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ABC World News Morning "PUERTO RICO MAY HAVE A VOICE IN ITS DESTINY HOUSE BILL ALLOWS PUERTO RICO TO VOTE ON FUTURE" BRETT MAHONEY / JIM WILLIAMS / JUJU CHANG (03/05/98, (c) Copyright Federal Document Clearing House. All Rights Reserved.) JIM WILLIAMS, ABC News: (voice-over) This is Thursday, March 5th. In the news this morning -- a close vote in Congress to give Puerto Rico a voice in its destiny.. ANNOUNCER: (voice-over) From ABC, this is World News This Morning, with Jim Williams and JuJu Chang, sitting in for Mark Mullen and Asha Blake. JUJU CHANG, ABC News: Good morning. Thanks for joining us. JIM WILLIAMS: JuJu, people in the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico could soon get something most Americans take for granted -- a chance to vote on their own future. That's the result of a close vote last night in the House, but Puerto Rico still has a long way to go before it could win statehood or independence. Here's ABC's Brett Mahoney. BRETT MAHONEY, ABC News: (voice-over) After 12 hours of heated debate on the House floor, the bill passed by one vote. UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: On this vote the yeas are 209, the nays are 208. BRETT MAHONEY: (voice-over) The bill is just one step in a long journey toward offering Puerto Rico a chance to choose its own destiny, but it does inch it closer to possibly becoming the 51st state. Rep. JOSE SERRANO, (D), New York: It's time that Puerto Rico knew whether it can join the community of nations as an independent nation or gain sovereignty by joining the Union. BRETT MAHONEY: (voice-over) As residents of a U.S. commonwealth, Puerto Ricans are citizens but have no voting representation in Congress and cannot vote in presidential elections. They also pay no federal income tax. The bill offers Puerto Rico an opportunity to vote on three choices by the end of the year. It may elect to maintain its commonwealth status, become the 51st state or become an independent nation. Puerto Ricans are split on this issue. In a non-binding referendum in 1993, close to 49 percent of Puerto Ricans voted to remain a commonwealth while 46 percent favored statehood and four percent voted for independence. New York Representative Nydia Velasquez sees yesterday's vote as just another instance of the U.S. dictating to Puerto Rico. Rep. NYDIA VELASQUEZ, (D), New York: I don't think that this house should be in the business of telling the people of Puerto Rico what is best for the people of Puerto Rico. BRETT MAHONEY: (on camera) And before Puerto Rico has a chance to vote on its own fate, the Senate has to approve this bill. And whatever Puerto Rico decides, Congress will have the final say. Brett Mahoney, ABC News.
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