House Passes Puerto Rico Status Act

The House has voted in favor of allowing Puerto Rico to choose its political status. The decision comes after years of the island being a territory and long held discussion over its status.

The bill, called the Puerto Rico Status Act, makes possible a plebiscite that will be held November of 2023 to allow eligible voters to choose from three political statuses: sovereignty in free association with the United States, independence, or statehood.

Discussions regarding whether or not Puerto Rico should be the 51st state have long been held, and it has divided lawmakers.

There were 233 votes in favor of the Puerto Rico Status Act while there were 191 votes against the legislation. Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) voted in favor of the legislation, joining Democrats like Rep. Lois Frankel (D), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), and Frederica Wilson (D), while Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R) voted against the bill joining the likes of Mario Diaz Balart (R).

Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R) supported the bill on the House floor, mentioning that she wasn't able to vote for the bill because of Puerto Rico's current political status. In her commented, González-Colón said that "with the adoption of this bill, this chamber is also recognizing and making clear that Puerto Rico's century-old territorial status is the problem and cannot be part of the solution. Of course, this bill is not perfect, but at least it will advance the issue."

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D) praised the vote, affirming that "for the first time in history, the House acknowledged the United States' role as a colonizing force in Puerto Rico."

The Democratic firebrand shared her comments on social media, explaining that "this self-determination bill is a first-of-its-kind - it lays out a process to start ending colonization and allow Puerto Ricans to decide their own future."