Buying statehood

National Review, Nov 10, 1997 by Ramesh Ponnuru

Behind the scenes, Sen. Paul Coverdell (R., Ga.) has been urging Republicans to court Hispanics more aggressively but thinks the bill is the wrong way to do it. He may filibuster the bill if necessary. Rep. John Linder (R., Ga.), head of the National Republican Campaign Committee, worries that a Puerto Rican state would send seven liberal Democrats to Congress. That is presumably why Dick Gephardt was the first signatory to a letter demanding consideration of the bill this month. Rep. Young and Rep. Dan Burton (R., Ind.), however, have taken every opportunity to say that Republicans would actually be competitive.

The fallback position of Republican statehood-boosters, to quote a recent anonymous fax, is that "Even If Puerto Ricans Don't Yet Identify With The Republican Party, They Support Conservative Values and Public Policy." They support school choice and tax cuts.

THE confidence of these Republicans in their ideas is refreshing, but perhaps exaggerated given that, in 1996, 2.6 times as many Puerto Ricans participated in the uncontested Democratic presidential primary as in the Republican one. As Rep. Gutierrez's aide says, "Puerto Rico would definitely be a Democratic state. No doubt about it, no doubt whatsoever. . . . Reagan would have lost his election in Puerto Rico. Clinton would have beaten Dole 80 - 20 in Puerto Rico."

If Frank Luntz is right that any show of Republican opposition to statehood will be interpreted as "anti-Hispanic," party leaders have a bigger problem than they realize. For it is inevitable that, as the public pays more attention to the issue, substantial Republican opposition to statehood will materialize, whether before the bill passes or when Congress considers a transition plan.

Rep. Young says the result of the referendum would not be binding on Congress. If a majority of Puerto Ricans ever votes for statehood, the President will have to draw up a transition plan within 180 days. Congress will then have to consider that plan under an expedited procedure, with no filibusters and limited amendments. That plan could have the effect of "incorporating" Puerto Rico, i.e., making a legally binding promise of statehood.

But what if Congress were to reject statehood after Puerto Ricans have voted for it? Surely, no party in this dispute wants to breed such unnecessary ill-will. Republicans may yet rue the day they raised this issue.

To date, the national interest has taken third place to moneyed interests and partisan interests in this debate. As a result, the United States is about to get a belated lesson on the costs of empire.