Congress to examine Puerto Rican status vote

Puerto Rican politicos traveled to Capitol Hill yesterday and argued for and against a congressionally ordered referendum to decide the island’s political status.

The Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009 was recently introduced to the House of Representatives for debate. If approved, Puerto Ricans on the island would get a two-tiered vote on whether to keep the island as a commonwealth or change the political status to an independent country or the 51st U.S. state. It’s vital to note the double-edged nature of the vote since Congress, not the Puerto Rican electorate, would have the final say on the island’s future. (Some vote, huh?)

Opponents of the proposal like Puerto Rico's House Minority Speaker Héctor Ferrer and other pro-commonwealth advocates argued that the bill unfairly favors a path to statehood. On the other hand, Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño (representing the pro-statehood PNP) claimed that a referendum is beneficial:

“The reality is that the island’s current status does not enable the people of Puerto Rico to fulfill their potential for social, economic and political development,” the island’s governor said Wednesday in a hearing of the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Fortuño said that despite the inflow of some $20 billion in U.S. federal assistance each year, Puerto Rico continues to suffer from a chronic problem of low economic performance.

He said the measure presented by Puerto Rico’s non-voting representative to Congress, Pedro Pierluisi, provides for a “just and impartial” process, without taking a position in favor of or against the options on the table.

Puerto Rico was established as a commonwealth in 1952 and since then Puerto Ricans have voted in three plebiscites to continue with that status.

Image- LAHT (Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño favors a congressionally ordered referendum for the island).
Online Sources- LAHT, etaiwannews.com, Miami Herald