Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-K) has faced criticism for mentioning Puerto Rico during an interview on Fox News last week.
While coverage of McConnell’s remarks generally implies that McConnell said statehood would be the equivalent of socialism, a close listen shows a different intention on the Senator’s part.
“They plan to make the District of Columbia a state — that’d give them two new Democratic senators — Puerto Rico a state, that would give them two more new Democratic senators,” McConnell said, speaking of Democratic legislators. “And as a former Supreme Court clerk yourself, you’ve surely noticed that they plan to expand the Supreme Court. So this is full-bore socialism on the march in the House. And yeah, as long as I’m the majority leader of the Senate, none of that stuff is going anywhere.”
It appears that “this” refers not particularly to statehood, but to efforts to extend the influence of the Democratic party. McConnell has previously claimed that Democrats have a socialist agenda.
Vanity Fair pointed out that statehood for Puerto Rico has plenty of Republican support. It is included in the Republican Party’s official political platform, Republican Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR) fully supports it, and a number of past Republican presidents have supported it.
It is not clear that two new senators from Puerto Rico would be Democrats. Puerto Rico sent a delegation to Washington last year, and its members were evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. The current Governor of Puerto Rico is a Democrat, but the Resident Commissioner is a Republican. Both of these important leadership positions have been filled by members of both the major national political parties over the years.
In the local legislature, Puerto Rico Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz affiliates with the Republican Party, as does the Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, Johnny Méndez Núñez.
Washington, D.C., however, votes heavily Democratic in Presidential elections and has had a Democratic Delegate in the House of Representatives for many years, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton.
There have nonetheless been suggestions that adding two “Democratic” states would be a clever way for Democrats to take back the Senate. It appears that McConnell was referencing this idea when he spoke, rather than expressing a belief that statehood is a socialist concept.
**It’s Un-American to be against Fairness-Equality for ALL!**
There are some Un-American Politicians that are standing against Fair Treatment-Equal Rights for millions of fellow, but, 2d Class US Citizens-American Veterans from the US Territory of Puerto Rico which, since 1898 (for over 120 years), have no Federal “Consent of the Governed”; suffer Federal institutional discrimination that the Federal Government can fix today!
US Senate Majority Leader-Politician Mitch McConnell–wrongly said he will unjustly block Equality through STATEHOOD for US Puerto Rico…! He joins others (in both Political Parties) that are Unpatriotic when they excuse, generalize, stereotype or political distort the truth about the US Territory of Puerto Rico fight for a just cause-Equality.
Puerto Ricans have NO Vote for US President; NO just representation in the US Congress; NO full earned benefits; NO Parity in Federal Laws; NO permanent statutory US Citizenship… The US Congress controls Puerto Rico, can change and fix the inequality, but, has excused discrimination for ages.
Our evolving (with amendments) US Constitution (“WE THE PEOPLE”) calls for Fair Treatment-Equal Rights for all the People…; so, there can be in our US Republic (means: a Government by, for, and of the People)– a Representative Democracy System that leads to “Consent of the Governed”, per our Declaration of Independence.
President Teddy Roosevelt (1906-asked US Congress to grant Puerto Ricans full US Citizenship…); US President Reagan, US President Ford, US President Bush, US President W. Bush, and Other enlighten Leaders (of both Parties) have called for FAIR Treatment-Equal Rights for ALL US Citizens-American Veterans–STATEHOOD for Puerto Rico.
US Puerto Ricans have sacrificed; shed sweat, blood, and tears for our US Flag; cherish their US Citizenship; have integrated, and CONTRIBUTE in all Fields of Endeavor to our US…
• Loyal PR-US Veterans bravely serve; fight, since 1898 (WW-I, WW-II, Korea, Vietnam…) until Today for the Good of All!
• PRs have earned many Battle Blood Awards, includes-the US 65th Infantry-was awarded the “Congressional Gold Medal” highest honor our US Congress, with US President, can bestow…
• US Puerto Rican-Hispanic Ancestors came from PR (Boriken) in 1513 to our now USA (Florida)-107 years before the Pilgrims; brought Christianity, advanced civilization of the times; other good things; fought in the US War of Independence…; helped develop our USA to be the best in Human History!
The Federal Government should be the Servant of all the People; not the Master of some! Out with McConnell (of old thinking) and others that stand in the way of a bi-partisan American patriotic just cause for Equal Civil Rights, as we Guard against a Tyranny of a Majority!
US Citizens-American Veterans in the US Territory of Puerto Rico–are under the trite Territorial Clause (1787) and biased Supreme Court Insular Cases (1901-1925+ based on racism of the times, determined: US Congress can discriminate in applying the US Constitution to Territories…; not applied to other Territories before Puerto Rico…, but, is still the Law of today. This is wrong!
You are either for Fair Treatment-Equal Rights for ALL or you excuse or support Federal institutional discrimination, going on for over 120 years! Can’t have it both ways! Let the truth liberate ignorance!
Besides, Politicians should not tie, two separate issues– the US Territory of Puerto Rico’s (PR) saga for EQUALITY-PROGRESS through STATEHOOD with– the District of Columbia (DC)–which is under a different US Constitution Clause- as they can vote for US President; have Parity in Federal Funds, a permanent US Citizenship; higher per capita income…; DC needs an amendment to the US Constitution for Statehood… While, Puerto Rico doesn’t…! Our US Congress can fix the PR inequality TODAY! These two separate issues should be addressed differently.
Like Dr. ML King said: THE TIME is NOW…! The Federal Government-US Congress should take ACTION for JUSTICE-PROGRESS; concurrently help FIX (with PR’s Territorial Government) the ROOTS of PR’s epic CRISIS, which components are:
“Economic-Jobs; Fiscal; Infrastructure; Humanitarian; & Status-Equality Crisis”
Where each part affects the other; the Federal undemocratic Territorial Status affects everything; the ability to fairly compete on a level playing field; liberation of the PR Entrepreneurial Work Spirit!
The Federal Government must END PR’s 120 years Federal undemocratic Territorial-Colonial STATUS:
• Admit the US Territory of Puerto Rico, fellow US Citizens-US Veterans– to our “UNION of STATES” (via STATEHOOD) – with STATE- Boricua Identity; Constitution; Flag; and Sovereignty…, UNITED under our US Constitution-noble US Flag! OR—
• Alternatively, do a binding Referendum on NON-Territorial Constitutional defined options: STATEHOOD vs INDEPENDENCE (Without or with PACT of “Free Association”…)
Patriots of True Grit–cry for Justice; a call to Arms–Equal Rights for ALL! UNITED-With Truth, Reason, Courage, and Civic Action-for the Good of ALL: Family, Community, Territory or State, USA, and Humanity!
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Senate M McConnell is accurate.
We have to protect our Constitution.
AMERICA is about FREEDOM/ LIBERTY
SOCIALISM IS TYRANNY! PERIOD!