Top officials in Puerto Rico say they believe they can make progress toward statehood, after voters on the island approved a statehood referendum and now that Democrats control Congress and the White House.
In interviews, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi (D) and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R) said they believed they can build bipartisan support for a statehood measure in the House this year, though both acknowledged the uphill fight such a bill would face in the Senate.
“It will have a substantial majority of support with votes from both sides of the aisle. Primarily Democrats, but there will be a significant number of Republicans supporting the bill. The time has come for Puerto Rico to become a state,” Pierluisi said in an interview. “The ball will go to the Senate’s court, where it will be a tougher fight.” Read more>>
