House approves referendum to ‘decolonize’ Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House has passed a bill that would allow Puerto Rico to hold the first-ever binding referendum on whether to become a state or gain some sort of independence. It is a last-ditch effort that stands little chance of passing the Senate. The bill passed 233 to 191 on Thursday with some Republican support. The proposal would commit Congress to accept Puerto Rico into the United States as the 51st state if voters on the island approved it. But the bill now goes to the Senate, where it faces a ticking clock before the end of the year and Republican lawmakers who have long opposed statehood.