On the face of it, the Puerto Rico Status Act marks by far the most significant step toward ending the commonwealth’s status as a de facto U.S. colony in more than a century.
The watershed bill, which passed the House of Representatives last week by a 233-191 margin, calls for a binding plebiscite on the island to choose its future status.
Lawmakers with roots in Puerto Rico cheer the bill as an irreversible move to finally give self-determination to the Caribbean island of U.S. citizens with deep and unshakable ties to New York City.
