Dem
51
GOP
49
The issue of statehood for Puerto Rico has come up many times in the past. Many Democrats support it because they expect the Island to elect two Democrats to the Senate. That is not obvious, however, since the current nonvoting delegate from Puerto Rico in the House, Jennifer González-Colon caucuses with the Republicans (although most of the previous delegates have indeed been Democrats). Until now, nothing has moved forward.
Now it has come up again and some progress has been made. The House just passed a bill calling for Puerto Rico to hold a vote, specifically a binding plebiscite in Nov. 2023. There are to be three choices: (1) statehood, (2) independence, and (3) sovereignty in association with the U.S. The third category would put Puerto Rico in the same category as the Marshall Islands, which is an independent nation that has treaties with the U.S. governing diplomatic, military, and economic relations. The bill does not have an option to continue as a commonwealth, as Puerto Rico now is.
It should be noted that Puerto Ricans are currently U.S. citizens and have been for over 100 years. Any Puerto Rican who wants to come to America can just buy a ticket from San Juan to Orlando, where there are many Puerto Ricans. If you don't mind flying at 4 a.m., Frontier Airlines will sell you a one-way ticket for $64. No passport is required. Flying from San Juan to Orlando is no different than flying from, say, LaGuardia to Orlando, except it is $11 more expensive.
However, there is a small catch here. To become law and set up the plebiscite, the Senate has to approve the bill. Senate Republicans do not want Puerto Rico to become a state (although they probably actually favor it becoming an independent nation, along with dozens of others in the Caribbean). However, one issue is that the U.S. has military bases on the island, and a treaty would be needed to keep them. The U.S. has military bases in many countries, so that is not an insurmountable obstacle.
Consequently, the Republicans will filibuster the bill when it hits the Senate and it won't pass. If it did pass, Joe Biden has said he would sign it.
Nevertheless, the exercise is not pointless. It shows that this bill can pass the House. Next time the Democrats have the trifecta it will come up again—and again. Some day the filibuster will probably bite the dust and then it will pass. But for now, Puerto Rico's status will not change. (V)