Supreme Court to hear case that could expand rights of Puerto Rico citizens

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It's wide the state won’t beryllium adding immoderate much stars to the American emblem immoderate clip soon.

Efforts to marque Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico authoritative states person stalled successful Congress.

However, portion D.C. citizens inactive person entree to galore authorities programs that citizens of each the 50 states enjoy, Puerto Rico citizens are ineligible for many. 

Take, for instance, Supplemental Security Income, SSI.

It’s a programme that helps Americans with illnesses oregon disabilities get by.

Those who unrecorded successful D.C. suffice for it, but those who unrecorded successful Puerto Rico bash not, adjacent though radical successful some places wage national taxes.

Why? When Congress passed SSI decades ago, they didn’t see residents of the island.

SUPREME COURT CHALLENGE

Well, the statement implicit the rights of Puerto Rico citizens volition beryllium beforehand and halfway successful the Supreme Court this week.

The lawsuit is called United States v. Vaello-Madero.

Oral arguments are connected Tuesday.

It’s astir a antheral named Jose Luis Vaello-Madero. In 2013, helium moved from his location of 28 years successful New York City backmost to Puerto Rico. When helium became sick helium filed for SSI benefits.

If helium moved to, let’s say, Florida instead, it would person been nary problem. However, erstwhile the Social Security Administration learned wherever helium moved, they chopped him disconnected from the programme and demanded helium wage backmost $28,000 worthy of benefits helium had already received. 

The Biden medication is divided connected the issue.

President Joe Biden has issued statements calling for Puerto Rico citizens to beryllium covered by authorities programs similar SSI.

“There tin beryllium nary second-class citizens,” Biden said. 

Biden’s Justice Department, however, has done the opposite, really arguing against Vaello-Madero successful court.

"The Constitution vests Congress, not the courts, with work for making due changes,” attorneys wrote successful ineligible briefs.

While the precocious tribunal is not expected to contented an sentiment connected this lawsuit for months, the result could dramatically alteration what Puerto Rico’s 3 million-plus residents are entitled to.

That would perchance marque authorities programs adjacent much costly to American taxpayers since much radical would beryllium eligible to enroll.