Supreme Court to decide on Puerto Rico access to Supplemental Social Security Income

[DonViejo]

Source: NBC News/The Associated Press


Older, disabled and blind Americans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia can have access to SSI benefits but not in Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory.

March 1, 2021, 11:15 AM EST / Source: Associated Press

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether it is unconstitutional to exclude people living in Puerto Rico from Supplemental Social Security Income.

The justices said they would hear an appeal, first filed by the Trump administration, of a lower-court ruling that held that residents of the U.S. territory should have the same access to SSI benefits as older, disabled and blind Americans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The administration argues that a pair of 40-year-old Supreme Court decisions already upheld the federal law that created SSI and excluded Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories from it. Congress later added in the Mariana Islands.

In recent months, a federal judge ruled that Puerto Rico residents should have access to other federal welfare benefits from which they have been excluded as well. A federal judge in Guam said residents of that Pacific island also should be able to collect SSI.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/supreme-court-decide-puerto-rico-access-supplemental-social-security-income-n1259144

[davsand]

1. If we'd just make them a state the case is moot.

I wish the legislature would just DO it, already.


Laura

[iluvtennis]

2. + agree. nt

[OldBaldy1701E]

8. Well

They will just offer up 10 other reasons why they turned everyone down, but yes, that particular reason would be moot.

[patphil]

3. Time to bring Puerto Rico into the family as the 51st state.

They deserve so much more than they got under Trump and the Republicans.
They voted 97% for statehood on June 11th, 2 017.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Puerto_Rican_status_referendum

[Politicub]

4. It will probably be 3017 before they achieve statehood.

[patphil]

5. I knew I should have previewed!

[Politicub]

6. It was an inspired typo, and I thank you for it.

[former9thward]

9. Those against statehood boycotted the referemdum.

There was only a 22% turnout.

[Lonestarblue]

7. It's long past time to add DC and Puerto Rico as states.

We might have to wait until 2022 if we can add more wins for the Senate. Citizens of both pay ta es of different kinds, especially payroll ta es, but they don’t get the full benefits that other citizens do who pay the same taxes. Definitely not fair.

[Kid Berwyn]

10. 122 years as a Territory or Colony makes statehood long past due.

Either you believe in Democracy or you don’t.

[patphil]

11. I just discovered there was a statehood referendum on the 2020 ballot in Puerto Rico.

Look here:
https://ballotpedia.org/Puerto_Rico_Statehood_Referendum_(2020)

It was a close vote, and 1.19 million people voted, or about 35% of the entire population of Puerto Rico. That's probably close to 50% of the 18 and older population.