Puerto Rican Governor Writes Congress to Halt Status Change Bill

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla sent a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives asking them to withdraw their support for a bill for holding a statehood referendum on the island, the Web site Puerto Rico Report said.

The site released what it said was a copy of the governor’s Nov. 18 missive to a U.S. legislator.

Garcia Padilla reached out to some of the 126 House members who co-sponsored the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act, presented last May by Puerto Rico’s non-voting delegate in Congress, Pedro Pierluisi, leader of the pro-statehood PNP party.

While insisting he supports the idea of a referendum on status, the governor cited Pierluisi’s recent comments that support for the bill is equivalent to approving statehood for Puerto Rico.

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