Your response from Senator Bill Nelson

Dear Mr Arroyo:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Puerto Rico statehood movement. I appreciate your taking the time to inform me of your views on this issue.

Puerto Rico, a U.S. possession since 1898, became a commonwealth in 1952. Since that time, Puerto Ricans have proposed several alternatives to the commonwealth’s current political status. The three major political parties in Puerto Rico, the New Progressive Party (NPP), the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), and the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), support statehood, enhanced commonwealth, and independence options, respectively. Issues such as taxation, Federal support, citizenship, and cultural preservation have perpetuated the debate on this issue for years.

As you know, numerous referenda have been held in Puerto Rico, but for various reasons, the results have been inconclusive. Last March, the Puerto Rican legislature approved legislation to allow a referendum in which Puerto Ricans would vote for or against demanding that the President and Congress express commitment to debate and resolve the issue of Puerto Rico's political status. The legislation was vetoed by Governor Acevedo Vila, however, the legislature countered with a concurrent resolution. The resolution would allow a petition to Congress and the President for an electoral method through which Puerto Ricans could define their political relationship with the U.S. The resolution did not need the governor's signature for approval.

Additionally, commissions have been created over the years to study factors bearing on the U.S.- Puerto Rico relationship. The President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status, created during the Clinton administration, produced a report on the political status options available for Puerto Rico in December 2005. The report asserted the three constitutionally recognized options for Puerto Rico (independence, statehood, or continuation of its current status) and acted as a starter for Senate legislation (S. 2304). That bill would initiate the process for the development of, or vote on, Puerto Rico's political status.

Puerto Ricans continue to be internally divided about their status vis-à-vis the United States. As developments occur, I will be sure to keep your views in mind. Please don't hesitate to contact me in the future.