December 16, 2022
1 min read

Bill on Puerto Rico’s status passes US House

The legislation faces unlikely odds in the US Senate where at least 60 votes are needed to have it approved…reports Asian Lite News

The US House of Representatives passed legislation that would set a vote on Puerto Rico’s political status.

The bill — titled the Puerto Rico Status Act — went through the House in a 233-191 vote on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The measure, if enacted, would schedule a vote on a binding referendum for Puerto Ricans to choose among statehood, independence, and independence with free association.

The legislation faces unlikely odds in the US Senate where at least 60 votes are needed to have it approved.

A Caribbean island, Puerto Rico is an unincorporated US territory with more than 3 million residents.

Lawmakers from both sides debated the merits of the Puerto Rico Status Act on the House floor Thursday. While Democrats insisted the legislation is a significant step toward Puerto Rico’s decolonisation, Republicans worried over the economic implications of changing Puerto Rico’s status, NBC news reported.

Puerto Ricans living on the island have been American citizens for over a century. They can be drafted and serve in the US military but are unable to vote for president. They don’t pay federal income taxes, since they don’t have voting representation in Congress.

But they do pay payroll taxes, helping fund federal programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Puerto Rico has limited or no access to these federal programs with the potential to serve as lifelines in a territory where more than 40% of the population lives in poverty, it was reported.

ALSO READ: US Senate passes $850 bn defence spending bill

Previous Story

Biden says Covid-19 cases rising across country

Next Story

White House hopes Senate will confirm Garcetti’s nomination

Latest from USA

Trump tariffs send world markets into panic

US benchmark crude oil shed $2.70 to $64.25 a barrel after major oil producers announced they plan to increase production. Brent crude, the international standard, was down $2.63 at $67.51 a barrel

US, EU slam China’s war games near Taiwan

US President Donald Trump underscored the need to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait, advocating for a diplomatic approach to cross-strait tensions while warning against the use of force The United States

Trump due in Saudi, UAE amid new tariffs

The GCC bloc, which includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, has been hit with a 10% tariff, placing them among the lower-tiered rates US President Donald Trump has

China Says US Tariff Hikes Violate WTO Rules

China is among the hardest-hit, facing a 34 per cent levy—part of what Washington describes as reciprocal measures aimed at rebalancing trade deficits and curbing unfair trade practices China has strongly condemned
Go toTop

Don't Miss

The way forward for Afghanistan

India is apprehensive that if the Taliban were to establish

Covid-19 was in US from Dec 2019: Study

The results build on findings from a Centers for Disease