Democrats offer bill on Puerto Rico statehood

Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich (N.M.) and Rep. Darren Soto (Fla.) announced on Tuesday they would be introducing legislation to set out a plan to make Puerto Rico a state.

The bill would set up a process to admit Puerto Rico as the nation's 51st state if such a plan is approved by the island's voters in a referendum.

Axios first reported on the proposal, which is also backed by the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico, Del. Jenniffer González-Colón (R).

Heinrich noted his own state's path to statehood was decades long.