The Puerto Rico Status Act returns on National Piña Colada Day 2023

Happy Piña Colada Day when I update the prospects for Puerto Rican statehood! I previewed today's topic at the conclusion of An update on D.C. Statehood for Flag Day 2023.

I conclude with a clip of Raskin being interviewed by Ali Velshi on MSNBC last December, Raskin Urges Puerto Rico, D.C. Statehood To ‘Grow Democracy’ In Wake Of Jan. 6.

“We’ve got to keep democracy growing, otherwise we’re constantly going to be lapsing back into these authoritarianism impulses that Donald Trump and his Party have unleashed upon us,” says Rep. Jamie Raskin on giving statehood to Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. as an "offensive" response to Jan. 6.

Well said, Congressman. That's both a reason I agree with and a good foreshadowing for a related topic, Puerto Rican statehood, on Piña Colada Day next month. Stay tuned.

Follow over the jump for the update since last year.

The Puerto Rico Status Act passed the House in the previous Congress, which CBS Miami reported last December in Puerto Rico Statehood And Independence Debates Reignited By House Referendum.

The U.S. House passed a bill Thursday that would allow Puerto Rico to hold the first-ever binding referendum on whether to become a state or gain some sort of independence, in a last-ditch effort that stands little chance of passing the Senate.

MSNBC interviewed one of the bill's sponsors in House Bill Paves The Way For Puerto Rican Statehood.

Rep. Nydia Velázquez(D-NY) helped put together the Puerto Rico Status Act, which recently passed in the House. The bill aims to give Puerto Ricans the ability to decide the political future of the U.S. territory. Rep. Velázquez joins MSNBC’s Alicia Menendez to discuss the path forward for the bill in the Senate and how it can impact Puerto Ricans on the island and stateside.

I'm glad to hear Representative Velázquez repeat one of the points in my standard rant about Republican opposition to Puerto Rican statehood.

Jenniffer González-Colón made what should be convincing arguments for Republicans to support statehood for Puerto Rico. First, Republican Presidents from Eisenhower to the younger Bush supported it. Second, it's been in the Republican platform since the 1960s. It's still in the Republican platform, since The Republican National Committee's Executive Committee voted on June 10, 2020, to adopt the same platform the party used in 2016, which had Puerto Rico statehood as one of its planks. Third, the island isn't a lock for Democrats, as González-Colón considers herself a Republican and caucuses with them in Congress.

What hypocrites! They can't even support one of their own policy planks. I explained why that's so last year as well.

On paper, admitting Puerto Rico as a counterweight to Washington, D.C. looks like it might work. The problem is that the Republican Party has become Trump's party and the former guy dislikes Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans enough that he reportedly wanted to swap the island commonwealth for Greenland.* As long as he's the party leader, his prejudices and those of his followers will stand in the way of statehood.

And they did, as it didn't even get a vote in the Senate. Sigh. That hasn't stopped Democrats from trying again this session, as CBS New York reported this April in House re-introduces bill to make Puerto Rico a state.

Puerto Rico's political status remains in limbo. The House has re-introduced the bill to change the territory into a state, but not everyone is on board. CBS2's Shosh Bedrosian reports.

The bill passed the House last term, but because of the Republican House majority, it probably won't even pass the House this session. Again, sigh. It's enough to drive supporters of statehood to drink.

I'm going to end this slightly depressing post with 8SA's Sip into Paradise: Celebrating National Piña Colada Day.

Dive into the tropical flavors and refreshing vibes as we celebrate National Piña Colada Day! Join us as we explore the history, ingredients, and variations of this iconic cocktail. Discover the perfect blend of pineapple, coconut, and rum that takes your taste buds on a vacation. Get ready to mix, sip, and indulge in the ultimate summer treat. Cheers to the sweet and creamy delight of Piña Colada!

I feel better just watching that. How about you?

I'm not done with tropical drinks from Caribbean countries, as tomorrow is National Mojito Day. Stay tuned.