The Puerto Rico Status Act passed the House of Representatives in a 233-191 vote, with 16 Republicans joining all present Democrats to pass the bill.
According to the 2020 census, Puerto Rico’s population sits at more than 3.2 million, greater than the population of 20 current U.S. states. Puerto Rico has been a territory of the United States since 1898, in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since the 1917 passage of the Jones-Shafroth Act, but they do not have electoral votes for president or voting representation in Congress.
“Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have had an important place in the American family for over a century,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. “They contribute to American culture. They help protect America’s national security. They support the American economy and our shared prosperity. They are American citizens like you and me.”
"I am Puerto Rico's only voice in Congress," said Jenniffer González-Colón, the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. "I represent 3.2 million American citizens living back home, more constituents than anyone in this chamber – and yet, while we consider a bill I helped write, a bill that will directly impact the life of every citizen I represent, I still must rely and depend on everybody here because I can not vote on the floor.
The measure now heads to the Senate. It's unclear whether it has enough Republican support to overcome a filibuster, or if the Senate can take it up with so much left to do with just weeks left before the new Congress takes over in January.writing in a statement of support
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