Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/21pdf/20-303_6khn.pdf
Page Number: 8.0

6 

UNITED STATES v. VAELLO MADERO 

Opinion of the Court 

require that extreme outcome.* 

* 

* 

* 
The Constitution affords Congress substantial discretion
over how to structure federal tax and benefits programs for 
residents  of  the  Territories.    Exercising  that  discretion, 
Congress may extend Supplemental Security Income bene-
fits to residents of Puerto Rico.  Indeed, the Solicitor Gen-
eral  has  informed  the  Court  that  the  President  supports
such legislation as a matter of policy.  But the limited ques-
tion before this Court is whether, under the Constitution, 
Congress  must  extend  Supplemental  Security  Income  to 
residents of Puerto Rico to the same extent as to residents 
of the States.  The answer is no.  We therefore reverse the 
judgment of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. 

It is so ordered. 

—————— 

*The Court’s decision today should not be read to imply that Congress
may exclude residents of individual States from benefits programs.  Con-
gress has not done so, and that question is not presented in this case.