Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece by Pablo José Hernández, the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico. He is basically the non-voting member in Congress for Puerto Rico, and caucuses with Democrats. The ostensible purpose of the essay was to celebrate Puerto Rico's position as a commonwealth. Puerto Rico receives all of the benefits of being part of the United States, without the burdens of most taxes.
My colleagues in Congress ask why I back commonwealth status. I always answer with two words: taxes and culture. Puerto Rico residents are exempt from most federal income-tax laws, although they contribute to Social Security, Medicare and other programs. This allows the government of Puerto Rico to levy taxes of as much as 33% on income above $61,500 and keep most of the revenue generated. If we had to pay both federal and state income tax, we would fall deeper into bankruptcy. We would nearly need to double our total income tax burden or lower our state income tax to pay federal income taxes. Both options are fiscally untenable.
Moreover, Hernández celebrates how Puerto Rico has a culture distinct from that of the United States:
