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Congress debates Puerto Rico referendum (Vote Today)
Google AP ^
| April 29, 2010
| JIM ABRAMS
Posted on 04/29/2010 10:44:57 AM PDT by Red Steel
WASHINGTON The House on Thursday took up legislation that could set in motion changes in Puerto Rico's 112-year relationship with the United States, including a transition to statehood or independence.
The House bill would give the 4 million residents of the island commonwealth a two-step path to expressing how they envision their political future.
Initially, eligible voters, including those born in Puerto Rico but residing in the United States, would vote on whether they wish to keep their current political status or opt for a different direction.
If a majority are in favor of changing the current situation, the Puerto Rican government would be authorized to conduct a second vote and people would choose among three options: statehood, independence and sovereignty in association with the United States. Congress would have to vote on whether Puerto Rico becomes a state.
Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico's non-voting delegate to the House, said that while the island has had votes on similar issues in the past, Congress has never authorized a process where Puerto Ricans state whether they should remain a U.S. territory or seek a nonterritorial status.
-snip-
Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory at the end of the Spanish-American War. Those born on the island were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917 and Puerto Rico gained commonwealth status in 1952.
Today, Puerto Ricans serve in the military but can't vote in presidential elections. They do not pay income tax on income earned on the island.
In the last referendum, "none of the above" garnered 50 percent of the vote, topping the other options including statehood at 46.5 percent and independence at 2.5 percent.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
TOPICS: Breaking News; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: demsdesperate; demvoter; puertorico; statehood
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1
posted on
04/29/2010 10:44:57 AM PDT
by
Red Steel
To: Red Steel
Rush just said they are voting on this now.
2
posted on
04/29/2010 10:45:24 AM PDT
by
Red Steel
To: Red Steel
Wouldn’t it be a ‘kick in the pants’ if:
1) The voters in PR turned it down
OR
2) They came in and all were conservatives!
3
posted on
04/29/2010 10:48:10 AM PDT
by
K-oneTexas
(I'm not a judge and there ain't enough of me to be a jury. (Zell Miller, A National Party No More))
To: Red Steel
I lived in Puerto Rico for a time. Please Lord, do NOT let them become a State!
To: K-oneTexas
Dont be a fool. The Dems are only pushing this because:
1. It will ruin our nice 50 state flage
2. It bring in mindless drone voter
3. Changes our English-only country.
5
posted on
04/29/2010 10:50:07 AM PDT
by
WOSG
(OPERATION RESTORE AMERICAN FREEDOM - NOVEMBER, 2010 - DO YOUR PART!)
To: Red Steel
I say give ‘em back to Spain.....
To: Red Steel
It’s racist to deny Democrats 2 more Senate seats. :)
7
posted on
04/29/2010 10:51:20 AM PDT
by
Tzimisce
(No thanks. We have enough government already. - The Tick)
To: WOSG
"Don't be a fool."
Thanks for adding so much reality to my obviously foolish comment. Sorry I was making a joke on such a world shattering issue.
8
posted on
04/29/2010 10:52:11 AM PDT
by
K-oneTexas
(I'm not a judge and there ain't enough of me to be a jury. (Zell Miller, A National Party No More))
To: K-oneTexas
And sorry for jumping on you with my ‘reality check’ comment.
9
posted on
04/29/2010 10:54:12 AM PDT
by
WOSG
(OPERATION RESTORE AMERICAN FREEDOM - NOVEMBER, 2010 - DO YOUR PART!)
To: Red Steel; Stillwaters
Keeping an eye on this thread for updates on the vote, which is apparently taking place now.
10
posted on
04/29/2010 10:55:35 AM PDT
by
lonevoice
(If Fox News is the only outlet reporting it, did it really happen?)
To: Red Steel
You watch! After Puerto Rico comes KENYA!
To: WOSG
This no doubt just an attempt to get us closer to the 57 states.
12
posted on
04/29/2010 10:58:41 AM PDT
by
YoungHickey
(Is it time yet, Claire?)
To: K-oneTexas; WOSG
13
posted on
04/29/2010 10:58:58 AM PDT
by
TSgt
(We will always be prepared, so we may always be free. - Ronald Reagan)
To: lonevoice
Keeping an eye on this thread for updates on the vote, which is apparently taking place now. That's exactly what I'm doing as well. Does anyone know where we can go to find real-time voting results on this? I checked out CSPAN's website but didn't see anything there.
To: Red Steel; PJ-Comix
More:
Is Puerto Rico about to become the 51st state?
Although it has not received much play in the mainstream media, the U.S. House is voting today on a bill that could ultimately result in Puerto Rico becoming the fifty-first state. The notion of Puerto Rican statehood is nothing new. Residents of the commonwealth have voted three times on the question of whether Puerto Rico should become a state, most recently in 1996. Each time, residents voted to retain the island's extant status.
This time could be the "charm" for Democrats in Congress, who see a golden opportunity in winning Puerto Rican over as a state. Seating two more senators and as many as six Congressmen likely to align themselves with the Democrats would give the party in power even more control going forward.
By P.J. Gladnick
Shhh!
Don't tell anybody but Congress is scheduled to vote today on H.R. 2499, a bill that could end up paving the way to Puerto Rican statehood, that is being presented with such incredible stealth that it has been given almost no coverage in the mainstream media. In fact, about the only person in the media shining a light on this bill until recently has been Glenn Beck. Liberals can be expected to write off Beck's criticisms of H.R. 2499 as just another example of "right-wing kookery." Frances Martel of Mediaite has already mocked Beck for his opposition to this bill.
However, liberals will have a hard time writing off similar criticisms of the stealth Puerto Rico status bill being made by liberal Democrat Luis Gutierrez of Illinois who is of Puerto Rican descent. While reading Guiterrez slamming H.R. 249 in his Huffington Post blog, you sometimes have to slap yourself as a reminder that these criticisms are not coming from a conservative Republican...or Glenn Beck:
H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico statehood bill was brought to the House this week after a surprise announcement last Thursday. Debate on this bill has been severely limited by the way Democratic Leaders are managing the process. Democratic Puerto Rican Members of Congress are being shut out of the process and will be severely limited in their ability to debate the bill and offer amendments. Under the current Democratic Leadership, there will be less opportunity for Members and for the people of Puerto Rico to gain a better understanding of the bill.
With oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, the debate over financial reform heating up and Congress castigating Goldman Sachs, news that a proposed House bill will give Puerto Ricans a chance to vote for statehood has been largely overlooked by the media. The exception is a small but vehement group of conservative pundits, who over the past week have repeatedly sounded the alarm on the familiar right-wing obsession.
- Answers Before Adding a State Doc Hastings, a House Republican for West Virginia, makes the case against the bill in a guest column for RedState. "If a Congressionally-sanctioned vote is going to be held, it must come with an open, thorough understanding of what independence or statehood would mean to Puerto Rico and the existing 50 states," he argues, citing a need for a full debate on the issue that addresses the effect Puerto Rican statehood would have on the rest of America. "The bottom line is that there are many questions that have not been answered, and there are a great many implications that arent being considered or even discussed."
- The Latest Progressive Conspiracy Never one to back away from a conspiracy theory, Glenn Beck labels the bill a progressive plot to use a 19th-century plan for statehood in Tennessee to make Puerto Rico a state and further "transform America." Beck details precisely how progressives will carry out their scheme:
Congressmen voting for HR 2499 are like sheep being led to slaughter. They'll say the people of Puerto Rico have a right to vote for themselves. They'll vote yes. The progressives will then present a false choice to the people. Instead of saying "do you want to be a state?"it's "Do you want the status quo?" If voters vote no, the next vote removes the status quo from the ballot, leaving statehood against two far less popular options. They'll vote yes for statehood. Then they'll elect their congressman and senators, they'll demand to be seated and a 51st star will be attached to the flag.
More at each of the links
15
posted on
04/29/2010 11:01:03 AM PDT
by
Syncro
(TPX IV Coming soon!)
To: rightwingextremist1776
agreed
I hardly ever see a PR with an American flag to them they are PR’s but take off America.
Let Spain have it or let them go their own way but everyone see how the MSM hide this until it’s too late for anyone to say anything or how the rats are now trying to get more senators and overturn the gains the GOP has done
If the founding fathers saw this they would be turning in their graves
16
posted on
04/29/2010 11:03:15 AM PDT
by
manc
(WILL OBAMA EVER GO TO CHURCH ON A SUNDAY OR WILL HE LET THE MEDIA/THE LEFT BE FOOLED FOR EVER)
To: Red Steel
In the last referendum It's happened before. It's news but it isn't.
17
posted on
04/29/2010 11:04:05 AM PDT
by
a fool in paradise
(The hysteria of Matthewsism and Andersonism has led to a Tea Party Scare that is unAmerican.)
To: WOSG
Good, let’s add a number of other states to the flag then to afford them proper senatorial and electoral representation then.
New England states are the HELL over represented as a power base in this country.
Texas into the 5 states it was proposed as and California into North and South...
18
posted on
04/29/2010 11:05:41 AM PDT
by
a fool in paradise
(The hysteria of Matthewsism and Andersonism has led to a Tea Party Scare that is unAmerican.)
To: YoungHickey
Obama has also supported the secessionists in Hawaii who no longer want to be a state.
19
posted on
04/29/2010 11:06:50 AM PDT
by
a fool in paradise
(The hysteria of Matthewsism and Andersonism has led to a Tea Party Scare that is unAmerican.)
To: a fool in paradise
No. Texas is stronger all together.
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