The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources last week held a full committee hearing on the issue of Puerto Rico’s political status.
Gov. Luis Fortuño, a member of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, and legislative leaders including Popular Democratic Party president and House Minority Leader Hector Ferrer, testified before the panel in regard to HR 2499. The PDP seeks to keep the island as a commonwealth but would like to strengthen its autonomy.
If approved as written, HR 2499 would allow Puerto Rico to hold a plebiscite asking residents if they would like to change its political status. The first plebiscite does not list different political options. If a majority of voters select a status change, the island would then hold a second referendum that would list three options: independence, sovereignty in association with the U.S. — in which Puerto Rico would no longer be a territory — and statehood.
Ferrer expressed his concern that the bill would not allow voters to choose another political distinction — retaining Puerto Rico as a commonwealth but with additional authority to self govern.
“The ballot prescribed by HR 2499 effectively denies the voters the option of continuing and enhancing Puerto Rico’s commonwealth status,” Ferrer said before the committee. “Thus, HR 2499’s voting process clearly infringes on the voting rights of Puerto Rico’s voters by presenting the people of Puerto Rico with a factually inaccurate choice — false choice — as to their future political status. ”
If approved, this would be the first congressionally sanctioned plebiscite on Puerto Rico’s status. The island last held a referendum in 1998, with more than 50% of residents opting to retain the island’s status and 46.5% of voters selecting statehood.
