Reaffirming the consent of the governed as the United States marks 250 years of independence.

Key Points

• This resolution asks the House of Representatives to support equal rights for the 3.6 million people living in US territories. It argues that residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, and other areas should have the same say in their government as people in the 50 states.
• The proposal targets a group of old Supreme Court rulings called the Insular Cases. These decisions from the early 1900s are criticized for using racist logic to deny people in territories full constitutional protections and the right to vote for president.
• People in these territories serve in the military at high rates and pay billions in federal taxes. Even so, they are often blocked from receiving full benefits from programs like Medicaid and food assistance that are available to other Americans.
• The resolution does not force a change to statehood or independence. Instead, it reaffirms that the American idea of government by the consent of the people should apply to everyone living under the US flag as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.