All but 16 House Republicans vote against bill to allow Puerto Rico to decide its future – By Bryan Metzger (Business Insider) / Dec 15, 2022
- The House passed a bill to allow Puerto Rico voters to choose independence, statehood, or free association.
- Only 16 Republicans joined all Democrats in supporting the bill.
- Republicans opposed the bill in part due to long-standing opposition to Puerto Rico’s statehood.
The House of Representatives voted by a 233-191 margin on Thursday to pass the Puerto Rico Status Act, with all but 16 House Republicans voting against the measure. Every House Democrat voted for the bill.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who worked on the bill and is of Puerto Rican descent, presided over the vote.
.@AOC is presiding over the House vote on the Puerto Rico Status Act, which would give voters in the territory the choice between statehood, independence, or free association with the US. pic.twitter.com/GUMrBMKlmx
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) December 15, 2022
The bill would give voters in Puerto Rico the opportunity to vote in a plebiscite next November, allowing them to choose between statehood, independence, or to enter into a compact of free association with the United States.
