The question now will be "Do you want Puerto Rico to be admitted as a State of the United States? YesXXNoXX'."
To many of us, this new plebiscite is not necessary, since we already had a plebiscite on Nov 6th. Since statehood won the majority of votes cast in the Nov. plebiscite, we should now move to what is described in Section 4. Congress should proceed with the necessary steps to admit Puerto Rico as a State of the Union.
Miriam Ramirez MD
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HR 2000 IH
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R.
2000
To set forth the process for Puerto Rico to be
admitted as a State of the Union.
IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 15,
2013
Mr. PIERLUISI (for himself, Mr. HOYER, Mr.
YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of
California, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. WAXMAN,
Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr.
MICA, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. KIND, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr.
DIAZ-BALART, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. ELLISON, Ms. CASTOR of Florida,
Ms. FUDGE, Mr. SCHOCK, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. POLIS, Mr. GRAYSON, Ms.
WILSON of Florida, Mr. GARCIA, and Ms. SHEA-PORTER) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To set forth the process for Puerto Rico to be
admitted as a State of the Union.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION
1. SHORT TITLE.
This
Act may be cited as the `Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act'.
SEC. 2.
FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a)
Findings- Congress finds the following:
(1) In
1898, Puerto Rico became a United States territory and persons born in Puerto
Rico have been granted United States citizenship by law since March 2, 1917.
(2)
Puerto Rico has been granted authority over local matters that is similar to
the authority that the several States possess, but Puerto Rico remains subject
to the powers of Congress under the Territory Clause of the Constitution of the
United States.
(3) The
approximately 3,700,000 residents of Puerto Rico do not have a democratic form
of government at the national level, because United States citizens residing in
the territory are disenfranchised in the election for the President and the
Vice President of the United States, are not represented in the United States
Senate, and their one representative in the United States House of
Representatives can only vote in committees of the United States House of
Representatives.
(4) The
Federal Government may--and often does--treat Puerto Rico and its residents
unequally under Federal program, tax, and other laws relative to the several
States and the District of Columbia and their residents.
(5) On
November 6, 2012, the Government of Puerto Rico held a two-part referendum. The
first question asked voters if Puerto Rico `should continue to have its present
form of territorial status'. Of the 1,798,987 voters who chose an option, 53.97
percent voted against continued territorial status.
(6) The
second question asked voters to express their preference among the three
possible alternatives to territorial status: statehood, independence, and
nationhood in free association with the United States. Of the 1,363,854 voters
who chose an option, 61.16 percent voted for statehood.
(7) The
number of votes cast in favor of statehood exceeded the number of votes cast in
favor of continued territorial status.
(b)
Purpose- The purpose of this Act is to provide for a federally authorized
ratification vote in Puerto Rico on the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union
as a State and, if a majority of voters ratify Puerto Rico's desire for
statehood, to describe the steps that the President and Congress shall take to
enable the admission of Puerto Rico as a State of the Union
SEC. 3. RATIFICATION VOTE.
The
State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico is authorized to provide for a
ratification vote on the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union as a State, in
accordance with rules and regulations determined by the Commission, including
qualifications for voter eligibility, with the following on the ballot:
`As a
State:
`(A)
Puerto Rico would be permanently united to the other States of the Union.
`(B)
All provisions of the Constitution of the United States that apply to the
States would apply to Puerto Rico.
`(C)
Individuals born in Puerto Rico would be United States citizens by virtue of
the Constitution of the United States, instead of by virtue of laws of the
United States.
`(D) Puerto
Rico would be treated equally with the other States in all Federal laws of
general application.
`(E)
There would be a period of transition to statehood, during which equal
treatment of Puerto Rico in program and tax laws would be phased in.
`(F)
Puerto Rico would be represented in the United States Senate by two Senators,
in the United States House of Representatives by a number of Representatives in
proportion to its share of the national population (and the number of Members
of the House of Representatives would be increased by the same number), and for
the election of the President and the Vice President of the United States by a
number of votes in the Electoral College equal to the number of its Senators
and Representatives.
`(G)
The Government of Puerto Rico, like the governments of the other States, would
have permanent authority over all matters not delegated to the Federal
Government or the people by the Constitution of the United States.
Do you
want Puerto Rico to be admitted as a State of the United States? YesXXNoXX'.
SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION.
(a)
Presidential Action- If a majority of votes cast in the ratification vote held
under section 3 are for the admission of Puerto Rico as a State of the Union,
the President, not later than 180 days after the certification of the vote,
shall submit to Congress legislation to admit Puerto Rico as a State of the
Union on an equal footing with the several States in all respects, consistent
with the terms of this Act.
(b)
Legislative Action- If a majority of votes cast in the ratification vote held
under section 3 are for the admission of Puerto Rico as a State of the Union,
this Act constitutes a commitment by Congress to act, through legislation, to
admit Puerto Rico as a State of the Union on an equal footing with the several
States in all respects, consistent with the terms of this Act.
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