The people of Puerto Rico have elected a resident commissioner who does not support statehood for the island, marking the first time since 2000 that this has happened. This is the stance I bring forward.
Puerto Ricans are clearly fatigued by the endless debates surrounding the island’s political status. During my campaign, I committed to shifting focus away from Puerto Rico’s status and instead concentrating on driving economic development, ensuring equal treatment in federal programs, and expediting the allocation of federal funds for the restoration of our electric grid.
New initiatives seek to bolster Puerto Rico’s economy and reduce reliance on federal aid
The voters responded positively to this message. In the race for resident commissioner, the Popular Democratic Party, which advocates for the commonwealth, achieved its largest victory margin since 1964. This strong showing gives me a mandate to set aside the statehood issue and center my efforts on economic growth.
While my predecessor, Gov.-elect Jenniffer González Colón, of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, shares my sense of urgency about economic development, we disagree on the statehood question. She contends that statehood “won” in a recent nonbinding referendum and insists that Congress should honor the people’s supposed “mandate.”
Let’s address the facts surrounding this so-called “mandate.” In a 2016 referendum, 52 percent of Puerto Ricans voted in favor of statehood. However, that support dropped to 47 percent in this year’s vote, considering the blank and void ballots cast in protest against the referendum’s nonbinding nature and the exclusion of the current commonwealth status.
This decline in support shows that statehood does not have a clear mandate and should not be the focus of our discussions. Instead, we should prioritize tangible issues affecting the island and explore solutions that allow Puerto Rico to support itself rather than depend on the mainland.
The current debate on near-shoring and reshoring presents a key opportunity. Legislative initiatives like the bipartisan Supply Chain Security and Growth Act, which proposes an investment tax credit for U.S. companies investing in Puerto Rico, could help both the island and the nation achieve their strategic national security objectives.
Other bills, such as the Medical Manufacturing, Economic Development, and Sustainability Act, would benefit both Puerto Rico and the mainland as well. Advocating for parity in antipoverty programs is both sound policy and politically savvy. Including Puerto Rico in the SNAP program would encourage work, tackle food insecurity, and boost agricultural trade with the mainland.
Addressing the island’s Medicaid disparities would reduce the outflow of Puerto Ricans to the mainland, fortify the local healthcare system, and lessen reliance on federal aid. With Puerto Ricans having political influence in swing states like Pennsylvania and Georgia, bipartisan support for these measures makes political sense.
The reconstruction of Puerto Rico’s energy grid also presents a chance for bipartisan cooperation. While I support a transition to renewable energy, I’m willing to accept temporary solutions to stabilize the grid and reduce costs more quickly, especially given the Republican leadership in Washington.
Once we have made progress on these critical issues, we can revisit the status debate. When we do, it must be an inclusive and democratic process, respecting the people’s right to choose between statehood, independence, free association, or an improved commonwealth status.
