Should Puerto Rico become a state?

[Spark]

??

[ElectionsGuy]

Yes, either have it be a state or disband it from the US. The current situation (a territory with no real power) is the worst.

[LLR]

Of course! DC too.

[Lachi]

It basically is, just not in name, congress is just too lazy to do anything else about it, typical of recent congresses.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Aside from PPD hacks, who actually benefits from the status quo?

Anyway, statehood is better for Puerto Ricans.

[Sir Tiki]

If they want it, sure. Same with the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.

[DavidB.]

Nah, we can miss 2 more Democratic senators. Same for DC.

[Green Line]

No.. they're a colony, and nothing more.

[Santander]

If they want it, sure. Same with the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.

No, PR is not the same as the above. None of the above have significant populations, and they are all relatively new colonial acquisitions. The status quo allows them to have self-determination without paying federal taxes and do some things like set their own immigration policy. They basically operate as colonies should.

No.. they're a colony, and nothing more.

Hawaii was a colony before it wasn't. That is such bad reasoning it doesn't even qualify as logic.

Personally, I am supportive of either the status quo, statehood or even independence. Whatever they want is fine by me. If I were a Puerto Rican, I would support the status quo to preserve their uniqueness.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Yes. DC should be incorporated into Maryland, though.

[LLR]

It basically is, just not in name, congress is just too lazy to do anything else about it, typical of recent congresses.

Except that they have less rights, don't get voting representatives, and can't vote for president. Congress just won't give free seats to the democrats (even though the republican-affiliated party is strong in PR)

[Santander]

It basically is, just not in name, congress is just too lazy to do anything else about it, typical of recent congresses.

Except that they have less rights, don't get voting representatives, and can't vote for president. Congress just won't give free seats to the democrats (even though the republican-affiliated party is strong in PR)

Well, they can't vote for President or elect voting members of Congress, but they also do not pay federal taxes and historically have been exempt from much of the bullying from the federal government. At least DC residents can legitimately complain about "taxation without representation", and since the US is unique in its draconian policy of taxing its citizens who live abroad, it makes sense for American expats to be able to vote, as well.

[RaphaelDLG]

NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!

I mean, this is America, right?  But DC has it even worse; at least PR is exempt from one type of tax.

[Tartarus Sauce]

If it were to occur, I think it would be prudent to initiate Puerto Rico into the Union during a period of time where it wouldn't need to be immediately bailed out by the federal government upon entry. 

[Enduro]

Yes.

[Virginiá]

They should be given statehood, just like DC. However, at the very least, both DC and Puerto Rico should be given the same representation as states. The fact that they don't right now is downright shameful.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

They should be given statehood, just like DC. However, at the very least, both DC and Puerto Rico should be given the same representation as states. The fact that they don't right now is downright shameful.

Indeed. The D.C. has bigger population than Wyoming, yet doesn't have the same rights. I may be exxadurating, but it always seemed to me a bit colonial: direct federal rule and very limited, even now, self-government. The people of the District wants the statehood and should get one. If Brazilian Federal District and Australian Federal Territory have the same rights as other states, then there is simply no rationale, other than petty partisan considerations, to deny it to the D.C.

If Puerto Rico wants statehood (and at one point they voted to remain a "commonwealth") they should get one as well.

[President Johnson]

NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!

I mean, this is America, right?  But DC has it even worse; at least PR is exempt from one type of tax.

I couldn't agree more. Both should become states (though I personally prefer to integrate DC into either Virginia or Maryland).

[Gass3268]

If the bottom falls out for Republicans due to Trump and the Democrats take full control, second thing they should do (after national redistricting reform) is DC and Puerto Rican statehood.

[Virginiá]

I couldn't agree more. Both should become states (though I personally prefer to integrate DC into either Virginia or Maryland).

It would have to be Maryland, as the land DC occupies now was all part of Maryland. Virginia got its land back in the 1800s. However, Maryland would have to agree to this, and they never would. Adding DC to the state would turn the state power structure on its head, let alone the other effects.

On the other hand, MD would never have a Republican Governor again and would end up with a legislature as perpetually Democratic as Massachusetts.

Indeed. The D.C. has bigger population than Wyoming, yet doesn't have the same rights. I may be exxadurating, but it always seemed to me a bit colonial: direct federal rule and very limited, even now, self-government. The people of the District wants the statehood and should get one. If Brazilian Federal District and Australian Federal Territory have the same rights as other states, then there is simply no rationale, other than petty partisan considerations, to deny it to the D.C.

If Puerto Rico wants statehood (and at one point they voted to remain a "commonwealth") they should get one as well.

Arguably the biggest roadblock is partisan effects. Republicans know DC would just give Democrats 2 Senators that would be invincible to a GE challenge, same with the House Rep. Puerto Rico would probably be pretty Democratic itself, given the current shape of the GOP. The Republican Senate majority has not been above 55 in almost a century iirc, so imagine if Democrats got 4 extremely reliable Senators added permanently? Republicans probably wouldn't get more than 50 - 51 Senators at any one time for the next generation, and might even get locked out entirely for several cycles at a time.

On the upside, Democrats could turn both these places into states if they ever had unified control of the federal government. All it takes a regular bill to begin the process. For DC, the federal district would need to be pared back to only the land around critical federal buildings (Capitol/White House/etc), then the rest becomes New Columbia. Hopefully Democrats will finally fight back on this, because I think if the situation was reversed, Republicans would have attempted to long ago just to beef up their majorities. Hell, they've done worse for this purpose since 2010. I don't care if Democrats do it for purely partisan purposes, as long as they do it. As a former resident of DC, I have always deeply resented this bs.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

It would have to be Maryland, as the land DC occupies now was all part of Maryland. Virginia got its land back in the 1800s. However, Maryland would have to agree to this, and they never would. Adding DC to the state would turn the state power structure on its head, let alone the other effects.

Right. There were many tensions between Maryland's D.C. area and other parts of the state over influence already. It's characteristic that between 1867 and 1994 the state did not elect a Governor from the D.C. area.

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Precisely. It's similar to the situation in the late 50s, when admission of Alaska and Hawaii was discussed. Republicans were reluctant to let Alaska in, because it would become a Democratic stronghold, while Democrats feared Hawaii will be a Republican one. Though partisan identification essentially flipped since then, there was "balance" preserved.

Now there's no other potential Republican state to balance admission of D.C., yet alone Puerto Rico.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Nyet.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

If DC is pared down to the small area aroubd the Mall and the White House, do the residents of that tiny area still get three electoral votes?

[RaphaelDLG]

If DC is pared down to the small area aroubd the Mall and the White House, do the residents of that tiny area still get three electoral votes?

I would assume that (other than the White House) the only areas that would be legally considered part of DC would be non-residential buildings, even if it meant that DC was this patchy area that wasn't a nice neat square.

And no, obviously normatively the President and his/her spouse and children should not have their votes count equal to 1.5 million people.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Do does that mean that there has to be an amendment to repeal the relevant amendment giving DC the electoral votes?