Senator Mullin Supports Statehood

El Nuevo Dia reports that Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma will support a bill offering statehood to Puerto Rico with a yes/no referendum.

Mullin

Mullin, who is considered a major Trump ally, may be an example of the new Republican view of Puerto Rico that we have been noticing in Washington. Mullin is pro-life, fiscally conservative, and a staunch supporter of the current administration’s policies. He was in the Oklahoma House for many years before being elected to the Senate, and is known for his efforts to bridge the gap between the two houses of the legislature. He is also known for cooperation with Democrats through co-sponsorship of bipartisan bills.

Mullin is a member of the Cherokee Nation, the first Native American Senator to serve in two decades. He often sponsors bills relating to Native American issues. He sits on the Committee on Appropriations, the  Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, Governor of Puerto Rico, described him as a friend and held meetings with him in recent weeks.

That said, Mullin does not have a voting record on issues relating to Puerto Rico and has not spoken out on the issue in the past.

A yes/no vote

The Puerto Rico Status Act, a compromise bill to resolve the political status of Puerto Rico through a choice of three possible status options, passed the House in 2022, but there were many concerns in Congress about details of the bill. Procedural details troubled various members of Congress

In 2020, a yes/no vote on Puerto Rico Statehood was held, following the example of Alaska and Hawaii when they were admitted as states in 1959. Statehood won.

In 2024, a referendum was again held, this time using the pattern of the Puerto Rico Status Act. Statehood won again.

But the simple yes/no vote may be more appealing to the current Congress.  A bill offering statehood to Puerto Rico, giving clear recognition of the power of Congress to admit Puerto Rico as a state, may also be more acceptable to the current Congress.

Thank you, Senator Mullin!

We appreciate Senator Mullin’s support of Puerto Rico and look forward to continuing the momentum toward statehood that we have seen growing.

Contact your legislators and let them know that you want to see them on the right side of history.