Beto O’Rourke is the latest 2020 presidential candidate to support Puerto Rico statehood in a clear statement.
We appreciate someone who speaks up for Puerto Rico statehood without any palaver about self-determination. We don’t want mugwumps on this issue.
El Nuevo Dia quoted O’Rourke as saying, “They are fellow citizens. The only way I see for ourselves to solve the problem of a second class status for the citizens of Puerto Rico is to ensure that they are a state , (that) they have two senators who can vote and fight each day for their rights and protections” at a rally in Las Vegas.
O’Rourke spoke in favor of statehood in 2017, saying, “Short term, we need to push all the resources we can to Puerto Rico. Long term, we need to think statehood and representatives who can vote in the interest of the people on that island.”
O’Rourke voted for PROMESA, saying, “While this legislation is not perfect, it is a bipartisan compromise that will address the immediate financial needs of the Puerto Rican government and the individuals living there. Without this, the government of Puerto Rico could default, throwing thousands of people out of work and plunging the island into economic free fall. This would make it much more expensive to help them in the future.”
O’Rourke is one of four 2020 presidential candidates who have spoken clearly for statehood for Puerto Rico as of this writing. The others are John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, and Andrew Yang.
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