Joe Biden has stated that he personally favors statehood. Scroll down to see the video.
He also said that the government must respect the outcome the November 3rd plebiscite and take action.
2012
Joe Biden said in 2012 that Puerto Rico needed to “fight hard for statehood.” This was in answer to a question from an intern. The Orlando Sentinel reported the exchange.
“Mr. Vice President, as opposed to my fellow intern colleagues present here today, I will not be able to vote for you in four months …. You see, Mr. Vice President, I am Puerto Rican; and despite Puerto Ricans possessing American citizenship by birth, and thousands of brave Puerto Rican soldiers like my father having served and even died for our nation, many dying as we speak, we are denied equal voting and representation rights under the American flag,” the intern began. “Mr. Vice President, do you think we are contradicting ourselves as a nation when we preach freedom and democracy abroad in countries within the Middle East, and yet, to this very day, we maintain 3.7 million American citizens on the island of Puerto Rico under a disenfranchised political status, where they are denied the most basic fundamental rights enshrined in our U.S. Constitution?”
“I must say, that is a very good question,” said Biden, who was Vice President of the United States at the time. “I have always found Puerto Rico’s current political status as something very bizarre. My word of advice to you, and all Puerto Ricans, is that you continue to fight hard until you reach your goal of equality, and we shall act.”
Was “we” in that case the White House? Congress actually makes the decision whether or not to admit a new state. Perhaps “we” meant the federal government as a whole.
Biden was Vice President when Puerto Rico voted for statehood in 2012. The White House at that time said that the 2012 vote was “a clear result.” However, Congress took no action.
2020
Biden said, “I will work with representatives who support each of the status options in Puerto Rico in a fair and binding process so that they can determine their own status. I happen to believe that statehood would be the most effective means of ensuring that residents of Puerto Rico are treated equally, with the same representation at the federal level. But the people of Puerto Rico must decide, and the United States federal government must respect their decision and act on it.”
Vídeo of @JoeBiden expressing his personal support for #Statehood4PuertoRico, saying voters in PR must decide & federal government must respect and act on that decision. Clear signal that the #Nov3rd Statehood YES or NO plebiscite matters not just to PR but to America as a whole. pic.twitter.com/mWWccUcWOp
— PR51st #Statehood4PR🇺🇸🇵🇷 (@PuertoRico51st) September 16, 2020
We consider this a clear statement favoring statehood for Puerto Rico. We would like to remind Mr. Biden that the people of Puerto Rico have already decided, and have voted three times for statehood. The federal government must now respect the vote and admit Puerto Rico as a state.
15 Responses
Biden may very well be Puerto Rico’s savior. He will win in 2020 and democrats will retain congress, the senate will stay republican but there are enough republican senators to align with the democrats voting for PR statehood. Biden will sign Puerto Rico’s State declaration by 2024.
Im here in 2021 and am so happy to just say here, Republicans DIDN’T retain the senate. So I believe e puerto rico will be a US state by 2023
It’s true that democrats now have razor thin control of the senate with Vice President Kamala Harris as a tiebreaker. However, it’s not that simple. In order for the statehood admission of PR into the Union, both house and senate requires 2/3 of the vote in favor of this process; not a simple majority. Will PR achieve statehood by 2023? That depends largely on the outcome of the 2022 midterm election. The picture is still foggy on whatever the republicans may regain control of the house or the senate. I’m no politician or a think tank, but I do know that time will tell and the actions of federal government; as a whole, will help determine whether democrats or republicans succeeds in midterm runoff.
Legally, only a simple majority is needed. Alaska was admitted with 53% in favor. You may be thinking of the filibuster.
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Republicans don’t want to grant PR or D.C. statehood for political reasons. Puerto Ricans serve in the military but they can’t vote? That is the very definition of inequality.
[…] and Democrat electoral strategies. As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden spoke in favor of statehood if Puerto Rico requested it and promised to extend equal treatment in […]
Democrats have been playing with Statehood for PR since 1970 when they took over the administration of PNP. In 1996 Carlos Romero dropped the Jones’ Proyect from the table of negotiations. Pierluisi never pushed the results of the Plebiscito 2012 in 8 years at Washington with Obama. Ricky Rosello joined with colonialists ex governors in 2017 to take off PR from the Budget Reform and throws us as a foreign territory. The shadow representative pro Statehood commission never show a single Proyect for Admission and go through without any important factor. But we must believe that Democrats are willing to give Statehood to PR, really?
While the fiscal paradise in the colony keep harvesting the pockets of politicians in the domminant parties in PR, Democrats and Republicans will be “wrestling” for the PuertoRican votes without changing nothing.
YESSSSSS WE PUERTO RICANS WANT FOR PUERTO RICO TO BECOME A STATE
President Biden Now is the time to stand by all Portorican Patriots and Declare Stathood for Puerto Rico., Just like President Woodrow Wilson Declared All Portoricans To Be Americans Citizens As Of 1917 MR President You Have The Power To Declare Puerto Rico An Addition To The Union As A State With The Same Equal Rights As All 50 States., Lets Put All Politics To The Side. This Is The Best Time To Get This Done Puerto Rico Not Only Deserve It We Earned It And We Have Sacrificed With Our Blood To Protect And Defend This Great Nation Since World War 1 Until This Day And We Do It For Love Of Our Country And Patriotism. Please No More Plebicites And No More Binding Votes This Is Old Politics Lets Respect This Last Vote For Ones And For All.
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Stop playing with our mind.
STATEHOOD MR. PRESIDENT! I YAY EVERYTHING MIGUEL TORRES SAID!
Puerto Rico as American we have fought in every war the USA mainland has, for this we are Americans. We buy over 22B from the mainland but we are mot allowed to vote did the president unless we move to the mainland and become resident after one year residency .
Quite frankly I cannot understand the reason wy the congress has not acted in a democratice way and make PR 51state . If concerns are that PR will get senators and representatives and string electoral votes per Our population should be not a concern as the opportunity for both Republicans and Democrats will have the opportunity like any other state to make the case to earn their votes. Congress need to act to accelerate this process and demonstrate that when we USA call ourselves democratic country with equality for all , we must live up to those claims.
[…] has long labored under a colonial status that U.S. presidents and many Puerto Ricans say promotes political and fiscal […]