Members of Congress appear to be lobbying President Donald Trump to make Puerto Rico an independent country, it was reported Friday.
A seven-page draft executive order for the plan — apparently drawn up by a congressional office and leaders of Puerto Rico secessionist efforts — says the island's independence would result in $617.8 billion in savings for the U.S., the Daily Mail reported.
Puerto Rico also would be provided with the necessary resources for economic self-sufficiency, the outlet reported.
The proposal would establish a 21-month timeline for the end of birthright citizenship for Puerto Ricans and create the Executive Transition Commission to oversee the island's transition from territory to sovereign nation.
"The Executive Transition Commission will operate as part of the White House staff in coordination with Congress on matters that require legislation," according to the order, which was seen by the Daily Mail.
Newsmax reached out to White House officials for comment on the report.
One source told the Daily Mail that at least two members of Congress have a copy of the draft.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., and potentially other Cabinet secretaries reportedly are in possession of the proposal.
Not only that, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee staffers and a staffer for Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., have already held or scheduled meetings about the draft executive order.
The Energy and Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over issues relating to U.S. territories.
The draft proposal's suggested savings for the U.S. is based on Washington being projected to spend $1.37 trillion over the next 50 years in addition to up to $8.6 billion in disaster relief for supporting Puerto Rico.
Trump on Saturday signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. The president's action caused concerns among Puerto Rican officials and advocates about what this could mean for the island, a Spanish-speaking U.S. territory, NBC News reported.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged Thursday to help Puerto Rico in her first visit to the U.S. territory as it struggles to rebuild from catastrophic hurricanes amid chronic power outages.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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