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The Puerto Rico Democracy Act would establishes a two-tiered vote wherein eligible voters would decide if they were satisfied with the island’s current commonwealth status. That could subsequently lead to a second vote where Puerto Ricans would select to have the island either remain as a commonwealth or move towards becoming a state or an independent country.

On a more extreme level Glenn Beck declared that the act was part of a conspiracy by “the progressives” to rig the vote, ensure statehood, and increase their political power.

The bill has received support from some Republicans, however. "Congress has never asked those American citizens residing in Puerto Rico to express their opinion on the territory's political status," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Republican political consultant Alex Castellanos urged GOP legislators to pass the act and not fall into the trap of “mischaracterizing” it as a statehood bill. Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño (who is allied to the Republicans) advocated for the act last year.

He said the measure presented by Puerto Rico’s non-voting representative to Congress, Pedro Pierluisi, provides for a “just and impartial” process, without taking a position in favor of or against the options on the table.

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The US has two areas of land that can be considered colonies, and also commonwealths. These are Puerto Rico and Guam/Northern Mariana Islands. While in the past colonies of the US, especially in the contiguous states, lobbied for full rights as states, not all citizens of Puerto Rico are interested in stateship. Some are and do campaign for turning Puerto Rico into an actual state or an independent country, as opposed to colony and commonwealth.

Citizens in Puerto Rico abide by US federal laws, typically don’t get to vote to make or change laws on a federal level. They don’t have representation via senators or house representatives, though they are subject to the laws of the US by agreement between the leaders of Puerto Rican government and the US. Puerto Rico does have its own Republican government, but its relationship to the US is still in some senses colonial.

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June 1898: conquest of Puerto Rico by US-American troops, 3rd of July 1898: victory of the USA in the sea-battle of Santiago de Cuba, 13th of August 1898: US troops occupy Manila, 14th of August 1898: surrender of the Spanish troops on the Philippines)

10th of December 1898 · Peace of Paris, Spain cedes the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guam to the USA.

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