Who Will Get Credit for the 51st State?

Chances are good that the United States will eventually have more than 50 states. President Trump has fielded the ideas of having Canada, Alberta, Venezuela, Greenland, and Gaza become U.S. states. His administration has talked more about expanding the United States than presidents have since the 20th century, but it’s not a new idea. The House has passed bills supporting both the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico as the 51st state in the past.

For Puerto Rico in particular, it’s clear that the United States recognizes the strategic importance of Puerto Rico and would not willingly give up this hub in the Caribbean. With multiple votes in favor of statehood over the course of this century, Puerto Rico has clearly expressed a desire for statehood. The question of statehood for Puerto Rico is not whether, but when.

So the big issue for Congress is actually this: who will get credit for the 51st state?

Who will get credit?

Right now, there are some people — even members of Congress — on the extreme fringe who are saying that statehood for Puerto Rico would result in socialism across the United States or a one-party system in America. These claims have no foundation.

When people in the future look back on statehood for Puerto Rico, they will not remember these baseless claims. When we look back on statehood for Hawaii, we don’t usually remember that some in Congress feared that Hawaii would be a communist stronghold that would subvert the United States. We remember the excitement of adding a new state, the increased prosperity in the islands, and the way Hawaiian culture has enriched the United States.

Just so, people in the second half of the 21st century won’t remember hysterical fears. They’ll remember the excitement and pride of adding a new state, the increased prosperity in Puerto Rico, and how Puerto Rico, already integrated into U.S. culture, enriched the nation. If Congress takes action soon, Puerto Rico’s admission could even be remembered as part of the 250th U.S. birthday celebration.

Just as President Eisenhower gets credit for adding Alaska and Hawaii to our nation, whoever is president when Puerto Rico is admitted will get the credit. Congress admits new states, but the president who signs the law gets the plaudits and the pride.

Who will that be? Time will tell.

In the meantime, tell your legislators that you are ready to add the 51st state — Puerto Rico — to the Union.