Congressional Support for Puerto Rican Statehood Grows Before November Election

With Puerto Rican voters living on the island less than two months away from casting their ballots on a seventh plebiscite vote asking for statehood, there appears to be increasing momentum in support of Puerto Rico becoming the 51^st in the Union.

Now pressure is on the U.S. Congress to pass the 2024 Puerto Rico Status Act.

The measure has been spearheaded in the House of Representatives by Arizona's Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva and in the Senate by New Mexico Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich, but several members of the Florida congressional delegation have also been at the forefront of supporting statehood for Puerto Rico.

Florida Rep. Darren Soto (D), the architect and sponsor of the 2021 “Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act” recently told The Floridian that military veterans on the island would see their benefits matched with the benefits of mainland U.S. veterans.

Island veterans don’t receive the same amount of benefits as fellow Puerto Rican veterans living in places like Florida and New York.

“They served this country. It makes a lot easier when it’s a state,” said Rep. Soto, who recently spoke to the Puerto Rican Secretary of State about the upcoming vote.

Echoing Soto, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) outlined how Puerto Ricans are often seen as “second-class citizens” and are hamstrung with other different disadvantages.

“In addition to veterans’ benefits, there are so many different disadvantages that Puerto Ricans have because they are not, they don't have statehood,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “Without statehood, they've essentially been treated too often as second-class citizens.”

Rep. Wasserman Schultz points out that “assistance to veterans aren't equal to the programs that are provided formulaically and funding wise for people who are in states, in the continental U.S.,” and believes that “every citizen of the United States including all Puerto Ricans have an opportunity for equality and for representation and for their voices to be counted in the elections.”

“I'm supportive of statehood. I was supportive of that legislation and I'm hopeful that I'm glad that  the Puerto Rican people have the opportunity to go to the polls and express how they feel definitively," she added.

Congressional Democrats are not alone in their support for statehood for Puerto Rico, as House Republicans are also expressing their support for the upcoming Plebiscite vote.

“I support a path forward for Puerto Rico as laid out in the Puerto Rico Status Act. Puerto Ricans should be able to chart their own path to statehood,” said Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) in a statement to The Floridian.

Although Rep. Salazar’s congressional neighbor, Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R), did not specifically come out supporting statehood like Soto, Salazar, and Wasserman Schultz, he does support the plebiscite and is in favor of letting Puerto Ricans decide whether they want or need statehood.

“Let’s see how the vote comes out. I’m fine with people determining if they want statehood,” said Rep. Gimenez.

Puerto Ricans will head to the polls on November 5 to decide their fate on whether they stay a U.S. territory or become a state, something Florida Congressional leaders are watching.