The Treaty of Paris, 1898: the clause that still shapes Puerto Rico’s status
Article IX left the civil rights and political status of Puerto Rico’s people to Congress. Why that sentence from 1898 still decides where the status question must be answered.
The 1952 Constitution: what it changed and what it did not
Puerto Rico’s constitution, approved by its voters and by Congress, was a real step in self-government. Why it did not change the territorial relationship or provide federal representation.
Federal justice in Puerto Rico and life tenure since 1966
Public Law 89-571 gave Puerto Rico’s federal judges the life tenure of Article III. What changed in 1966, what did not, and why the island still has no senators to confirm its judges.
Puerto Rico and its diaspora in the latest Census estimates
3,184,835 people live in Puerto Rico; about 5.96 million people of Puerto Rican origin live in the states. Where the diaspora lives, and why one family can have two sets of rights.
What Puerto Rico already pays in federal taxes
The IRS collected $5.54 billion in gross federal taxes from Puerto Rico in fiscal year 2025. What residents pay, what they generally do not, and how statehood would change the rule.
The Child Tax Credit in Puerto Rico: what changed in 2021
Since tax year 2021, a family in Puerto Rico with one child can claim the federal Child Tax Credit. How families claim it with the IRS, and why the rule shows the limits of territorial status.
The Borinqueneers and the Congressional Gold Medal
In 2014 Congress awarded its Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment. The record of service it honors, and the representation gap that island veterans still face.
The Resident Commissioner: a seat without a final vote since 1900
Puerto Rico’s only member of Congress can introduce bills and vote in committee, but not on final passage. Why one non-voting seat cannot represent more people than live in 18 states.
Seven status votes, 1967 to 2024: what Puerto Rico’s voters said
Every status vote in Puerto Rico, with its ballot and turnout. Read together, the record shows the territorial status losing its majority and statehood leading every vote since 2012.
Equal footing: what admission guarantees a new state
In Coyle v. Smith (1911), the Supreme Court held that a new state enters the Union equal in power to every other. What the equal footing doctrine guarantees, and what it would mean for Puerto Rico.
How 37 states joined the Union, and what it means for Puerto Rico
Every state after the original thirteen was admitted by Congress. How admission has worked, what the Alaska and Hawaii acts show, and the federal step Puerto Rico still awaits.
After the Senate farm bill, the NAP-to-SNAP question remains
The Senate passed its farm bill without bringing Puerto Rico into SNAP. How Puerto Rico’s nutrition block grant differs, and what USDA estimates a transition would cost.
Citizenship by statute: why Puerto Rico’s birthright rests on Congress
Citizenship for people born in Puerto Rico comes from an act of Congress, not the Fourteenth Amendment. What that means, and why statehood would settle it.
Thirteen years without a Senate status hearing
No Senate committee has held a hearing on Puerto Rico’s status since August 1, 2013. Why a hearing is the natural first answer to Puerto Rico’s request for admission.
What a stopgap budget means for Puerto Rico’s federal programs
A continuing resolution keeps PAN, WIC and Head Start running through December 11, 2026. What a stopgap budget does, and does not do, for Puerto Rico.
Energy and the Jones Act: what an exemption for energy cargo would change
A bill would exempt energy shipments to Puerto Rico and other noncontiguous areas from the Jones Act. What an exemption would change, and what it would not.
November 3, 2026: one election, two realities for Puerto Ricans
On November 3, voters in the states elect Congress, but Puerto Rico’s U.S. citizens do not take part. What residents can vote for, and what changes with a move to a state.
More time to finish what María destroyed: the case for H.R. 10441
With 19,202 María recovery projects still open, H.R. 10441 would extend Puerto Rico’s FEMA completion deadline to 2035 and require annual public reports.
Medicare Advantage and the gap Puerto Rico’s seniors feel
More than 670,000 seniors in Puerto Rico rely on Medicare Advantage, yet payments there are about 41 percent below the national average. Why that gap is an equality issue.
The 2027 Medicaid cliff, explained
Enhanced federal Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico ends September 30, 2027. What the cliff is, why the states do not face it and what Puerto Rico is asking Congress to do.