On Wednesday, Senate Vice President Carmelo Ríos stated that recent federal legislations aiming to limit American citizenship in territories like Puerto Rico will not succeed. Ríos believes these measures are being used as a political tool, with some assuming Puerto Rico would be a Democratic state if it were to become a state. He thinks Puerto Rico would be a 'swing state' like Florida.
Ríos mentioned that Puerto Rican lawmakers still have allies in the Senate, including Senator Rick Scott and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On Tuesday, Republican Senator James Lankford from Oklahoma presented legislation to limit the right to US citizenship by birth in unincorporated territories, which Ríos says will not advance in this Congressional session. Ríos criticized the Republican Party, saying it is 'super extra ultra conservative' and 'bordering on racism' with these measures.
Ríos, a Democrat, also distanced himself from liberal Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, saying he is a conservative Democrat and would not vote for her. According to Ríos, these measures will disappear after the midterm elections, when there will be a supposed change in public policy by the Republican Party.