HURRICANE – West Virginia became a state because they stood on principle. Originally a part of Virginia, they rejected the rebellion of the Confederacy in favor of membership in the Union.
It is fitting that a key West Virginian could have a pivotal role in standing on principle and helping add another state to the union – Puerto Rico.
Senator Joe Manchin, as Chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, has the opportunity to support the committee holding a hearing on Puerto Rico statehood and moving the bill out of the committee.
Fuentes
Puerto Ricans recently voted in favor of statehood, which was the third vote on the island in favor of statehood in less than a decade. Puerto Rico has been a part of the United States since 1898, and Puerto Ricans have been granted U.S. citizenship since 1917.
Yet, the American citizens of Puerto Rico are relegated to second-class citizen status because their home is a U.S. territory.
As a territory, Puerto Rican voters are not able to vote for the President of the United States, which is especially egregious since Puerto Ricans have fought alongside other Americans in every war since World War 1. Puerto Ricans do not have any representation in the Senate, and their Member of Congress has very limited powers, much less than a typical representative. They cannot vote for legislation on the House floor, even if that bill will directly impact Puerto Rico.
Statehood is the morally right thing to do- to give the American citizens in Puerto Rico full rights.
Some may argue that a bill to make Puerto Rico a state would never pass the Senate. First, just because it might not pass, does not mean our elected officials shouldn’t do the right thing. Second, we recently saw Republican Senator Marco Rubio come out strongly in favor of Puerto Rico statehood, encouraging Congress to take action.
Republican Senator Rick Scott also supported Puerto Rico statehood during his 2018 Senate campaign, and his office recently released a statement saying that Puerto Rico’s statehood vote should be honored. This shows Puerto Rico statehood has bipartisan support, increasing the likelihood that the bill could pass the Senate's 60-vote threshold.
While some Republicans have expressed concerns that Puerto Rico statehood would lead directly to two Democratic senators, this fear is unfounded. Not only has Puerto Rico previously elected right-leaning governors, their elected representative in the U.S. House is a Republican, and the island’s house and senate were led by Republicans last session as well. The Puerto Rican people are moderates, they lean socially conservative, but understand the role the government can play to take care of those in need.
In fact, the political leanings of Puerto Rico mirror West Virginia to a degree, a state that votes for many Republicans, but will also support candidates like Senator Joe Manchin, who supports their values. Puerto Rico likely will follow this same path, supporting candidates, regardless of party, who support issues they care about like a robust economy, more jobs, and strong family values.
I am a Puerto Rico native and now call West Virginia my home. I see a lot of similarities between the cultural and national pride between Puerto Ricans and West Virginians.
With an increasing number of Republicans coming out in favor of Puerto Rico statehood, we are counting on Democratic leaders in positions of power like Senator Joe Manchin to do the right thing and support legislation for Puerto Rico to finally become a state. Hopefully one day, with equal rights, we are able to restore our economy and infrastructure, increasing the livelihood of those Puerto Ricans that stay on the island or migrate to the mainland.
Fuentes lives in Hurricane.