PRINTER'S NO. 205
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
20
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY CRUZ, JANUARY 25, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 25, 2021
A RESOLUTION
Urging the Congress of the United States to recognize and act
upon the results of the November 3, 2020, Puerto Rican
plebiscite.
WHEREAS, Puerto Rico became a United States territory in 1898
by the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish-American War;
and
WHEREAS, In 1917, the residents of Puerto Rico were granted
American citizenship by their own free and voluntary election,
and after 1941 by birth, to further integrate Puerto Rico into
the Nation; and
WHEREAS, For more than 100 years, the people of Puerto Rico
have contributed greatly to the United States and to democracy
by serving with dedication and honor in all armed conflicts in
the United States Armed Forces; and
WHEREAS, Since becoming a territory of the United States,
more than 200,000 Puerto Ricans have served in the United States
Armed Forces, and more than 25,000 Puerto Ricans currently serve
on active duty; and
WHEREAS, As proud American citizens, Puerto Ricans have
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distinguished themselves in every field of endeavor and
developed strong political, economic, social and cultural ties
to the United States; and
WHEREAS, Despite their United States citizenship, Puerto
Rican residents are ineligible to vote in United States Federal
elections and lack voting representation in Congress; and
WHEREAS, The denial of equal voting representation and equal
treatment by the Federal Government stands in stark contrast to
their contributions to the Union; and
WHEREAS, Unincorporated territory status has resulted in
millions of residents leaving Puerto Rico to seek greater
opportunities and a better quality of life available in a state;
and
WHEREAS, Approximately 3.4 million people live in Puerto Rico
and another 5 million Puerto Ricans live on the United States
mainland, including almost 478,000 living in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, It has been the longstanding policy of the United
States that American citizens of territories such as Puerto Rico
can determine whether the territory will ultimately become a
state in the Union or a nation; and
WHEREAS, Congress recognized Puerto Rico's "right to
determine its future political status" through the passage of
Public Law 114-187, enacted June 20, 2016; and
WHEREAS, Puerto Rico has held plebiscites to determine the
people's will regarding the island's political status in 1967,
1993, 1998, 2012 and 2017; and
WHEREAS, On November 3, 2020, Puerto Ricans once again
requested statehood in a nonbinding referendum with 52.3% of
voters in favor of changing the island's status from
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unincorporated territory to United States state; and
WHEREAS, November's plebiscite upholds the people of Puerto
Rico's desire to reject the current territory status and
immediately be admitted into the Union as a state; and
WHEREAS, True power to amend the political status of Puerto
Rico lies in the hands of the United States Congress, wherein
the people of Puerto Rico do not have empowered representation;
and
WHEREAS, For many years, Puerto Rico's nonvoting
congressional delegates have introduced multiple bills to grant
statehood to Puerto Rico based on the outcome of a vote by those
living on the island; and
WHEREAS, Unfortunately, Congress has never acted on these
bills, and the Federal Government repeatedly avoids the question
of Puerto Rico's political status; and
WHEREAS, The perpetuation of the territorial status allows
for an unequal and discriminatory treatment, which in turn
produces a continuation of economic stagnation and instability;
and
WHEREAS, Under Article IV of the Constitution of the United
States, upon a United States territory reaching a sizable
populace, that territory should be granted statehood following
the territory voting in favor of statehood; and
WHEREAS, The latest November 3, 2020, plebiscite sends a
clear message to Congress regarding the people of Puerto Rico's
desire to attain the rights and privileges associated with
statehood; and
WHEREAS, Proposals to not immediately act on the will of the
people of Puerto Rico only reject the equality of Puerto Ricans
and their desire for statehood; therefore be it
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
States to recognize and act upon the results of the November 3,
2020, Puerto Rican plebiscite; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania declare our support for statehood
for Puerto Rico so that Puerto Ricans shall finally have the
same legal rights and privileges of other United States
citizens; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to the
President of the United States, the presiding officers of each
house of Congress and each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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