Why isnt puerto rico a state

The current status—in place since —gives Puerto Rico only limited local control while leaving final authority with the US Congress. If Puerto Rico were to become a state, aside from two senators, its population would likely garner five members of Congress. Delilah Friedler. Russ Choma. AJ Vicens. Mayukh Sen. Nathalie Baptiste.

Ali Breland. Fairtrade America. Matt Simon. Fred Pearce. Dan Spinelli. Dan Friedman. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use , and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? We're a nonprofit so it's tax-deductible , and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget.

Animals This frog mysteriously re-evolved a full set of teeth. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London. Animals Wild Cities Morocco has 3 million stray dogs. Meet the people trying to help. Animals Whales eat three times more than previously thought.

Environment Planet Possible India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big. Environment As the EU targets emissions cuts, this country has a coal problem. Paid Content How Hong Kong protects its sea sanctuaries. History Magazine These 3,year-old giants watched over the cemeteries of Sardinia.

Magazine How one image captures 21 hours of a volcanic eruption. Science Why it's so hard to treat pain in infants. Science The controversial sale of 'Big John,' the world's largest Triceratops. Science Coronavirus Coverage How antivirals may change the course of the pandemic. Science Coronavirus Coverage U. Travel A road trip in Burgundy reveals far more than fine wine.

Travel My Hometown In L. Travel The last artists crafting a Thai royal treasure. Subscriber Exclusive Content.

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars? How viruses shape our world. The era of greyhound racing in the U. The weakness of the infrastructure, which made disaster response extremely difficult, would never have happened if Puerto Rico had the resources that all states enjoy.

Conditions like these have never been placed on territories in the past. It was understood that statehood could provide solutions for territories, and that adding a state was beneficial for the country. The decision to make Puerto Rico a state is up to Congress.

So far, Congress has chosen not to make the decision. You must be logged in to post a comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment.