Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution addresses territories and admitting new states into the union by Congress. Article IV, Section 4 requires every state to implement a republican form of government. Residents of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have been citizens of the United States since 1917.

45% or more of the population of Puerto Rico lives in poverty. The government is inept and inefficient having allowed the infrastructure to deteriorate beyond repair. In 2017 Puerto Rico was delinquent on paying interest on its massive debt ($70 billion) and unemployment was at 12.4% even though many of the employable citizens had moved to the mainland seeking work. Hurricane Maria was a direct hit and caused massive destruction on the island. For the past two decades Puerto Rico has been unable to demonstrate self sufficiency.

There have been several past referendums on statehood indicating that the Puerto Rican population majority does not favor statehood because of identity, economic and cultural reasons. While the 2017 referendum resulted in 97% voting for statehood, only 23% voted. It seems obvious that the main reason for voting for statehood was the hope of the U.S. solving Puerto Rico’s financial crises.

Puerto Rico should not be admitted as a state for financial reasons. It should be admitted when the Puerto Rican people desire to adopt our form of government and way of life. Hopefully, the U.S. Congress can assist Puerto Ricans in achieving financial stability without sacrificing their ideals.