OFF TO THE SENATE

House Approves Binding Vote on Puerto Rico Independence

But the bill is unlikely to pass in the closely divided Senate.

The House passed a bill Thursday that would allow Puerto Ricans to participate in a binding vote for the first time ever on whether or not the territory will become a U.S. state. The bill was passed 233-191 with minimal Republican support, and is unlikely to meet the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. If passed, voters in Puerto Rico would get a chance to cast a ballot deciding if the territory becomes a state, independent, or independent with free association. Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) said the referendum would allow Puerto Ricans the opportunity to “decolonize” the territory. Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico’s congressional representative, praised the bill, saying “many of us are not in agreement about how that future should be, but we all accept that the decision should belong to the people of Puerto Rico.”