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Suit Claims Puerto Rico an Incorporated Territory; Must Be Treated Equally with States in All Programs

A lawsuit filed by two Puerto Ricans seeks to have Puerto Rico declared to be an “incorporated” territory and an end to its lesser treatment in Federal benefit programs.

The U.S. Supreme Court has determined Puerto Rico to be an “unincorporated” territory — a possession instead of a part — of the U.S. It has also ruled that the Federal government may treat territories differently than the States in most programs providing benefits.

Incorporated territories are destined for statehood and are treated equally with the States in taxation. The ultimate political status of unincorporated territories has not been determined. Puerto Rico is currently treated like a State under most laws but is treated less well or excluded from some program laws that fund health care and provide assistance to low-income individuals and treated differently in or excluded from most tax laws.

Ildefonso Colón, Jr. and Ernesto R. Rivera Candia, members of a nonpartisan, pro statehood group named Generation 51, filed the suit against the Attorney General of the U.S.

It claims that the two would be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if they lived in the U.S. instead of Puerto Rico. SSI provides direct Federal financial assistance to low-income elderly and disabled individuals. It applies in the States, the District of Columbia, and one unincorporated territory, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Puerto Rico, like the unincorporated territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, gets Federal grants under the program that preceded the establishment of SSI. The grants only enable the insular governments to provide far less assistance to some of the members of society who have the least ability to support themselves.

The suit disputes the Insular Cases, a series of Supreme Court decisions more than a century ago which found that the U.S. could have territories it did not incorporate into the nation and that only fundamental rights — not all provisions of the Constitution — applied in these territories. It also notes that Judge Gustavo Gelpi of the Federal District Court for Puerto Rico has determined Puerto Rico has become an incorporated territory.

Through attorney John Mudd of Puerto Rico, Colon and Rivera ask that unequal treatment of incorporated territories be declared unconstitutional and that residents of Puerto Rico be treated equally in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and SSI programs among others. The EITC provides a credit against income taxes to low income workers or a check to the extent that the workers cannot use a tax credit.

The court filing states that Puerto Ricans pay the taxes that fund Social Security and Medicaid, in the latter case presumably meaning Medicare. Puerto Ricans pay the tax that partially funds Medicare, which provides health care for elderly and disabled individuals.

Puerto Rico is treated equally with the States in the Social Security program but less well in Medicare – and Medicaid, which provides health care for low-income individuals.

3 thoughts on “Suit Claims Puerto Rico an Incorporated Territory; Must Be Treated Equally with States in All Programs”

  1. YO QUIERO QUE P.R. LE DEN EL SSI. QUIERO VOLVER A MI ISLA YA. ESTOY INCAPACITADA Y EL FRIO ME TIENE PEOR. SOMOS CIUDADANOS AMERICANOS Y NO ESTAMOS RECIBIENDO TRATO IGUAL COMO LOS ESTADOS. YO PREGUNTO CUANTO TIEMPO TOMA QUE DECIDAN? YO QUIERO QUE SEA ANTES QUE LLEQUE EL INVIERNO. ESPERO QUE ME CONTESTEN.

  2. Regarding Ms. Alicia Colón’s comment of 05JUL2014 (posted above this one), it must be noted that the cause of civic equality for Puerto Rico’s residents is NEVER constructively served unless comments submitted to an English-language forum are submitted in that same language.

  3. She says quote; I want SSI in Puerto Rico.
    “I want to return to my island.
    I am physically disabled and the cold makes my condition worse.
    We are Amerivan citizens and don’t receive equal treatment like the states.
    How long will they take? I hope before winter.
    I expect an answer.”

    I want to believe this comment as sincere, yet I see fake flags…
    1. Florida,southern Texas,California are pretty tropical.
    2. Ok,lets assume she’s in a cold state like Illinois ……HOW DID SHE WIND UP IN THIS FORUM?…SHE KNOWS ENGLISH!
    3. SHE’S MOCKING STATEHOODERS FOR DESIRING EQUALITY,USING SSI AS AN EXAMPLE.
    4. She knows DAMN well status wont change “before winter”,let alone this decade.
    5. The clincher ; writing in SPANISH,to remind readers or the supposed cultural differences! She’s a popular. Most Populars Democrats work for the PR government (the island’s largest employer) they make more than the average blue collar Puerto Rican.

    They mock the poorer workers who vote for statehood. Most PR gov.workers know they are part of a monstrous big government that will be massively scaled down under statehood.

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