If Puerto Rico pays American taxes then why do they not have a representative in Congress that can vote on the floor?

serpa

It is not a state. Puerto Rico is an "unincorporated territory" of the United States which according to the U.S. Supreme Court's Insular Cases is "a territory appurtenant and belonging to the United States, but not a part of the United States."[55] Puerto Rico is subject to the Congress’ plenary powers under the territorial clause of Article IV, sec. 3, of the U.S. Constitution.[56] U.S. federal law applies to Puerto Rico, even though Puerto Rico is not a state of the American Union and has no voting representative in the U.S. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_rico Mar 04 10, 12:28 AM

looney_tunes

Whatever happened to "No taxation without representation"? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_taxation_without_representation Mar 04 10, 1:50 AM

serpa

Voting rights of citizens in the District of Columbia differ from those of United States citizens in each of the fifty states. District of Columbia residents do not have voting representation in the United States Senate, but D.C. is entitled to three electoral votes for President. In the U.S. House of Representatives, the District is entitled to a delegate, who is not allowed to vote on the floor of the House, but can vote on procedural matters and in House committees. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_voting_rights Felons and minors can't vote. Mar 04 10, 2:17 AM

star_gazer

"No taxation without representation" began as a slogan in the period 1763–1776 that summarized a primary grievance of the British colonists in the Thirteen Colonies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_taxation_without_representation However, it is not an expressed right in the US Constitution. Mar 04 10, 4:56 AM