Rossello unveils plan for sending Puerto Rico representatives to Congress

On March 2, 2017 a special session from the Legislative Assembly was conducted to celebrate Puerto Ricans having gained United States citizenship 100 years ago with the Jones Act. The event was boycotted by members of the Puerto Rico Independence Party and the Popular Democratic Party, while New Progressive Party members waved the United States flags that had been given out. For the event a message from Governor Ricardo Rossello was given, in which he spoke of a project that would send seven Puerto Ricans to act as congressmen and senators and to insist on having Puerto Rico admitted into the union as a state.

“The delegation will constitute the ‘Commission of Equality’ and will transfer to Washington to assume the representation that corresponds to the State of Puerto Rico in the House of Representatives and the Senate.” said the governor, of the project.

The Equality Plan (Plan Igualdad, in spanish) is being criticized because it would treat Puerto Rico as a state while also being under “a colonialist government.” It should come as no surprise that the New Progressive Party will push for statehood as Resident Commissioner Jennifer Gonzalez introduced to the House of Representatives a bill for Puerto Rico to become a state in early January. The plan would be implemented before the Puerto Ricans will be able to vote on its status in a plebiscite to be given in June.