D.C. vote bill gives hope to Puerto Rico proponents

thehill.com ^ | March 7, 2009 | Jordy Yager

[Free ThinkerNY]

As residents of Washington D.C. anxiously await the fate of their representational seat in the House, several lawmakers see it as fuel for Puerto Rico gaining a more instrumental voice on Capitol Hill.

“The D.C. Voting Rights bill sends the right message to all members of Congress and in that sense it is also good for Puerto Rico,” said Rep. Pedro Pierluisi (D-P.R.), who supports the bill that would add a representational vote in the House for D.C. residents.

“To me it is amazing that in the 21st century the U.S. Congress keeps ignoring the wishes of the people of Puerto Rico in terms of their voting rights and their current relationship with the U.S., ” he said.

As a freshman, one of Pierluisi’s priorities is to pass a referendum in Congress that would ask residents of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory of more than 4 million people, whether they prefer their current status of having no representational vote in Congress or would prefer something else.

If Puerto Ricans voted for the latter it could mean a move toward independence or statehood, which would provide them with up to seven representatives and two senators in Congress.

Such a referendum has been proposed in recent years by numerous lawmakers, such as Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), but it has failed to make it out of committee.

[driftdiver]

““To me it is amazing that in the 21st century the U.S. Congress keeps ignoring the wishes of the people of Puerto Rico in terms of their voting rights and their current relationship with the U.S., ” he said.”

If they wanna vote then become a state. Otherwise STHU

[Cowboy Bob]

I think its long past time to cut Puerto Rico loose!

[17th Miss Regt]

Well, if they become a state and start paying federal income taxes, they will ‘have some skin in the game’. But federal income taxes are just one of the downsides to statehood. If they go independent, they lose all federal benefits (welfare, etc). So they will stay as a possession of the US.

This is all about getting another two or three Democrats in the House.

[George Smiley]

Memory tells me (with apologies to Las Vegas Ron, who I excoriated in another thread for doing the same thing) that there has been more than one statehood referendum held in Puerto Rico, and that they all have been soundly defeated; my guess is the income tax-versus-no income tax thing nailed it.)

I say "No representation without taxation."

And that should go for voting as well.

If you don't pay income taxes, you shouldn't f**king vote.

[Bean Counter]

My God!! If Puerto Rico wins Statehood, it will empty at least half of New York City...!!

[timydnuc]

This is unconstitutional and if SCOTUS doesn’t vote 9 to 0 to put this down, then it’s time to lock and load my Thompson machine gun and go to Washington. This is a clear violation of the Constitution by radical a$$holes in Washington.

[IMTOFT]

That pesky little Constitution...wonder what the SCOTUS will actually do?