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{
    "localId": "16988362",
    "label": "Puerto Rico (9)",
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{
    "id": "16988362",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/16988362",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Puerto Rico (9)",
    "description": "This file contains materials relating to the compact of permanent union and President Ford's statehood proposal.",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/16988362",
    "collections": [
        "James M. Cannon Files (Ford Administration)",
        "James Cannon's Issues Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Puerto Rico",
        "Legislation",
        "Territories and possessions",
        "Treaties"
    ],
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    "naId": 16988362,
    "coverageEndDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1977-01-31",
        "month": 1,
        "year": 1977
    },
    "coverageStartDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1976-03-01",
        "month": 3,
        "year": 1976
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{
    "seq": 4,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0039/635863/16988362/16988362_Page_05_Image_0001.jpg",
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    "ocrText": "-2-\nHistorically, our relationship with Puerto Rico has been\nbased on mutual consent. For example, the current Common-\nwealth relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico was\nestablished through bilateral agreement between the\nCongress and the people of Puerto Rico (who ratified the\nagreement at a referendum) . IP As a practical (though not\nnecessarily legal) matter, any change in the relationship\nbetween the two countries would have to be conditioned on\nthe approval of both the Congress and the people of Puerto\nRico.\nTherefore, I would suggest something along the following\nlines\n(1) The President could state his belief that Puerto\nRico ought to be made a State and call upon the\nCongress to enact legislation which would both\n(a) extend the U.S. Constitution to Puerto Rico,\nsubject to approval by a majority of the people\nof Puerto Rico, and (b) upon such approval,\nconstitute a statehood act.\n(2)\nThereafter, Puerto Rico could hold its constitu-\ntional convention and satisfy the other conditions\nprecedent, and the President could proclaim\nPuerto Rico to be a State.\nOn the assumption that you would like to see what a\nPresidential statement concerning step 1 might look like,\nI have attached a draft work-up.\nWhile the Puerto Rican Federal Relations Act, which\ncurrently governs U.S. - Puerto Rico relations, speaks of\nbeing \"in the nature of a compact\" between two soverign\nnations, as a matter of law Puerto Rico remains a territory\nof the U.S.\nCORD"
}