Puerto Rican independence bill goes to U.S. House vote on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Puerto Ricans could move a step closer to a referendum on whether the island should become a U.S. state, an independent country or have another type of government when the House of Representatives votes Thursday on a bill outlining the process.
A House committee approved the Puerto Rico Status Act on Wednesday, paving the way for the full House vote.
The legislation lays out terms of a plebiscite as well as three potential self-governing statuses - independence, full U.S. statehood or sovereignty with free association with the United States. The latter is in place in Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands.
Puerto Rico, which has about 3.3 million people and high rates of poverty, became a U.S. territory in 1898. Activists have campaigned for greater self-determination including statehood for decades.
https://tealfeed.com/films-voir-avatar-2-la-voie-duzbp
https://tealfeed.com/avatar-2-la-voie-de-leau-yeqfm
https://tealfeed.com/voir-avatar-2-la-voie-de-bcujb
https://tealfeed.com/2-2022-imax-hd-3bawh
https://tealfeed.com/2-2022-4k-avatar-2-hk-5odhl
https://tealfeed.com/avatar-2-2022-re-release-hd-jctji
https://tealfeed.com/hd-avatar-2-water-2-2022-okuyp
https://tealfeed.com/avatar-water-avatar-o-caminho-da-wp2qc
https://tealfeed.com/assistir-avatar-o-caminho-da-gua-er4lx
https://tealfeed.com/ver-avatar-2-el-sentido-del-t1eor
https://tealfeed.com/cuevana3-ver-avatar-2-el-sentido-elsuu
https://pastelink.net/nuksk5me
http://ben-kiki.org/ypaste/data/62383/index.html
https://yamcode.com/cteh6ji388
https://www.pastery.net/zgwsyc/
https://paste.feed-the-beast.com/view/83d02628
https://paste.cutelyst.org/Ft4OdL1hQ
https://paste.toolforge.org/view/45997220
https://www.onlinegdb.com/edit/m1tnH8qkY
https://pasteio.com/xW7QQb0nPCLt
https://paiza.io/projects/HP9gCwfUP4WyYriqSLfHUQ?language=php
https://ide.geeksforgeeks.org/59596d4e-cf05-416c-956c-a4cd960ae245
http://pastebin.falz.net/2477511
https://paste.firnsy.com/paste/rDnCUq7n58m
https://telegra.ph/asasasa-12-15
https://articlenetwork.site/puerto-rican-independence-bill-goes-to-u-s-house-vote-on-thursday/
https://www.banditroom.site/puerto-rican-independence-bill-goes-to-u-s-house-vote-on-thursday/
https://caribbeanfever.com/photo/albums/sadsadsadsad-2
http://allabouturanch.com/photo/albums/sasadsadssad
http://beterhbo.ning.com/photo/albums/sadsadsadsad
http://healingxchange.ning.com/photo/albums/sadsdsadsad
https://webhitlist.com/photo/albums/sadsadsadsad
https://www.onfeetnation.com/photo/albums/sadsadsdsa
There have been six referendums on the topic since the 1960s, but they were nonbinding. Only Congress can grant statehood.
"After 124 years of colonialism Puerto Ricans deserve a fair, transparent, and democratic process to finally solve the status question," Representative Nydia Velazquez, a Democratic cosponsor of the bill, said on Twitter.
The Caribbean island's citizens are Americans but do not have voting representation in Congress, cannot vote in presidential elections, do not pay federal income tax on income earned on the island and do not have the same eligibility for some federal programs as other U.S. citizens.
If the bill passes the House, it will need 60 votes in the closely divided Senate and Democratic President Joe Biden's signature to become law.
The legislation has the support of lawmakers of both parties and Puerto Rican officials.
But time is running out as lawmakers have a full agenda before a vacation at the end of next week. A new Congress with a Republican-controlled House will be sworn in on Jan. 3, at which point any legislative process would have to start over.
(Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)