Obama Open to Puerto Rico Statehood

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President Obama is open to the idea of Puerto Rico becoming a state, Associate Attorney General Thomas Perrelli said at a meeting of a task force devoted to issues related to the U.S. commonwealth.

"The president strongly believes that the status question is a significant one" Perrelli said at this week's meeting of the President's Puerto Rico Task Force. "He also believes that Puerto Rico's status must be based on self-determination by the people of Puerto Rico. And we on the task force are here with open minds on this issue."

Perrelli co-chairs the task force and attended on behalf of the administration. His complete remarks can be read here.

Last month, the House passed legislation that would allow Puerto Ricans to decide whether the island should remain a commonwealth. The measure still needs to be debated in the Senate.

Puerto Rico came under U.S. control in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War. Its four million residents are citizens eligible to vote and serve in the military.

Puerto Rico has a non-voting delegate to Congress.

Filed Under: Obama Administration

Tagged: dailyguidance, puerto rico, state, statehood

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Jorge Luis

The time for statehood was 1917. Us "Ricans" have learned lots since. The US does not want to control its own southern border... imagine what will happen once the rest of the Spanish speaking world gets a hold of a Puertorican US State; Puertoricans will vanish just like native Hawaiians are vanishing. We will not allow that to happen. We did not vote for Obama in the Democratic primaries, and, we will not listen to him this time either. Independence appears to be the answer for PR. By the way, I just checked three major PR media sources and there is not an iota of a mention or indication that Ricans are aware about any of this. An amicable divorce will do, Gracias

June 07 2010 at 10:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

theherd1969

Mr. Weber

\"Puerto Rico came under U.S. control in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War. Its four million residents are citizens *eligible to vote* and serve in the military.\"
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Last time I checked, Puerto Ricans residing in Puerto Rico can vote in primaries, but they are NOT eligible to vote in U.S. presidential elections.

May 27 2010 at 12:57 PM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down Reply

ssgoodluck

Just watch Obama very closely on this one. Don\'t let him get behind
closed doors with any Puerto Rican leaders, they are as easily
corrupted as any Latinos, it is culturally accepted.
You will know his handy work if they vote yes for state hood. Think
about how much it would cost this country for Obama to buy their vote
for his vote, no limit with his spending record. They currently have
all paid U.S. government holidays and they have all paid Puerto Rico
holidays too. What more can he promise them? ? ?

May 27 2010 at 10:07 AM Report abuse Permalink +3 rate up rate down Reply

Guillermo

President Obama has the opportunity to make history and transform the usual policy of not listening to the People of Puerto Rico regarding the political relationship with the United States. Since 1898 when the US became owners of PR, Never has the Federal Government request and get the 4 million inhabitants of PR their opinion regarding this colonial status. The ball is on the US side of court, as has been for the past 112 years. We want to be part of the decisional process, allow the People of Puerto Rico to vote in a Federal supervised process.

May 27 2010 at 9:04 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply