June 12, 2026
“While PRSC is pleased that the resident commissioner has recognized the need to resolve Puerto Rico’s status through legislation, this draft falls short of the minimum requirements to advance self-determination for the 3.2 million U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico. Therefore, PRSC does not support H.R. 9246 in its current form but welcomes the opportunity to work with members of Congress and relevant stakeholders to amend this draft and advance legally viable status legislation.
“As written, H.R. 9246 does not provide a legal and constitutional definition of the current territorial status of the island, which the legislation names as the ‘Commonwealth.’ However, ‘Commonwealth’ is not a political status and is used by both states and another U.S. territory. Without a clear definition, voters will be unable to make a choice based on informed consent and therefore cannot exercise self-determination freely.
“Furthermore, if voters were to choose the territorial option, H.R. 9246 promises ‘improvements’ on the current status but fails to clarify what the ‘improvements’ may include or provide a viable implementation mechanism to enact them. Ultimately, as long as Puerto Rico remains under the territorial clause of the U.S. Constitution and existing Supreme Court case law, any potential improvements to the current territorial arrangement that are negotiated with Congress could be reversed in the future by another Congress.
“PRSC appreciates the resident commissioner’s recognition of the inequalities that territory status has allowed and shares in his goal of addressing this democratic deficit through federal legislation that includes a binding offer of statehood to Puerto Rico. PRSC believes that when given the option of statehood, voters in Puerto Rico will overwhelmingly select making Puerto Rico the 51st state, as has been proven over the last four locally sponsored status votes where statehood was the only status option receiving majority voter support. The momentum for statehood is also undeniable as it continues to grow in popularity on the island as evidenced by receiving more than 58% of the vote in 2024.
“PRSC remains ready and willing to work with the resident commissioner and all members of Congress to discuss the proposed language and work toward the possibility of a new compromise that generates the highest level of legitimacy and public trust possible for the benefit of the 3.2 million U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico and for America as a whole.”
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The Puerto Rico Statehood Council is a Washington, D.C. based, non-partisan, 501(c)4 non-profit issue advocacy organization. We are dedicated to advancing the goal of full equality and democracy for the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico through statehood.