Conservatives support statehood for Puerto Rico because:

Puerto Ricans are American citizens who have served meritoriously in every war since World War I. They deserve a solution to the fiscal crises plaguing the territory.
American taxpayers deserve a solution for Puerto Rico that doesn’t leave them on the hook for a suffering economy.

Giving Puerto Rico a pathway to statehood would establish it as an important national security stronghold in the Caribbean, thriving economy, and conservative voice in the Union.

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Consensus for Statehood

"There are 3.7 million American citizens living in Puerto Rico. As citizens, they should be entitled to determine for themselves their political status."President Donald Trump

Every U.S. president from Harry Truman to Donald Trump has stated that Puerto Rico should have the political status preferred by its people. And the American citizens of Puerto Rico – both living on the island and living on the mainland – overwhelmingly agree on statehood.

97%

of Puerto Ricans voted for statehood in 2017

76%

of Republican Puerto Rican voters in the swing districts of Central Florida support statehood

85%

of Republican Puerto Rican voters in the swing districts of Central Florida rank Puerto Rican statehood as a top priority issue

Conservatives support statehood.

"We recognize the right of the Puerto Rican people to self-determination. If they choose statehood, we will work together to devise a union of promise and opportunity in our Federal union of sovereign States."President Ronald Reagan

Conservatives continue to step forward in support of statehood for Puerto Rico:

Citizens Against Government Waste
Hispanic Leadership Fund
Niger Innis - National Tea Party Leader
Congressman Rob Bishop - Ranking Member, House Natural Resources Committee

See Other Conservative Support

Why conservatives support statehood.

Puerto Rico residents are already American citizens. Providing the territory with a path to statehood will benefit both the island and the U.S. at large.

American Values

Studies have consistently shown that Puerto Ricans hold religiously, socially, and fiscally conservative American values. They support traditional American family values, elect GOP leaders, serve in the U.S. military, and support economically conservative policies. While politically liberal Puerto Ricans exist as they do in every state in the U.S., conservatives are winning the political competition.

20 island-wide polls conducted over the past decade have consistently shown that Puerto Ricans possess religiously, socially, and fiscally conservative American values:

Puerto Ricans are dedicated to traditional American family values. 89% of Puerto Ricans define themselves as Christian and possess conservative views on important issues like abortion and school prayer.

Puerto Ricans elect GOP leaders. The island’s largest political party is closely tied with the local Republican Party and conservative leadership has enjoyed electoral success across the island. In fact, the current Puerto Rico Representative to the U.S. Congress, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and President of the Senate in the territorial legislature are all Republicans.

Puerto Ricans proudly serve in our nation’s military. More than 20,000 men and women from Puerto Rico have deployed into combat since the September 11th attacks, with many serving multiple tours of duty.

Puerto Ricans are economic conservatives. The island’s voters believe that the solution to the government’s debt lies in cutting unnecessary government spending, not raising taxes.

Economic Potential

Statehood is the pro-growth solution for Puerto Rico and the U.S. at large. Statehood will position the island for tremendous economic growth without additional federal investment. In fact, the most recent territories to become states — Hawaii and Alaska — averaged double-digit economic growth for more than a decade after admission.

Between Hurricane Irma and Maria recovery and Puerto Rico’s current debt restructuring process, the U.S. has invested significant resources into the territory. History demonstrates that statehood will attract sustainable investment, kickstart the island’s stalling economy, and allow Puerto Rico to take the reins on its economic growth. The most recent territories to become states — Hawaii and Alaska — averaged double-digit economic growth for more than a decade after admission.

By putting Puerto Rico on the path to statehood, the U.S. will spark investment in Puerto Rico and create a new economic situation that is fruitful for the island, mainland, and the U.S. economy at large.

National Security

The State Department and USAID agree that the Caribbean is vital to U.S. national security. Puerto Rico is a strategic stronghold for the U.S., serving as our nation’s “third border” in the Caribbean. Once admitted as a state, Puerto Rico will possess the same resources the U.S. border states have today, allowing it to serve as the national security hub for our nation’s Caribbean strategy.

The U.S. Department of State, in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development, submitted a multi-year Caribbean strategy to Congress on June 19, 2017, which establishes a framework for enhancing the security and
prosperity of the United States and its Caribbean partners. The strategy identifies the Caribbean as a vital part of our efforts to:

Counter organized crime and illicit trafficking
Support democracy throughout the Western hemisphere
Strengthen energy security
Create jobs through increased trade and investment

By granting Puerto Rico statehood and the border security resources associated with it, the U.S. will be able to rely on Puerto Rico as our nation’s center for Caribbean strategy.

Why now?

While Puerto Ricans are tax-paying Americans, individuals and businesses on the island face devastating hurdles that do not exist in the states. In recent years, the federal government – and the American taxpayer – have been forced to step in as Puerto Rico faced crippling economic and natural disaster-induced devastation.

900,000

American citizens of Puerto Rico have left the island for the states in the past decade

$72 Billion

in Puerto Rican debt

$95 Billion

in projected 2017 hurricane season damages

Residents of the territory lack voting representation in Congress and electoral votes for the presidency. This has left them voiceless when the U.S. made decisions impacting the island, such as:

Island military base closures
Reduced tax benefits, such as Medicare and Social Security
Elimination of the tax-exempt bonds that made the island desirable to investors

In the past decade, nearly one million American citizens of Puerto Rico have left the island and moved to the states as the island’s economy has stagnated from these policies. This has left the U.S. on the hook for recent disasters, including a $72 billion debt restructuring and billions in emergency recovery funds.

The Solution

"Congress should approve an enabling act with terms for Puerto Rico’s future admission as the 51st state of the Union."2016 Republican Party Platform

The solution is clear: Puerto Rico needs a pathway to statehood.

Congress must pass legislation that would allow Puerto Rico to become a state on terms defined by Congress if the people of Puerto Rico approve statehood.

Puerto Rico must host a vote on statehood to remove any doubt of Puerto Rico residents’ sentiment. It should be a simple vote asking: “Do you approve Puerto Rico’s admission as a state of the union on equal footing with all other states, and with equal rights and duties of state and national citizens?”

If election results favor statehood:

Puerto Rico residents must be allowed to elect U.S. Senate and House of Representatives members, and the President must issue a proclamation officially declaring Puerto Rico a state.
An appropriate process for resolving any conflicts between federal and existing territorial law must be implemented.

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