Just another dumb statement in the loooong and growing list of things a Republican presidential wanna-be has said. This time, Rick Santorum does the favor while explaining why Puerto Rico cannot be the 51st state.
In an interview with a San Juan newspaper, El Vocero, Santorum said English would have to be the “main language” if Puerto Rico were to become a state.
“As in any other state, you have to comply with this and any federal law. And that is that English has to be the main language,” Santorum told the paper. “There are other states with more than one language as is the case in Hawaii, but to be a state in the United States, English has to be the main language.”
There is no federal law designating English as the country’s official language, although some states and local governments have adopted such “English only” laws.
Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth. Its residents are U.S. citizens but can only vote for president in the primaries, nor do they have a voting representative in Congress. Puerto Ricans will hold a referendum Nov. 6 on the island’s political status. Statehood, independence and no change in status are the three options. Regardless of the outcome, Congress must approve any change in status.
