never knew the “old PPD machine”.
72 % have family in Florida who vote Republican.
81 % say “Trump helped more than Biden”
APPROVAL FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS CONSISTENTLY RISEn from 12% in 2016 to 38% in 2020 to 64% in 2024.
Just as he has done in the continental USA, President Trump has tossed out the old rules of voting.
The red wave is permanent until someone offers a better plan than 51 stars. If look at the under 30 generation of PRs on social media they are hard core Trumpists.
“Yeah, cut it loose.”
Hawaii too. Undo another blunder of 1898.
I agree, they shall be part of Florida as a new county. There, everything is solved in one movement; largest populations of PR kept together in the same political entity, no additional senators, no changing the nation’s flag.
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