The Republican National Committee recently released an updated and streamlined party platform and rules governing RNC activity for the next four years – 2024 through 2028. The new party platform and set of rules confirms that Puerto Rico statehood remains a bipartisan issue, and priority for Republicans.
Not only does current statehood legislation have robust support from over a dozen House GOP Members of Congress, many from vital swing districts that could determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives in 2025, but statehood also has support from both Republican U.S. Senators representing Florida, and the likely future Republican Governor of Puerto Rico – Jenniffer González-Colón.
The updated GOP platform and rules keep the door open to statehood for Puerto Rico by welcoming “greater participation in all aspects of the political process,” for all U.S. territories. The only way for Puerto Rico to achieve greater political participation in the national political process beyond what currently exists today is through achieving statehood. The Puerto Rico Statehood Council is also encouraged that the RNC is preparing for the likelihood that Puerto Rico will become a state before 2028 by explicitly outlining rules for how the party will apportion delegates if the island becomes the 51st state before the next RNC Convention.
Bipartisan momentum for Puerto Rico statehood has never been stronger. The legislative and political gains made by the Puerto Rico statehood movement over the 118th Congress that coincide with the upcoming plebiscite on November 5th, 2024 are setting up the movement for a productive 119th Congress.
Previous platforms
The Republican Party platform for 2020 and 2016 specifically called for statehood for Puerto Rico:
“We support the right of the United States citizens of Puerto Rico to be admitted to the Union as a fully sovereign state. We further recognize the historic significance of the 2012 local referendum in which a 54 percent majority voted to end Puerto Rico’s current status as a U.S. territory, and 61 percent chose statehood over options for sovereign nationhood. We support the federally sponsored political status referendum authorized and funded by an Act of Congress in 2014 to ascertain the aspirations of the people of Puerto Rico. Once the 2012 local vote for statehood is ratified, Congress should approve an enabling act with terms for Puerto Rico’s future admission as the 51st state of the Union.”
From 2000 through 2012, the Republican Party platform contained this statement: “We support the right of the United States citizens of Puerto Rico to be admitted to the Union as a fully sovereign state if they freely so determine. We recognize that Congress has the final authority to define the constitutionally valid options for Puerto Rico to achieve a permanent non-territorial status with government by consent and full enfranchisement. As long as Puerto Rico is not a State, however, the will of its people regarding their political status should be ascertained by means of a general right of referendum or specific referenda sponsored by the U.S. government.”
Throughout this century, the Republican Party platform has consistently called for statehood for Puerto Rico.
Statehood for Puerto Rico is still a bipartisan cause and many Republicans continue to support the Puerto Rico Status Act. Make sure that your representative know that you expect them to do so.
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