NewsNational

Actions

US lawmakers urge binding vote on Puerto Rico statehood

Some Puerto Ricans struggle to find careers in Florida
Posted at 4:09 PM, May 19, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-19 16:09:00-04

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A group of Democratic congress members is proposing a binding plebiscite to decide whether Puerto Rico should become a state or gain some sort of independence.

The draft proposal unveiled at an online news conference Thursday would commit Congress to accepting Puerto Rico into the United States if voters on the island approve it.

But even if the plan were to pass the Democratic-led House, the proposal appears to have little chance in the Senate, where Republicans have long opposed statehood.

Voters also could choose outright independence or independence with free association, whose terms would be defined following negotiations.