Posted on 10/18/2020 8:42:57 AM PDT by Kaslin
Puerto Rico statehood has made national headlines in recent weeks as Democrats threaten granting statehood to both Puerto Rico and D.C. in retaliation for President Trump nominating Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy left by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. In response, several Republicans have come out against statehood for the island, with the implication that the territory would only support Democrat federal elected officials. While Puerto Rico is more valuable to our nation than as a political football, these fears are unfounded. With Puerto Ricans voting on a statehood referendum on November 3rd, known as a plebiscite, statehood is becoming even more of a real possibility - and, unlike D.C. statehood, would be the correct and constitutionally congruent decision for the U.S. and Puerto Rico alike.
Politically, fears a Puerto Rican state would mean Republicans never get the Senate back are unfounded. For evidence, one can simply look at the Islands current elected representatives. Not only is Puerto Ricos current congressional representative a Republican, Jenniffer González, the current Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced is also a Republican. Puerto Ricos House and Senate are both led by Republicans as well.
In addition, the values of many Puerto Ricans on the island also closely mirror those of traditional Republicans, with a strong emphasis on family values and the Puerto Rican legislature has been known to pass conservative legislation.
Historically, the national Republican Party has been in support of Puerto Rico statehood. Since 1940, Republicans have favored statehood for the island. Past Republican presidents, including Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush have all issued their support for statehood.
A letter from President Reagan from June 22, 1989, read:
My beliefs toward Puerto Rico statehood remain as they were while I was in office. I feel that Puerto Rican statehood would benefit both the people of Puerto Rico and their fellow American citizens in the 50 states...Puerto Ricans have fought beside us for decades and worked beside us for generations. Should the people of Puerto Rico choose statehood in a free and democratic election, we would work together to devise a union of promise and opportunity in our Federal union of sovereign States.
Even when I served as chairman of the Young Republican National Federation our national committee - representing tens of thousands of members - overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution supporting Puerto Rico statehood.
Puerto Rico is currently in the process of choosing statehood in a free and democratic election in less than a month. This will be the third time that Puerto Ricans have gone to the polls to vote on the status of their island, but this one is the most significant, because it asks simply: Should Puerto Rico be admitted immediately into the Union as a State?
If those on the Island vote for statehood November 3rd, it is incumbent upon Congress to act. As it stands, Puerto Ricans, although they are American citizens, are not granted the full rights of every other citizen. They don't get full voting representation in Congress. And although Puerto Rico residents are required to pay federal and social security taxes, in addition to other taxes, they do not qualify for all the same benefits as other Americans. This should be unacceptable to all Americans.
Not only is honoring the statehood vote of the Puerto Rican people the morally right thing to do, it may prove to be a major political asset for Republicans at every level of government.
Times change. If Hawaii were still a territory today, it's possible that they wouldn't want to become a state.
But it's not just Hawaii. The world trend is against meganations and empires.
Exactly how would PR statehood benefit the US?
I am not in favor of statehood for either.
But if the people of Puerto Rico vote for statehood, we kind of owe it to them. Maybe it should be an “either or” deal. Either they become a state or they become a independent country.
As for DC, if they want ‘statehood’ hand the relevant areas back to Virginia and Maryland.
IN any case, each of those represent two more Democrat Senators.
Well, we’d only need six more states to get to bammy’s 57 states....:)
Right. Remember, we provided them tons of supplies--which were subsequently found rotting away in a warehouse, undistributed? That's the corrupt, inept PR.
So far, every time Puerto Rico has had a referendum (there have been at least five), a majority have said that they do not want to become a state. The only exception was the 2017 referendum, which 80% of the voters boycotted to protest the never-ending referendums and the pro-statehood administration’s use of public funds to subsidize the pro-statehood vote.
I think its a little more complicated than this. First, the GOP is not actually the main party affiliation of these women. They belong to the Nee Progressive Party. They are also affiliated with the GOP but the name of the GOP does not appear on the ballot. In addition, one of these ladies was a Democrat until very recently. She switched when the Dem Party became a pariah in Puerto Rico after the hurricane.
I am not saying that the GOP could not win PR, but it wouldnt be easy.
No thanks. The Flag would look too weird.
No, to either. We don’t need any more islands as states. Contiguous only. Alberta, the only conservative province in Canada and its economic engine, where the people actually like Americans, looks like a likely candidate. In exchange, we’ll give Canada California as their newest province which they can call Mexico West
No to both PR and DC, unless we want permanent Rat rule
In exchange, well give Canada California as their newest province which they can call Mexico West
You’d have to give them Washington and Oregon, too.
“As for DC, if they want statehood hand the relevant areas back to Virginia and Maryland.”
The people in DC should be voting as citizens of whichever state the territory was carved from. (I think the VA part never got returned to DC after the Civil War, anyway.)
“IN any case, each of those represent two more Democrat Senators.”
Not true. DC for sure but PR would be contestable and they actually have fundamentally conservative values. The reason that they are viewed as a dependency is because they have been treated that way. If Republicans actually made an effort PR could be a staunch Red state and reliably conservative.
“In exchange, well give Canada California as their newest province which they can call Mexico West”
Are we going to gives them all our military bases too?
I think the US would have to pay Spain to take it back
Nope, no thanks. No to Peurto Rico and DC as States.
At the same time we need DC as a state hood like we need a hole in the head.
Puerto Rico voters will vote Republican see Trumps strength in Florida with them but DC would vote for Charles Manson if he had a D in front of his name
“Youd have to give them Washington and Oregon, too.”
‘’’’or what’s left of them after the riots. I was thinking maybe giving the new Calicanadians a narrow road easement to go up there through the remnants of Oregon and Washington.
The Congress should require P.R. to balance its budget with a sinking fund to retire its outstanding debt. And maybe kick in a few dollars to help this happen.
As for D.C., its citizens should vote for federal offices as part of Maryland (with Maryland getting another Congressman based on the population of both it and DC). Similarly, the citizens of the U.S. Virgin Island can vote for federal offices as part of Florida, Guam as part of Hawaii, and Northern Marianas Island as part of Alaska (if those states would have them).
Precedent of P.R. could result in other pro-democracy and pro-capitalist Latin Republics, with a high standard of living, to join. Right now, I’m thinking Chile. But, I could be persuaded as to Panama, Costa Rica, Dominican Rep., Colombia and Peru.
Just to be sure, each of these countries has a strong center-right party, like our Republican Party.
And, speaking of new states, what about the far-flung English speaking democracies of the world? And what about Japan and Poland?
Leave the U.N. for the dictatorships and let the U.S. be for the democracies.
In view of the possibility of many new states, we should freeze the number of stars at 50.
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