Puerto Rico elects to become a full US state

Puerto Rican voters have passed a non-binding referendum that favors complete political entry into the United States. The referendum must first be approved by Congress before Puerto Rico can officially become the fifty first US state. Currently the island nation is only a territory of the US. President Obama has stated he will honor the vote of the Puerto Rican people and support its full entry into the US. Of the 80% of the electorate casting votes for the referendum, approximately two thirds voted in favor of full statehood. Should their petition for statehood be approved, Puerto Rico would be allowed to elect representatives to send to Washington DC, but would also be required to pay federal taxes. There is already a good deal of Puerto Ricans living within the US, almost a million more than on the entire island. Many consider Puerto Rico statehood to be inevitable as ties have only grown stronger through the years.