(San Juan) — The governor of Puerto Rico says Congress is “morally obligated” to act on making the territory a state.
This comes after a majority of voters on the island voted for statehood in November, 52-to-47-percent.
Governor Pedro Pierluisi told Axios on HBO he expects statehood legislation to be proposed in the House by mid-March.

“What I anticipate is that there will be considerable support for a statehood bill in this Congress,” Pierluisi said.

The new governor adds statehood for Puerto Ricans would mean access to new programs such as Medicaid.
Pierluisi, who was elected governor in the November election and sworn in last month, ran on a promise to gain statehood for the territory, the Associated Press reported.

US Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett is also pushing the idea of statehood: “It wasn’t until the territories … had predominantly brown people that the United States decided that we would remain territories in perpetuity.”

US Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett discusses the idea of statehood: “It wasn’t until the territories … had predominantly brown people that the United States decided that we would remain territories in perpetuity.” https://t.co/bhgCmIHILq

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 15, 2021