WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday is set to weigh the legality of a decades-old congressional decision to exclude Puerto Rico from a federal program that provides benefits to low-income elderly, blind and disabled people. The justices are hearing the U.S. government's appeal of a lower court ruling that deemed Puerto Rico's exclusion from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program unlawful. The appeal originally was filed by Republican former President Donald Trump's administration. His Democratic successor Joe Biden has continued the appeal while at the same time urging Congress to extend SSI to Puerto Rico. Many Puerto Ricans have long complained that the Caribbean island's residents are treated worse than other Americans despite being U.S. citizens. Puerto Rico, which is not a state, is the most-populous of the U.S. territories, with about 3 million people.
The justices are hearing the U.S. government's appeal of a lower court ruling that deemed Puerto Rico's exclusion from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program unlawful.
The appeal originally was filed by Republican former President Donald Trump's administration. His Democratic successor Joe Biden has continued the appeal while at the same time urging Congress to extend SSI to Puerto Rico.
Many Puerto Ricans have long complained that the Caribbean island's residents are treated worse than other Americans despite being U.S. citizens. Puerto Rico, which is not a state, is the most-populous of the U.S. territories, with about 3 million people.