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The status quo movement in Puerto Rico refers to initiatives throughout the history of Puerto Rico aimed at maintaining the current political status of Puerto Rico, that of a commonwealth of the United States.
Puerto Rico is currently a territory of the United States. As a Commonwealth, Puerto Rico receives less in federal funding than the states. Residents are US citizens and can vote in elections but do not have the right to vote in presidential elections. They receive lower Social Security and Medicare benefits. Neither the Commonwealth or municipal governments of Puerto Rico can file for bankruptcy; that is currently prohibited.
In the Puerto Rican status referendum, 2012, 54% of the ballots cast were against the continuation of the island's status as a territory of the US. Of the votes for new status, a 61.1% majority chose statehood. This was by far the most successful referendum for statehood advocates. In all earlier referenda, votes for statehood were matched almost equally by votes for remaining an American territory, with the remainder for independence. Support for U.S. statehood has risen in each successive popular referendum.
On December 11, 2012, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico enacted a concurrent resolution to request the President and the Congress of the United States, to respond diligently and effectively, and to act on the demand of the people of Puerto Rico, as freely and democratically expressed in the plebiscite held on November 6, 2012, to end, once and for all, its current form of territorial status and to begin the process of admission of Puerto Rico as a State. The government did not take steps to meet this request, but provided funding for a fifth referendum.
The Puerto Rican status referendum, 2017 will be held on June 11, 2017 and will offer two options: "Statehood" and "Independence/Free Association." It will be the first referendum not to offer the choice of retaining the current status as a Commonwealth. Regardless of the outcome of this fifth referendum, action by the United States Congress would be necessary to implement changes to the status of Puerto Rico under the Territorial Clause of the United States Constitution.