Push For Puerto Rico Statehood Vote Gets One Step Closer With House Approval

Topline

The House passed legislation on Thursday that would require Puerto Rico to vote on whether to change the island’s legal status next year, marking a significant step toward making the U.S. territory either a state or independent nation—though its future in the Senate is unclear.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

The House passed the measure 233-191, with 16 Republicans and 217 Democrats voting in favor.

The Puerto Rico Status Act, which now heads to the Senate, would require Puerto Rico to hold a binding vote next year on whether to become the 51st state, an independent country or a sovereign state in “free association” with the U.S., a status held by a handful of small island nations in the Pacific.

The plebiscite vote, which would be held in November next year, requires one of the three options to obtain 50% or more of votes or a second vote would be held in March of the following year between the top two options.

The Biden Administration supported the measure, and called on Congress to “put the future of Puerto Rico’s political status in the hands of Puerto Ricans.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), whose mother is from Puerto Rico, presided over the resolution’s passage and said it marked “the first time in our nation’s history, the U.S. recognized its role as a colonizing force.”

What To Watch For

The resolution is unlikely to net the support of the 10 Republican senators needed to avoid a filibuster in the upper chamber, which is not expected to take up the legislation before the end of the year. It faces an even more uncertain future in the next Congress, which will be split between a Republican-controlled House and Democratic controlled Senate, meaning it’s likely to be tabled for at least the next two years.

Key Background

The House has taken up similar measures to address Puerto Ricans’ concerns about its status, which prohibits citizens from voting in presidential elections and benefitting from some federal programs. But this is the first time the House has passed a resolution that would require a binding referendum mandating the federal government to recognize Puerto Rico’s decision. The island, which has been a U.S. territory since 1898, has voted on at least six previous referendums, but none have received a majority of votes needed to move the issue forward. Puerto Ricans are largely divided into three factions regarding its relationship with the United States, two of which are represented in the legislation passed Thursday: becoming a state or an independent country. Puerto Rico’s Popular Democratic Party, however, prefers the territory maintain its current status as a U.S. commonwealth, which was not included among the options.

Contra

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced competing legislation earlier this year that would allow Puerto Rico to remain a commonwealth, noting that “many Puerto Ricans do not want to change their status,” he said.