Puerto Rico rep introduces bill to make territory a state

[struggle4progress]

BY JACQUELINE THOMSEN - 06/27/18 07:01 PM EDT

Puerto Rico's non-voting representative Jenniffer Gonzalez introduced a bill in Congress on Wednesday to grant statehood to the territory by 2021.

Gonzalez, the territory's resident commissioner, said the legislation currently has 14 Democratic and 20 Republican sponsors, the Associated Press reported.

“This is the first step to open a serious discussion regarding the ultimate status for the island,” Gonzalez said, according to the AP.

The legislation would establish a bipartisan task force to write a report on the laws that would have to be altered or rescinded to make the island a U.S. state. The report would then be sent to the president and Congress ...

http://thehill.com/latino/394530-puerto-rico-rep-introduces-bill-to-make-territory-a-state

[struggle4progress]

1. Puerto Rico introduces bill in Congress seeking statehood by 2021

Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since 1898. Its inhabitants are U.S. citizens, though they are barred from voting in presidential elections and have only one congressional representative with limited .. powers.

Gov. Ricardo Rossello said the island's unequal status is the cause for 5.4 million Puerto Ricans to currently reside in the continental U.S., a trend exacerbated by the damage inflicted in September by Hurricane Maria.

"In the past this issue has been very hard to move forward," Rossello said. "No longer do we want ambiguity. We want clarity. Either here in Congress you are with us or you are against the people of Puerto Rico."

CBS News' David Begnaud reports that more than 2,000 customers on the island still don't have power nine months after the storm ...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/puerto-rico-bill-seeking-statehood-today-2018-06-27/

[struggle4progress]

2. New bipartisan bill calls for Puerto Rico statehood

by Nicole Acevedo / Jun.27.2018 / 5:23 PM ET

... The bill, known as the Puerto Rico Admission Act of 2018 was presented by Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner, Jenniffer González-Colón, a Republican who authored the bill and is a nonvoting member of Congress ...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/new-bipartisan-bill-calls-puerto-rico-statehood-n887116

[standingtall]

3. Republicans will do everything in their power to either block this or stall it

My guess is Puerto Rico would be overwhelming Democratic. They would get at least two Senators about 6 congressmen and about 6 to 8 electoral votes. Something tells me republicans really wont like this.

[struggle4progress]

4. Elderly couple in Puerto Rico adjust to life without power

By Paula Machado | June 27, 2018

... “Last week they would come this week, this week they didn’t come,“ said Don Julio Sánchez about his frustration with the power company.

His house, small but spacious, is filled with fans that aren’t running.

“I was born and raised here,” the 88-year-old man said as he gave our crew a tour of his home.

“Over there was an orange tree,” he pointed to his backyard. “And that one right there is an avocado tree. They’re starting to grow again because Maria took them all" ...

http://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2018/06/28/maria--elderly-couple-in-puerto-rico-adjust-to-life-without-power

[Cha]

5. Kick.. gracias, struggle

[safeinOhio]

6. My advice is to try

becoming a Canadian Province. I wonder if we could too here in Michigan?

[HAB911]

7. LOL! That might push the GOP to allow statehood!