Are there any advantages other than getting Congressmen and voting for President?

electoral college would change for the states, which could be good

Oh, and every male citizen between 18 and 25 would have to register with selective service and they all better buy Obamacare recognized insurance or start paying hefty fines (er, taxes I mean, yeah taxes) for not having it.

And they would have to stop buying and selling Cuban cigars and other products banned by the Feds, be it the FDA, ATF, or Customs.

Well, yeah. They would be eligible for FEMA money when a hurricane hits. They would be eligible for welfare and social security. There are plenty of benefits too.

But Puetro Ricans are US citizens, aren't they? Don't they already get SS?

Wow Peuorto Rico would come in with some clout.

7 Representatives and 9 Electoral votes!

I little quick research show they pay into it, so yes they get it. They are "statutory" US citizens so I guess they get quite a bit from my research. But that just means there will be even less support for statehood.

In the western expansion, people in a territory wanted a uniqueidentity, not just to be lumped into "the West" which is why states expanded as they did. But Puerto Rico needs none of that. They have their unique identity. Alaska and Hawaii were before the statutory citizenship so those people wanted the benefits that came with it. But PR already gets that, so again, no reason to switch over. So the only real balance, it seems, is the right to have a say in the government versus the obligation to start footing more of the bill via federal income tax.

that feel when Puerto Rico would have more EVs and Congressman than your state

Residents of Puerto Rico have both Puerto Rican citizenship as well as American citizenship.

I'm of the opinion that even if peuorto Rico would vote yes Congress would not accept it.

*Puerto

That would be one hell of a vote though. It would probably city reps vs. rural and large states vs. small. In the end though I don't see any conceivable way Peurto Rico would be admitted, although it could become a big political issue for the next century.

This all assumes that Puerto Ricans want admission.

^ which most of the ones I speak with don't... and I have a lot of PR friends in the hispanic community I hang with.

Puerto Rico for statehood? Yeah, sounds good to me

Prolly not gonna happen. about as likely as scotland seceeding

Puerto Rico would lose athletes in the Olympics once they become a state.

@2ndWhiteline every American has citizenship in their state as well as the national citizenship. Puerto Ricans use US passports when they travel. Not Puerto Rican ones.

51 States? Huh....that's funny....because "President" Obama thinks there are already 57 states....so who are we giving 6 states away to?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws

@Sicarius: so it's a certainty, then. (Try 'seceding'.)

As I understood it it was a near certainty that scotland would remain part of the UK? perhaps my news sources are too pro-english.

Hey thanks for correcting my spelling, I really enjoy it when people show they're superior to me by having spell-check.

Scotland going off on their own isn't a pro or anti English issue. It's anti-British, certainly, and anti-Scottish for that matter. But you're right, Sic, it ain't going to happen. The Scots know a good deal when they see one, and the UK is one of the best.

sorry for being snappy Ive had a rough weekend

The vote is not self-executing though. If they vote to become a state, Congress would still have to vote to admit them as one.

Yes, I understand that. I was just curious what the ramifications would be if it were to happen.

Cool abge, sorry. Just making sure.

Yeah, it would get a bunch of Congresscritters, and some electoral votes, at the expense of other states (since the total number of both is currently fixed).

It sounds dumb, but a lot of people just like an even 50 states.

And it could be a slippery slope of you start admitting territories and protectorates. The US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa etc might want in too.

"Prolly" isn't a word. Oh, how that bugs me.

I say whatever the people of Puerto Rico (which Chrome thinks is spelled wrong) want is what should happen. Personally, I'm pulling for the statehood option since dealing with who remains a US citizen in the event of independence likely to be a huge mess.


I'd like to know more about this thing, though. If the people chose to change from the status quo they are given three options: independence, free association, or statehood. Does the winning position need a majority or just a plurality to pass?

"Yeah, it would get a bunch of Congresscritters, and some electoral votes, at the expense of other states (since the total number of both is currently fixed)."

No. The House membership is arbitrarily set by law at 435, but Puerto Rico's Senate seats would alter the Electoral College math by two. the best part about admitting Puerto Rico would likely be that the House would be allowed to expand for the first time in over a hundred years...

True, Invictus, I forgot about the increase of 2 in the EC.

I don't know that it's clear they would increase the House. They didn't for AK or HI.

With big, blue, Rust Belt states hemorrhaging seats every census and California not getting a new one in 2010 for the first time since it join the Union, I think the shock of seven Puerto Rican Congressmen will convince a lot of politicians it's time to do some more remodeling in the Capitol.