In push for statehood, Puerto Rico announces vote to choose 2 senators and 5 representatives

AP via Fox News ^ | 01/05/2017

[cll]

The Puerto Rico Statehood movement's attempt at the territory becoming the 51st state mirrors Tennessee's bid, which face rejection and many hurdles before finally becoming a state. In a 2012 referendum, a majority of voters rejected the current territorial status and selected statehood as the next step. In the 2016 elections, the pro-statehood PNP (Spanish acronym for the New For-Progress Party) soundly defeated the status-quo-supporting Popular Democrat Party.

[Gaffer]

It will take at least a majority of the US House and Senate and the President to sign off on this, AFTER a vote has been taken in PR and a request submitted.

PR, don’t expect that anytime soon, dude.

[cll]

Feliz Año Nuevo!

Puerto Rico Ping! Please Freepmail me if you want on or off the list.

[Drango]

NO.

[Buckeye McFrog]

They have had chances in the past to become a state, and have always rejected them.

They actually have a terrorist movement dedicated to full independence.

[InsidiousMongo]

Funny how they are pushing this even more now that the Republicans hold a majority in both houses with a Republican President.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Hey Puerto Rico - you can become a state when Californexico leaves.

[C19fan]

"The United States cannot pretend to be a model of democracy for the world while it discriminates against 3.5 million of its citizens in Puerto Rico, depriving them of their right to political, social and economic equality under the U.S. flag," Rossello said in his inaugural speech, delivered in Spanish. "There is no way to overcome Puerto Rico's crisis given its colonial condition."

Fine here is your independence. Take it if you don't want to be a "colony".

[Moonman62]

NO! NO! and NO!

[Awgie]

NEVER! Just a stealth method of increasing Democrat power in congress.

[cll]

That was, like, in the 50s through the 70s. Check ecent history in my comment at # 1.

[rjsimmon]

Puerto Rico... The Greece of the United States...

[Moonman62]

They are pushing it because they are in deep financial trouble and want somebody else to pay for it.

I imagine the Democrats are pushing it too, because they know how PR will vote.

[Mr. Douglas]

Sounds like a twist on the cargo cult.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult

[JimRed]

We do not need another liberal-infested welfare state, and certainly not two liberal senators and five liberal congressmen!

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Cut them loose - full independence. No way should they be a state.

[pgkdan]

They’re pushing statehood because their bankrupt. Give them independence and let them figure it out.

[17th Miss Regt]

Independence ==> no more welfare

And they are a financial basket case already.

[dsrtsage]

Do we need Puerto Rexico as another money pit full of democrats?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

We watched a film on PR history last night.
I didn’t know there was a fatality that drove the Navy off the island.

Interesting piece on the telescope, karst territory, etc.