Politics

Puerto Rico does not have a viable path towards statehood, and it is unclear what value Commonwealth status provides to the United States.

Josh Blackman | 10.30.2025 9:00 AM

Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece by Pablo José Hernández, the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico. He is basically the non-voting member in Congress for Puerto Rico, and caucuses with Democrats. The ostensible purpose of the essay was to celebrate Puerto Rico's position as a commonwealth. Puerto Rico receives all of the benefits of being part of the United States, without the burdens of most taxes.

My colleagues in Congress ask why I back commonwealth status. I always answer with two words: taxes and culture. Puerto Rico residents are exempt from most federal income-tax laws, although they contribute to Social Security, Medicare and other programs. This allows the government of Puerto Rico to levy taxes of as much as 33% on income above $61,500 and keep most of the revenue generated. If we had to pay both federal and state income tax, we would fall deeper into bankruptcy. We would........

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