The bill would set up a process to admit Puerto Rico as the nation s 51st state if such a plan is approved by the island s voters in a referendum.
Axios first reported on the proposal, which is also backed by the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico, Del. Jenniffer González-Colón (R).
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Heinrich noted his own state s path to statehood was decades long. My home state of New Mexico had a similar struggle to achieve statehood. It took 50 New Mexico statehood bills and 64 years before we were finally admitted to the United States, Heinrich said.
Support for statehood for Puerto Rico is growing, though it remains a divisive topic.