Thank you, Ranking Member Scott. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by expressing my gratitude to the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Lamar Smith, for supporting H.R. 1550 and for working with House leadership to schedule the bill for floor…

Let me tell you, what you have seen, you have seen Secretary Napolitano standing firm on the deferred action policy that the Federal Government is about to implement.

We simply cannot do it alone. Unless Washington acts, these criminal organizations will only strengthen their foothold in the region.

So, please, I am begging and pleading with you to make sure that we have enough assets so that the Virgin Islands does not--ensure that the Virgin Islands gets the coverage that we need as well.

We must bolster resources, funding, and staffing of Federal law enforcement agencies throughout Puerto Rico.

Do not give up on Puerto Rico and the USVI.

The goal is to make the Puerto Rico Police a model for Constitutional policing.

Why does Puerto Rico receive less Federal funding for law enforcement purposes than State-side jurisdictions?

They deserve an answer.

There is a moral commitment that I have to indeed make sure that we provide Constitutional policing to our constituents.

We must ensure Puerto Rico is included in National border security and drug trafficking strategies.

Today, Puerto Rico is serving as the first line of defense in the Caribbean to prevent drugs and violence from reaching the U.S. mainland.

I would say if you want to make a lot of money, just move to Washington and open a smoke-and-mirror shop.

There is no room, there should be no room for partisan politics in dealing with this issue.

We remain strongest when we are united.

So the last comment I make is it is allocating resources.

I refuse to bury another one of my constituents knowing that the Federal Government considers itself another bystander.

We cannot afford to have the U.S.-Caribbean Border underprotected.