House passes bill calling for referendum on Puerto Rico statehood

Washington — The House passed a bill Thursday that would allow Puerto Rico to hold the first-ever binding referendum on whether to become a state or gain some sort of independence, in a last-ditch effort that stands little chance of passing the Senate.

The bill, which passed 233-191 with some Republican support, would offer voters in the U.S. territory three options: statehood, independence or independence with free association.

"It is crucial to me that any proposal in Congress to decolonize Puerto Rico be informed and led by Puerto Ricans," said Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, which oversees affairs in U.S. territories.